The Board
Our society is run by a board of committee members consisting mainly of students from the various universities, faculties and other institutions in Helsinki. They accept the heavy responsibility of organising weekly debates, competitions, workshops and trips abroad to international competitions. The board communicates mainly by email but has meetings every few months in order to get together and discuss how best to achieve our humble aim of becoming the best debating society in the world. Every year we have an election at which our members can elect who they would like to lead the society in this quest.
Descriptions of Key Roles
- President: Responsible for the overall running of the society and the coordination of board members. Organises weekly debates.
- Vice-President: Assists the President in organising weekly debates.
- Treasurer: Manages the society's accounts. Prepares annual audited financial statements.
- Secretary: Writes the minutes of the weekly debates. Takes minutes at board meetings.
- PR Officer: Responsible for advertisement and promotion of society and weekly debates.
- Development Officer: Responsible for fund raising
- Webmaster: Maintains these webpages and manages the mailing list.
Allow us to introduce ourselves...
President – Søren Berg Rasmussen
Søren has a somewhat stereotypical debating backgound having once been a Danish truck driver! ...which of course has prepared him perfectly for debating... truck drivers also have to sit patiently for long periods of time, and as many motorists will know are also adept at delivering intense curse filled rants!
Vice-president Internal – Richard Penny
What Rich enjoys most about debating is arguing against things he believes in. Unfortunately this means that people who don't know him often assume him to be a xenophobic, poor hating, gay bashing, misogynistic, neo-liberal, war-mongering, forest burning, pro-hanging bastard. Which he might not be.
Vice-president External – Antti Mäkelä
Vice-president Finance – Ami Ganguli
Vice-president Development – Gabe Mastico
Secretary – Scott Sphar
Webmaster – Henri Sivonen
Social Coordinator – Tiina Likki
Used to thinking aloud, Tiina felt debating could be fun as well as add something new to her life of studying social psychology and Polish. And it did!
Novice Representative – Abby Semple
Previous Boards
The Board 2005 – Fall
- President – Daniel Rankin
- Vice Presidents – Martin-Eric Racine & Søren Berg Rasmussen
- Treasurer – Tom Crawley
- Secretary – Waqar Khan
- Web Masters – Marko Saaresto & Henri Sivonen
- PR Officer – Rich Penny
- Development Officer – Nina Saarikoski
- Social Affairs Officer – Tiina Likki
The Board 2005 – Spring
The Board 2003–2004
- President – Timo Stewart
- Vice President – Alina Belskaya
- Treasurer – Lie Luo
- Secretary – Waqar Khan
- Web Master – Ville Pohjanheimo
- PR Officer – Elisa Jalkanen
The Board 2002–2003
- President – Suvi Kivipuro
- Vice President – Julia Ojanen
- Treasurer – Timo Stewart
- Secretary – Kerstin Planken
- Web Master – Kai Hendry
The Board 2001–2002
- President – Julia Ojanen
- Vice President – Florian Cauvin
- Treasurer – Suvi Kivipuro
- Secretary – Alina Belskaya (fall term) / Iana Afanassieva (spring term)
- Web Master – Ville Pohjanheimo
- Project Officer – Niina Saarikoski
- Vice Treasurer and email list manager – Adrian Solitander (spring term)
- Web page editor and email list manager – Kai Hendry (fall term)
