IOP Chooses Next Set Of Committee Chairs

The Institute of Politics (IOP) held elections Sunday afternoon for its 1997 fall semester committee chairs.

The Student Advisory Committee (SAC), the IOP's governing body made up of 35 students and chaired by Geoffrey C. Rapp '97, re-elected Kent B. McNellie '99 to Harvard Political Union Chair and Jeffrey P. Yarbro '99 to Study Groups Committee Chair.

SAC also elected William F. Abely '99 to Fellows Chair, Abigail L. Hing '99 to Conferences Chair, Eugenie Lang '00 to Community Action Chair, Byron J. McLain '00 to Internships Chair, William P. Moynahan '99, who is also a Crimson editor, to Projects Chair and Masoumeh Tadjedin '99 to Communications Chair.

Rapp emphasized the need for innovative leadership skills in choosing committee chairs.

"We were looking for more than [chair candidates'] knowledge of who the Secretary of Energy was; we were looking at their vision, ability and commitment to the ideals of the Institute of Politics," Rapp said.

"All the candidates were highly qualified, and the elections were a very strong process," he said.

Approximately 250 undergraduates are involved with the IOP. Active members may apply for SAC membership, and if successful, are eligible to run for committee chair positions.

Their collective mission is "to connect, for students, the academic world and the world of public service and politics, in an effort to encourage undergrads at Harvard to consider careers in politics and the public sector," said Andrei H. Cherny '97, a SAC member.

"Committee chairs are singularly responsible for IOP programming," Cherny said. "For example, the Projects Committee works to coordinate forum events, Pizza and Politics and lunches in Memorial Hall."

The organization's new leadership has given the IOP "a redefined objective, which is basically to extend the activities of 79 JFK Street to the University at large," Tadjedin said.

IOP events in the works for next fall include forums on topics ranging from "Hollywood and Politics" to the changing role of the military to political ethics

"Committee chairs are singularly responsible for IOP programming," Cherny said. "For example, the Projects Committee works to coordinate forum events, Pizza and Politics and lunches in Memorial Hall."

The organization's new leadership has given the IOP "a redefined objective, which is basically to extend the activities of 79 JFK Street to the University at large," Tadjedin said.

IOP events in the works for next fall include forums on topics ranging from "Hollywood and Politics" to the changing role of the military to political ethics