Advocate Elects New Board

The Advocate, Harvard's oldest literary publication, elected its 132nd executive board yesterday.

Replacing President Saadi Soudavar '00 is Caroline Whitbeck '01, formerly the magazine's poetry editor. New publisher John M. Destephano '01 replaces Franklin J. Leonard '00.

"I am very excited about the new executive board," Leonard said. "I am confident that they will continue the vision Saadi and I have accomplished this year."

Soudavar said he hopes the new board will continue to expand the Advocate's presence on campus--something he said his board worked to accomplish through readings, art shows and music events.

Soudavar also listed among his board's achievements an effort to strengthen ties between the Advocate and other campus organizations. A recent reading jointly sponsored by the magazine and the Black Students Association drew over 200 people.

Whitbeck said she would continue these efforts and would also look to open the pages of the Advocate to writers outside the undergraduate community.

"A lot of it will be expanding contact with outsiders," Whitbeck said.

With newly elected design editors Robert T. Dennis '02 and Melissa J. Rudolph '02, the magazine hopes to use its newly acquired computer equipment to expand visually.

The magazine also expects to revamp its Web site with the help of new on-line editor Maryanthe E. Malliaris '01, who is also a Crimson editor.

Also elected yesterday were Dehn W.H. Gilmore '02, art editor; Lucy B. Ives '02, poetry editor; Max B. Hirsh '01, fiction editor; Kate M. Taylor '00, features editor; Parag Y. Shah '02, business manager; Kate F. Douglas '02, literary pegasus; George B. Debrigard '01, art pegasus; Joseph Turian '00, dionysus; Stephanie C. Stallings '02, dionysus; A. Haiwen Chu '01 and Debbie J. Lee '01, circulation managers; and Ezra D. Feldman '02, publicity relations manager.

This Thursday, the Advocate will sponsor a reading with Richard Wilbur, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and former poet laureate. Wilbur will speak at Hilles Library at 5:30 p.m.