Just one week after student elections, next year's Student Assembly met last night to elect officers and hear Assembly President-elect Jim Rich '96 present his agenda.
James Horowitz '98 beat out Class of 1998 Vice President Tom Franks to become next year's Assembly secretary. Fourteen of next year's 24 Assembly members attended the meeting.
Ben Hill '98 defeated Brandon del Pozo '96 for the position of treasurer. Hill has previously served as Assembly treasurer and secretary.
Two newcomers to the Assembly, Chinwe Ajene '98 and Unai Montes-Irueste '98, as well as two Assembly veterans, Grace Chionuma '96 and Tim Young '96, were elected to the Nominations Committee.
The Nominations Committee approves Assembly membership and nominates students to serve on College committees. Assembly Vice President Kelii Opulauoho '96 will chair the committee.
Rich told the Assembly his agenda would focus on the four goals of his election campaign.
Rich said he wants to reform the Assembly, halt College plans to institute primarily freshman residence halls, insure need-blind admissions remain intact and make student life a budget priority for the College's Board of Trustees.
Rich said although he supports the goals of the report of the Committee on the First-Year Experience, he will work to block primarily freshman residence halls, one of the report's central recommendations.
Rich said he has already spoken with Dean of the College Lee Pelton, who chaired the committee, about freshman housing and said he and Pelton plan to distribute a survey to gauge students' opinions about the proposed plan.
Although the security of need-blind admissions is important to College President James Freedman, it is not a priority for the Trustees, Rich said. He said the Assembly should request that the Board of Trustees make need-blind admissions a budget priority.
Rich also said student life should be a College budget priority. He said the Assembly should try to accomplish this goal, even though it may not be possible.
Outgoing Assembly President Rukmini Sichitiu '95 said she will meet weekly with Rich to insure a smooth transition. Sichitiu said in past years, changeovers have been strained and difficult.
To help encourage Assembly unity, both the old and new Assemblies will participate in a retreat scheduled for the first weekend of May, Rich said.
Many students have warned that because Rich is an outsider to the Assembly, he may have problems working with its members. But Rich said his rapport with the general Assembly is "getting better."
Opulauoho said Rich has begun to establish himself with the Assembly.
"I feel that the Assembly realizes Jim Rich won the election and he ran with certain issues," Opulauoho said.
One of Rich's more immediate duties is to select a president and vice president to lead the Assembly during the Summer term.
Rich said he has yet to choose the new leaders.
Rich said next year's Assembly will meet twice this term with the External Review Committee to discuss changes to the Assembly's constitution.
Hosea Harvey '95, who chairs the committee, said he has met with Rich to talk about reform.
