Siva Prasad Kalimuthu (23B) was elected as Emory University’s Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA) president, beating Shazneen Damani (23PH), according to an April 7 email from outgoing GSGA Executive Vice President Caroline Barry (20PH, 26G). The elections closed on April 4.
A total of 295 votes were cast in the GSGA presidential election, with Kalimutu garnering 157 (53.22%) votes and Damani receiving 138 (46.77%) votes.
Sam Schmuel (24L) was elected executive vice president, earning 252 (85.42%) of the 295 votes cast. “No confidence” received 43 (14.57%) votes.
Payton Laskaskie (24L) was elected as the chief judge of the GSGA judicial panel. Laskaskie received 260 (88.13%) votes. “No confidence” accumulated 35 (11.86%) votes.
“Running for GSGA was a welcoming process and I am honored to serve as the Chief Judge of the GSGA Judicial Committee in the upcoming year. Being a law student, the role will not only expand my involvement at Emory but also give me experience valuable to my career. Thank you for allowing me to serve Emory’s graduate student community” Laskaskie wrote in an April 11 email to the Wheel.
Prasad and Schmuel did not respond for comment by press time.
Barry noted internal GSGA changes due to the pandemic, including shifts in remote programming.
"Since then we have been navigating the soft reopening of campus and reclosing, and had to make changes to programming,” Barry said.
Nevertheless, GSGA found ways to quickly adapt to the change. On April 7, GSGA hosted a Grad Formal at the Stave Room, and they hope to create more events catered to the needs of Emory’s graduate students by working closely with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
“We’ve been working closely with the Office of DEI, Dr. Carol Henderson, to make sure student voices are represented all across divisions, but also addressing some of the more pressing social issues in the form of accessibility maps on campus, ensuring gender-neutral bathrooms are well marked and accessibility ramps,” Barry said.
