Westhampton events in the works

During this week's Westhampton College Student Government meeting, held in the North Court Reception Room, senators encouraged freshmen to run for WCGA senate positions or for class of 2012 president. All positions for the class of 2011 are filled, but three 2010 Senate spots are open for juniors.

No date for the elections has been set, but prospective candidates must attend mandatory organizational meeting in the Think Tank Thursday, Sept. 11. Anyone who cannot make the meeting but still wishes to run should e-mail Patty Drennan.

Yasmin Wazir, WCGA 2009 class president, announced that the senior class would hold an off-campus Halloween social. Wazir also announced that Proclamation would be held Sept. 21. Additionally, Caroline Faughnan, WCGA class of 2010 president, announced that plans for Ring Dance were in the works.

Judicial Council Chair Meredith Hull announced a change in the university's judicial system. Students charged with violations have the option to accept responsibility and have their sanctions decided by the judicial council, instead of by the dean's office. Before, students would accept the minimum sanction without option for appeal to the judicial council.

WCSGA members have begun inviting a different dean each week to attend the senate meetings. Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, attended the meeting this week.

Peart announced two new professors, Sungmoon Kim and Peter Kaufman. Kim received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 2007 and served there as a teaching assistant and an instructor in its Department of Government and Politics before coming to Richmond.

Kaufman previously taught at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and came to Richmond to fill the position of George Matthews and Virginia Brinkley Modlin Chair in Leadership Studies.

Peart also discussed the Abraham Lincoln Leadership Forum that honors the 200th anniversary of his birth in 2009. The first forum will be this Friday at 7 p.m. Students are encouraged to attend.

Contact reporter Robin Hawbaker at robin.hawbaker@richmond.edu