The graduate student body recently elected its new student council for the 2012-2013 trimesters. Graduate students will follow the

leadership of President John Culmone and Vice-president Richard Arce, and the other members of the executive board for the Graduate Student Council (GSC) in the coming year as they move forward with the social, professional, and educational activities designed to address the specific needs of the graduate school population.

In early February, John and Richard were elected to their positions on the GSC board. John is enrolled in the forensics program with an emphasis on criminology and lab sciences. Richard is enrolled in the community psychology program with a concentration in forensic psychology. Both previously attended the biweekly meetings of the student body as well as the many social events offered by the prior administration under former president, Amanda Ruzicka. Thus, running for office and serving on the executive board was the next logical step, as both men sought leadership roles, networking with others, and interaction with the general student body.

While many of the activities for their term of service remain in the planning stage, John and Richard are clear on one key point: They want their executive board to serve as a resource. “We want new graduate students to come to us with questions pertaining to graduate student life,” John stated. And, Richard added, “We want to serve as an interface, a connection, between the graduate students and the University.” Both men want to share their experiences, to give seasoned and insightful advice to new and current students. Richard, as vice-president, sees this as a particularly important role for the executive board. He describes himself as possessing an outgoing personality – “the kind that can get people behind me” – and he looks forward to helping graduates make the most of their time here. John agrees, encouraging students to attend the bimonthly meetings, not only for the great food but for the experience of sharing with others in and outside their field of study. Plainly, John and Richard intend to make a difference.

The other elected members of the GSC board include: Megan Duff (Executive Assistant); Marinda Brown (Treasurer); Tony Carlino (Sergeant at Arms); Paul Schiller (Community Service Chair); Pouya Mirmahboub (Public Relations Chair); Nick Gentile (Professional Development Chair); and Rebecca Skaglin and Kristyn Meyers ( Social Events Co-Chairs).

For more information about GSC, visit its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/gscunh.