HASA Elects Board of First-Years

The Harvard African Students Association (HASA) will sport a new and fresher look next year, led by a board made up entirely of first-year students.

The six new board members were chosen during a meeting Monday night.

Stephen C. Quarcoo '02 and Mwashuma K. Nyatta '02 will serve as the organization's new co-presidents. They replace outgoing presidents Frederick Antwi '01, who is also a Crimson editor, and James I. Mwangi '00.

Karin J. Alexander '02 will be secretary, Kitso Lemo '02 will serve as treasurer, Akweley Ablorh '02 will serve as publicity chair, and Ama K. Karikari '02 was elected social chair.

According to Lemo, five out of the six new board members served on the board this year as first-year representatives or committee chairs.

"It will be a young board but not an inexperienced board," Quarcoo said.

The group has big events planned for next year including a conference called the International African Students Association. The event will bring together more than 500 African students around the Boston area in mid-March.

"This event will definitely be our priority next year," Quarcoo said.

The new board also plans to hold more events with other ethnic groups and hopes to increase the number of African applicants to Harvard.

This year HASA sponsored several events including the two-part "Footsteps through Africa" Series.

"I'm thrilled of the outcome of the elections and reassured that HASA's past achievements will not only continue but be surpassed next year," Leyla Marrouk '99, who was director of the Footsteps series, wrote in an e-mail message.