Besides applying for graduate schools or preparing to go through corporate recruiting, members of the senior class are currently engaged in a less stressful but perhaps equally important task -- the selection of the 1997 Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is a group of students who, as alumni, organize their class for the five-year period after graduation.
Members of the Class of 1997 have until tomorrow to submit nominations, and from that group seniors will elect 20 members for their committee.
The representatives are responsible for establishing trust funds, planning mini-reunions, and maintaining contact with their fellow classmates, among other duties. The Executive Committee functions much like a board of directors, according to Bindi Rakhra, acting assistant director of Alumni Relations.
Class of 1997 President Pam Saunders said she wanted the seniors to understand the importance of these elections.
"People have to trust the representatives and their values enough to elect them for the next five years," she said. Saunders said she is confident the elected representatives will do a good job.
Executive Committee members must attend at least one meeting per year and play an active role in all class programming beginning in the Spring term of their senior year, according to the nomination-requesting brochure which was mailed to all seniors.
Fund-raising in the first five years following graduation is perhaps the committee's most crucial responsibility. The funds, which come mainly in the form of class dues and gifts, are used to pay for Alumni Magazine subscriptions and other projects which the committee approves.
"When I think of all the mail I received from the Executive Committee, it was more collecting dues and alumni funds than anything else," said Rebecca Slisz '95, the alumni counselor for the 1995 Executive Committee.
Steve Calhoun '94, the treasurer for the 1994 Executive Committee, has already advised the '97 committee to get a head start by starting to raise funds next term.
"Part of the function in the first five years is to create a base," he said. Calhoun also warned the '97 committee to exercise fiscal discipline with the money it raises, and to avoid falling into the trap of "spending, spending, spending."
Another responsibility of the Executive Committee is to organize -- everything from Class Day to Commencement and reunions.
Other groups, like the 1994 Executive Committee, tried to start new traditions. Calhoun said his class committee attempted to begin the Class Day tradition of breaking clay cups at a ceremony on the Bema -- but the tradition failed after a number of students were injured by clay shards.
"We have an excellent set of newsletter editors who create a funny, informative mailing," said Brendan Doherty '96. "As a new class, we are not undertaking any big projects, but we are trying to stay in contact and keep our networks of communications going for the next 70 years," Doherty said.
Chris Marston '96 said class participation after graduation helps when planning a reunion, as the class will have up-to-date mailing lists.
Alumni who have been a part of the committee have joined for a wide variety of reasons. Many of them wanted to be on the committee in order to continue their involvement with their class.
