Republican Alliance Elects New Officers

At their first annual election Monday night, the two-year-old Harvard Republican Alliance selected a president who promised to stop "the never-ending bickering war" surrounding the political club's existence.

The new president, William D. Zerhouni '98, who had served previously as vice president of the alliance, said he hopes the group will be inclusive rather than exclusive.

"I firmly believe our organization has to continue to make women and minorities feel comfortable in the Republican party," he said. "We must be a voice for tolerant, intelligent, inclusive Republicanism on campus."

Scott L. Tribble '98, the former secretary, was elected as vice president.

The group's new treasurer is Heather A. Clayton '98. William M. Jay '98 was elected secretary.

Tribble called the new executive board a diverse group and said this diversity is consistent with the alliance's purpose.

"I think we have always prided ourselves on being a diverse organization, and we maintained that this year," he said. "[The board] has moderates and conservatives and draws from different religions and genders."

As president, Zerhouni said he hopes to help the club further realize its purpose as a Republican organization at Harvard.

"We plan to be positive and constructive and to rise above the pot shots people take at us," Zerhouni said.

As vice president, Tribble said he hopes to make the alliance more active and well known.

"I want to bring more and more speakers [to Harvard] and to get our name out to national Republican groups [and to continue to] associate the Republican party on campus with tolerance and openness," he said. "We are not the stereotypical bad-guy Republicans who are rich and hate minorities and women."

Every member of this year's board is a sophomore, which according to Zerhouni, reflects the "vigor and energy" of the organization.

At Monday night's meeting, the alliance selected Sean R. Peirce '98 as membership director, Emily M. Kaine '98 as member-at-large and Steven Mitby '99 as first-year member-at-large.