MGLC Elects New Executive Board

Yesterday, the Multicultural Greek Letter Council held elections for the council’s executive vice president and vice president of finance. Although the MGLC had its first election of officers last Wednesday, yesterday’s election was meant to fill the council’s empty slates. President-elect Nicholas Diaz ’10 stated that the council “wanted to have the entire executive board elected before Thanksgiving break.”
The MGLC consists of 17 “culturally-based organizations and serves to coordinate programs between its members and the rest of the community,” according to its website. [img_assist|nid=33873|title=Make your voice heard|desc=Melissa Yee ’10 gives a speech in her bid to become the Multicultural Greek Letter Council executive vice president yesterday in Goldwin Smith.|link=node|align=left|width=|height=0]
At yesterday’s election, candidates for each position gave three minute speeches and answered questions posed by the voters, all of whom were MGLC representatives. Each of the council’s 17 chapters has one representative that attends council meetings and votes in council elections.
Ola Williams ’10 of the Kappa Alpha Psi chapter won the election for executive vice president. The executive vice president’s duties are to “assist the president in the performance of his/her duties, to act in the place of president when necessary, to chair the Greek Freak Step Show committee and [to] be responsible for the planning and execution of the annual Greek Freak Step Show as well as other social events,” according to a presentation shown during the election.
In his speech, Williams detailed his goals for the MGLC if he were to be elected. He hopes to organize council-wide community service events and to cater more to minority communities as a council. Williams also hopes to improve the relationship between the Executive Council Board and the council of MGLC representatives. Mainly, “I want to make sure we have the same voice that IFC and Panhel have in the [Greek] tri-council.”
Nicolas Chavez ’10, also of the Kappa Alpha Psi chapter, was elected vice president of finances. The vice president of finances is responsible for “keep[ing] an accurate account of all monies received and disbursed, provid[ing] receipts for all monies spent upon request, deposit[ing] all funds received intact, issue[ing] checks upon receipt of vouchers bearing the signature of the president and any other member of the executive board, prepar[ing] a budget for the following year” and more, according the presentation.
Chavez is the president of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity inc., treasurer of the LINK: Men’s Alliance, a support network for male black and Latino students, and a councilman in the Men of Color Council. In his speech, Chavez emphasized his dedication to ensuring that the MGLC voice is heard at next term’s tri-council budget meeting and in making the MGLC more financially independent. After being elected, Chavez stated his main goals were “to make sure that there are no issues with financial budgeting and to improve the communication between the chapters within the MGLC.”
With new leadership in place, the council is looking forward to fresh ideas and improvements. Diaz explained that as a council the MGLC is “trying to overcome some of the inconsistencies and contradictions of our predecessors. They left [the council] with a lot of loose ends. [We want to] improve our council and maintain relevance.”
Next semester, the MGLC will be hosting a special “Meet the Greeks” recruitment on the weekend of January 29. And in April, the Council will put on its annual Greek Freak Step Show.