Graduate Student Senate’s PROUD party celebrated its uncontested victory Thursday night among fellow students on Baker University Center’s fourth floor.
Despite a lack of competition, the party managed to bring in 149 votes after a week of campaigning with presidential candidate Tynita White receiving 115 votes.
Ashley Furrow, a student in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, will now serve as the vice president of communication for GSS with plans to revamp the graduate student website next year.
“We’re looking to create a central focus for graduate students to find housing,” Furrow said. “Right now, the website’s kind of sporadic.”
Several new faces will be taking office under PROUD’s administration.
Kat Mitchell, an undergraduate senior studying political science and now senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, is a new addition to GSS. She is eager to get working to increase health and safety on campus during her term.
Along with the crop of fresh faces are GSS veterans who will switch positions for the upcoming academic year.
Molly Yanity, former vice president for communication, will become vice president for administration and finance. Yanity, the party’s former presidential candidate, made a last-minute candidacy swap with White.
White became the presidential candidate because of a graduate assistantship mix-up that would have negatively affected Yanity’s graduate stipend.
“From my perspective, the switch went seamlessly, and I believe that the elected candidates with serve well in 2012–13,” Board of Elections Chair John Hummel said.
White is a first-year graduate student studying public administration after receiving her undergraduate degree in political science from Ohio University.
As president of SHADES, White formerly worked with the student organization dedicated to strengthening the connections between multicultural and LGBT students. The organization has been largely involved with organizing and promoting Pride Week and the National Day of Silence.
“My main focus is the graduate student body, but I want to get more of those student communities involved,” White said.
Last year, then-GSS President Tracy Kelly and White teamed up to organize a multicultural exchange, experience that White said will help her prepare for the upcoming year.
“I feel relieved. Now we can start planning for an awesome school year,” Kelly said. “I’m looking forward to working with all these great people again this school year.”
hm156809@ohiou.edu
