Eight Class Marshals Elected

Krishnan N. Subrahmanian ’03 will lead this year’s graduating class on a 100-day bar crawl this spring as the senior class’ first marshal.

Subrahmanian finished first in the class marshal election, whose results were announced yesterday.

Members of the senior class also elected seven other marshals, who will organize senior bar, Class Day and other Commencement events.

As first marshal, Subrahmanian will lead the Senior Class Committee, on which the other marshals also serve.

L. Patrick Noonan ’03 was elected second marshal, a position like that of a class vice president.

The other class marshals elected were Deanna E. Barkett ’03, Luke R. Long ’03, James C. Coleman, Jr. ’03. Harpaul Alberto Kohli ’02-’03, Monique C. James ’03, and Joseph S. Linhart ’03.

In addition to the events they will plan this year, the class marshals also serve as their class representatives beyond graduation and will plan future class reunions.

Noonan said he is excited about the opportunity the life-long position will afford him to bring his class back together in future years.

Subrahmanian said he was completely surprised by his first place finish.

“I feel very privileged for the opportunity to serve the class,” he said. “So much has been given to me by the College that I’m glad to be able to give something back.”

Subrahmanian also said that he was excited to be able to choose Class Day speakers.

“As frightening as it is, seniors only have a little bit of time left here,” he said. “I only hope we can make that time as memorable as possible.”

Barkett said she was equally excited—but couldn’t find anyone to tell.

“I am thrilled to be able to work with such a great group!” Barkett wrote in an e-mail message. “I called my mom and dad in Miami, my brother who is a junior in Quincy, my boyfriend, my roommates...but no one was home! I left lots of excited phone messages.”

Kohli said that as a social leader, a class marshal should be someone around whom the class can unite.

“This year’s activities should include a diversity of events to appeal to a diversity of students,” Kohli said.

The marshal election was split into two stages. The first vote narrowed 68 candidates to 16 finalists and the second vote determined the final eight marshals.

Voter turnout for the election was high, according to F. Hoopes Wampler, director of College Alumni Programs. Seventy percent of the senior class voted in the first election and 65 percent voted in the last round. Wampler said the small decrease in voter turnout for the second stage of the election is normal because of the smaller voting pool.

In preliminary voting held in House dining halls, students ranked, in order, up to 68 of their choices for class marshal. Most students voted for seven to nine students, according to Wampler.

All of the votes were tallied and the person with the fewest number one votes was eliminated from the competition, a process that continued until all eight spots were filled.

“In this way every student’s vote counts, even their number one choice is eliminated,” Wampler said.