We got acquainted with a new, highly diverse cast of characters in this week’s GSSC meeting

Each Wednesday, Bwog presents a recap of the General Studies Student Council (GSSC) meeting from the night before. Senior Staffer Alex Tang attended yesterday’s meeting and brings us the highlights.

Last night, the General Studies Student Council met for their second meeting of the 2016-2017 academic year. The main focus of this week’s meeting was on the introduction of nine new nominees for open GSSC positions. Having already applied and interviewed with the council, these nine GSSC students had been nominated for their respective positions. All nominees gave speeches briefly introducing themselves and their prospective goals for GSSC. During a closed vote by the council, all nine GSSC nominees were approved.

Without further ado, here are the new students we’ll be seeing in GSSC this year! Included in the descriptions below are interesting lines or tidbits from each of their presentations:

  • Corie Hahn (First Year Class President): Hopes to bring the whole community closer together, especially for confused first-semester freshmen who are “in the same boat as [she] is.” We’ve all been there.
  • Biao (Bill) Han Foo (First Year Class Vice President): Stating that “some people think I’m old; some people think I’m young,” Bill hopes to bridge differences between GS students.
  • Dan Cao (First Year Treasurer): A previous accountant, Cao will continue her financial experience as a manager for the first year budget.
  • Cesar Idarraga (Senior Class Treasurer): Having served in the military and worked as an intern at JP Morgan, Idarraga joked that “the senior budget should be a cakewalk.”
  • Mary Liu (Tech Team Engineer): Liu studied computer science at West Point and has done plenty of work with tech, and she seems highly equipped to tackle GSSC’s brand-new website.
  • Pawel Maslag (Community Service Rep): Maslag served as community service rep last year, and will continue to facilitate GS engagement with community service this year.
  • Chris Durham (Alumni Affairs Rep): Durham plans to work with alumni both in traditional networking events and in identity-based clubs to provide intergenerational support.
  • Jonathan Criswell (Students with Disabilities Rep): Criswell will work to achieve concrete results by advocating for disabled students, an underrepresented community at Columbia that, as another board member stated, has “basic needs that aren’t being met.”
  • Irina Liu (Dual B.A./Joint Programs Rep): Having noticed that specific groups in GS (Dual B.A./Joint Programs/veterans) are being “self-segregated,” Liu hopes to foster greater solidarity within GS. Among her proposals are a greater number of non-alcoholic events for GS students under the age of 21.

The council also shared other updates non-related to the nominations.

  • The MRE lunch (Meals Ready to Eat) will happen this Thursday at 12:30 pm. A major goal is to promote veteran/non-veteran engagement. MRE meals refer to meals that many service members eat on duty, and will be cooked and eaten on the lawn.
  • In support of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Latin block party will happen on Thursday, September 28.
  • On Thursday, October 5, GSSC will host its annual welcome-back rooftop party. This year’s party will be hosted at the Hudson Terrace. General tickets will be $20, with subsidized tickets available.
  • The GS apple picking event is scheduled for October 6, with tickets at $5.
  • In the recent council retreat, GSSC discussed inter-school and inter-board collaboration for mental health initiatives. The council also proposed a student group database, which would include information for all clubs and student groups on campus, whether they are recognized or un-recognized by ABC.
  • In a push for transparency, the council plans to create a new policy tracker for projects and updates within GSSC.

Image via imdb.com