Senior Class Reps Elected From Houses

The Class of 2006 selected 11 House Representatives to the Senior Class Committee (SCC) last week to plan events for their final year at Harvard, with Eliot House holding a run-off election this weekend after a tie.

The House Reps’ primary responsibilities are to plan events throughout the year and keep seniors informed. After graduation, they represent their housemates while organizing class events.

“Getting elected means listening to what the Class of ‘06 wants and using creativity and dedicated planning to see some of those ideas finally come into fruition,” said Kirkland House Representative Mary M. Mooney ’06.

Gustavo A. Cardenas ’06—representing Pforzheimer House—echoed this sentiment.

“I feel that I will be able to help out with all senior activities, but also represent the views of Pfoho quite well, and also Quadlings in general,” Cardenas said.

The House Reps will also participate in sub-committees, which focus on organizing specific events within the SCC. These responsibilities include working on the Class Day program, assisting in the presentation of Ames Awards for public service, and supporting the Senior Gift initiative.

“It is expected that House Reps will support the efforts of the Senior Gift to develop resources for the College,” Cardenas said. “Personal involvement in fundraising is an individual decision of each House Rep and not a required duty of the position.”

The representatives will also organize social events throughout the year. Working with the Class Marshals, the House Reps will plan Senior Week, sit on stage at Class Day, and vote on class-related issues.

“I originally ran for Senior Class Marshal, but am really excited to [still] serve in the Senior Class Committee,” Cardenas said.

Any Marshal candidates who did not win the election earlier this month were automatically entered into the House Representative ballot unless they specified otherwise.

Additional candidates who did not drop down from the Class Marshal elections submitted a petition with 10 signatures in order to enter the candidate pool.

Some representatives attributed their House enthusiasm to past involvement in their respective House Committees (HoCos).

“I was interested in becoming the Lowell House Representative to the Senior Class Committee because of my fantastic experience on Lowell HoCo for the past two years,” said Lowell House Representative Kaartiga Sivanesan ’06. “LoHoCo has markedly improved Lowell House life, and I am now so excited to do the same for the Class of 2006’s final year in Cambridge.”

Some newly elected House Reps cited a dedication to maintaining friendships as their main incentive for entering the election.

“Part of my interest was derived in a sense of deep devotion for the friendships I’ve made here in Currier House,” said Currier Representative James S. Guseh ’06. “I thought that being a House Representative and joining the Senior Class Committee might be a way for me to facilitate strengthening those friendships we have all built together over the course of the year and preserving them post graduation.”

House voting occurred online between Oct. 18 and Oct. 20.

In addition to Cardenas, Guseh, Mooney, and Sivanesan, the other students elected were Kangni “Connie” Zong ’06 of Adams House, Syed F.N. Munaim ’06 of Cabot House, Faryl W. Ury ’06 of Dunster House, Stephen S. Brokaw ’06 of Leverett House, Kate E. Delaney ’06 of Mather House, Jannie S. Tsuei ’06 of Quincy House, and Carrie H. Petri ’06 of Winthrop House.

In Eliot House, a run-off election between Bushra W. Taha ’06 and Xi Wang ’06 was held over the weekend after they tied in the initial voting. Results were not yet available last night.

—Staff writer Giselle Barcia can be reached at gbarcia@fas.harvard.edu.