The Undergraduate Council of Students filled vacant positions, and its committee chairs outlined initial goals for the year during the council's first general body meeting of the semester Wednesday night.
The general body members selected representatives to 14 positions. Kyra Mungia '13 was elected communications chair, Gregory Chatzinoff '15 was elected UCS-UFB liaison and parliamentarian, Sazzy Gourley '16 was elected appointments chair and Alana Bhatla '16 will fill the webmaster position. Maahika Srinivasan '15 was elected corporation liaison, and Jon Vu '15 was elected alumni relations liaison.
The Ivy Council policy chair position was filled by Asia Nelson '15. The three UCS representatives to the Faculty Executive Committee are Andrea Wistuba Behrens '16, Christine Mullen '16 and Woo-Hyun Byun '16. Katharina Goetzeler '16 was elected representative to the Late Night Fund, and Tsvetomira Dumbalska '16 was appointed UCS representative to the Student Athlete Committee.
Candidates gave short speeches describing their personal histories and experiences.
"This year, my thing will be Facebook," said Mungia, who ran uncontested.
Following the speeches, the floor was open to questions. Treasurer Sam Gilman '15 asked every candidate for Corporation liaison, who will be the conduit to the highest governing body of the University, what they feel are currently the biggest issues facing Brown.
Following elections, White passed the floor to each of the executive board members to describe their committees.
Each committee chair briefly outlined their plans for the coming semester.
Manya-Jean Gitter '14, academics and administrations affairs chair, described her group as a "big idea committee." She said her committee may focus on improving Department Undergraduate Groups.
Gilman said he wants to help student service groups get additional funding.
Mungia said the communications committee will grant its members the opportunity to speak with President Christina Paxson through filmed "fireside chats," intimate videos with University figures that are streamed online. UCS began developing these videos in 2011. Highlighted administrators have included Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron and former President Ruth Simmons.
White said UCS will be working with the Brown University Community Council toward "strategic planning" - that is, how the University will progress over the next 10 to 20 years.
This includes financial aid, online education, expansion of the campus and curricular changes, among others, he concluded.
Bergeron and Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life, will be attending next week's meeting.
