Amanda Boyd, PRIDE!Kent programming chair, was elected PRIDE!Kent president for the 2006-2007 school year after running unopposed for the position last night.

Group members voted during the PRIDE!Kent meeting after candidates made short speeches.

Boyd said she wants to increase knowledge about the group around campus.

“We’re going to do a lot more with the speaker’s bureau,” she said. “We’re going to do more for the rest of the students. (We want to) broaden our membership base.”

Secretary Shawn Szymecki will become vice president. Freshman art major Ally Oulton will become treasurer and historian. Freshman pre-accounting major Craig Snell will become secretary. They all ran unopposed.

Feminist Union President Carrie Wicks successfully ran against Leora Rzepka, freshman health education major, for programming chair. In her speech, Wicks cited her programming experience from her presidency of the Feminist Union and working with Boyd.

A new chair became available for next year after PRIDE!Kent amended its constitution last semester: allies chair. Junior zoology major Michelle Lang ran successfully against freshman special education major Katie DeFrank.

“I really wanted to be more involved,” Lang said in her speech. “I want to outreach to people intimidated to come to PRIDE! because they don’t think of themselves as anything more than straight.”

Boyd said she’s glad next year’s board isn’t filled with upperclassmen. She said the group has had problems with older board members in the past because of a lack of consistency from year to year.

She said this shouldn’t be a problem because “the board is young and eager.”

Contact minority affairs reporter Bryan Wroten at [email protected].