Harvard Democrats Elect New Officers

The Harvard Democrats last week elected Marcie Bianco '02, a veteran campaign organizer, as their president for 2001.

"We are looking to keep the motivation high within the Democrat club on campus," Bianco said.

She said she plans to address the problem of diversity on the Democrats' board.

"Looking at our board throughout the years, this is the first time that we've had a majority of females," she said. "But there are no black students, there are two Latinos, and that's the representation. If we're truly the Democratic Party, we should look like the Democratic Party."

She said the club hopes to attract big-name guests to campus.

"We're looking to get Jesse Jackson for February," she said. That month, the club will program events around the debate over civil liberties.

In March, the club will examine the death penalty.

"We're looking to bring a big-named celebrity activist to campus," Bianco said.

Hopefully, she said, "the club can keep the ball rolling and keep up spirits in spite of a tough election loss."

Sonia H. Kastner '03 was elected the vice president and Kara Shamy '03 was chosen as finance director.

Anthony Ekmekjian '04, the new communications director, said that more than 100 dues-paying members of the club had voted. He said that, to his knowledge, every voter who cast a ballot was a committed Democrat. Club dues are $5.

--Marc J. Ambinder