IRC Board Selects New Officers

The International Relations Council (IRC) witnessed a changing of the guard last night, as its 18-member Board of Directors elected officers for the 1998-1999 school year.

After two rounds of voting, Ali J.Q. Satvat '99 was named president over candidates Douglas N. MacBean '99 and Katharine T. Wen '99.

"I'm really honored to be able to serve the organization within which I've been most involved throughout my Harvard career," Satvat said.

Satvat's primary goals for the IRC include enhancing its presence and accessibility to the Harvard community.

"I really see putting IRC on par with [other organizations] that are more visible--like the Crimson, PBHA, and HSA--but are equal in quality with the IRC," Satvat said.

Outgoing president Deepti Choubey '98 lauded the achievements of her successor.

"I remember a time when he was disillusioned with the IRC, but he sought to address the issues he thought were contentious and succeeded," Choubey said.

"He's an achiever and therefore a true source of inspiration and leadership," she said.

Since his first year, Satvat has held a myriad of IRC positions, including vice-president for operations, a member of the Board of Auditors, assistant treasurer and special programs comptroller.

Hadi N. Deeb '99 ran uncontested for treasurer, replacing Guha V. Bala '98.

In his candidacy statement, Deeb addressed the need for capital investments such as the purchase of new computers, to address IRC's budget deficit.

Reflecting on the past year, Choubey commented on the increased effectiveness of IRC.

"I think we have succeeded in better informing and interacting with our members," Choubey said.

"You see for once, a substantial number of younger members who are really involved with the organization," she said.

The IRC, whose programs include Harvard Model UN, Harvard National Model UN, the Harvard International Review, Harvard Program for International Education, Model Security Council and Inter-Collegiate Model UN, is comprised of over 350 members.