After hosting a very successful and well-attended Showdown last Thursday, the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) can enjoy the Boston College spotlight once again. While the Showdown is only one of three large annual social events that the ALC sponsors, it is one of the most anticipated shows on the BC calendar. However, these celebrations are not the only focus of an organization committed to fostering a vibrant AHANA community through representation in the Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC).
Yesterday, the ALC held elections in order to define its future direction. Young Moon, former community outreach coordinator with the AHANA Volunteer Corps and A&S '09, was elected president, and Ricardo Salinas, former assistant director of AHANA Leadership Academy (AHA) and CSOM '09, was elected vice president.
"In the past, the ALC has been seen as a cultural organization, but we want it to be seen as a political organization as well," Moon said.
The ALC acts an umbrella organization for all of the AHANA community, and it is meant to exhibit both the culture and the issues affecting all of these diverse groups. In the past, the ALC has had some problems with fully engaging all of the culture clubs on campus, especially those which have recently been created. "Some of these groups hadn't realized the connection," Moon said.
However, these newly elected ALC leaders are fixated on amending this. "Through increased communication and coordination with student leaders, the culture clubs, and administrators, we hope to create initiatives that will increase our effectiveness as a council and political entity. I have complete confidence in our council members and look forward to having a memorable and influential year," Salinas said in an e-mail.
The current ALC, headed by president Rajwantie Sahai, A&S '08, and former co-president Seif Ammus, BC '08, has been focused on fulfilling its goals during the past year.
Sahai points to the ALC mission statement as the Council's brightest guiding principle: "The AHANA Leadership Council is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all AHANA students at Boston College.
"As part of the UGBC, ALC works to ensure that the interests and needs of AHANA students are voiced and heard.
"In addition, the ALC shall serve as a resource for all AHANA clubs and organizations in a collective effort to uplift the community politically, academically, and socially."
While the new leadership willgrapple with many recurring ALC issues, such as uniting the many diverse culture clubs, the current Council has put next year's group on the right track for success.
As Sahai said, "[Our mission] is what we always strive for year in and year out, from old leadership to new leadership."
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