Kuumba Elects New Leadership Board, Delbridge to Serve as President

Adeyemi K. Delbridge '00 will take the reigns of one of the campus' largest singing groups after being elected Kuumba board president for the 1999-2000 school year Tuesday.

Elections took place Tuesday evening during the group's regular rehearsal in the Geological Lecture Hall.

Current Kuumba President Shannon T. Hodge '00 said about 85 members attended rehearsal and voted.

Although there are nearly 120 dues paying members of Kuumba, Hodge said that only 85 or 90 singers come to a given rehearsal.

Olawunmi Mobolade '99-'00 will be the group's new vice-president. Okwudiri N. Onyedum '02 will be the recording secretary and the group's new treasurer will be Shannon R. Bryant '99-'00.

Maya R. Payne '02 was elected as Kummba's librarian, and Deanna C. Michaud '01 will be the next director of publicity.

Of the six positions elected Tuesday night, only two--recording secretary and treasurer--were contested, Hodge said. She said a similar situation took place last year.

Hodge said she has confidence in the newly elected board, three members of which have previously held officer positions in Kuumba.

Last year, Delbridge was the group's treasurer and Mobolade acted as business manager. New treasurer Bryant was Kuumba's business manager two years ago.

Nominations for positions for which there were no candidates at Tuesday night's election will be held this evening.

Elections for these positions--corresponding secretary, musicians' representative and business manager--will be held next Tuesday.

Kuumba's two appointed offices--tour manager and Black Arts Festival co-chair--will be filled by members of the new board at a later date. Sasha A. Haines-Stiles