As Winter Term comes to an end, student-run clubs on campus are seeking talented candidates to replace their current senior boards. While all the clubs are in search of qualified students to replace them, the application requirements differ for each one. Recent advertisements for The Megaphone’s board applications state that “No Previous Experience is Necessary” for students interested in applying for a position. Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Megaphone Andrea Coravos ’06 said, “We are not requiring experience not due to a lack of interest, but because we don’t want to scare away potential writers.” Coravos wanted to create a low-stress environment where student writers could showcase their talents. The main role of Megaphone editors is to recruit writers and edit sections; Coravos felt that these skills do not require much previous experience. Since no prior experience is necessary, the new board of the Megaphone will depend solely upon its applications. Coravos admitted that it would be challenging to evaluate work ethic with just an application, but she said that it is a risk that she will have to take. Coravos said that the magazine’s main goal is longevity. In only its second year of publication, The Megaphone must prove that it will not just fade out, like many new publications. “We are looking for people that can stick to deadlines and are highly organized. The Megaphone is a careful balance between student relationships and creating a quality product on time,” said Coravos. The Pot Pourri, run by Editor-in-Chief Tess Scott ’06, also accepts inexperienced students, although only in associate positions. “The upper board is usually, if not always, veteran associates that have been on at least one Pot Pourri board,” said Scott. She continued, “We highly value hard work and determination, and also a love for the school.” Another new club on campus seeking candidates for the 2006-2007 board is the Andover Economics Society (AES). AES currently has a four-person ExComm and four associates. Excomm consists of four members: two Co-Presidents, the Chief Financial Officer, and an Executive Director of Securities Research. This is AES’s first year as a club, so there is no protocol that they must follow in the application process. “Next year’s board will be selected this spring and will be based on three factors: devotion to the club, financial expertise, and leadership qualities,” said Co-President Conor Sutherland ’06. ExComm is comprised of Seniors, while rising Uppers will fill the associate positions. However, Sutherland says that if a rising Lower was extremely qualified, the board would seriously consider him as an associate. The AES board plans to conduct interviews for select candidates after reading the primary applications. Asked how he feels about the application process, Sutherland said, “Since the current board is also the founding board of AES, we created the application process. As we created it, we are very satisfied with it.” Yet another club that is getting ready to select their new board is PA’s debate club, the Philomathean Society (Philo). The current Philo board consists of six Senior board members and five Upper associates. Emma King ’06 and Charlie Frentz ’06 are the Co-Presidents. Dan Bacon ’06 and Owen Remeika ’06 are the Heads of Membership Training. Ishani Vellodi ’06 is the Head of On-Campus Debate and Ben Levenback ’06 is the Head of Off-Campus Debate. According to Co-President Emma King ’06, Philo will release board applications within the next few weeks. The current board will process these applications and thus determine who will be on the new board. All students are welcome to apply; however, because of the nature of the positions, a previous knowledge and experience in debate is imperative. Seniors are given the preference for the board, and Uppers for associate positions. King said, “The application process has remained relatively unchanged over the years, but final decision as to the process rests with the Co-Presidents. This year, we have made a few minor modifications to the process, to the effect that the outgoing Co-Presidents will stay on in their positions longer in order to work with the new board and facilitate the transition.”
