HOPKINS NAMED NEW UPB DIRECTOR

by David Baugher

Sharone Hopkins, a business administration major and member of the African-American leadership council, has been selected as the new director of the University Program Board.

The top post at UPB has been vacant for nearly two months. The last director, Beth White, left office at the end of June.

University Program Board members are responsible for choosing the director. Hopkins' selection was made at a special meeting Monday that included UPB advisor Don McCarty and two other board members.

McCarty said that Hopkins was the only candidate who filed for the position.

Hopkins said his main objective will be to help develop programs which will generate greater student interest.

"The mission is to do good quality programming throughout the school year and to keep students involved," Hopkins said. "Where there is more programming needed, we will beef it up."

Hopkins also hopes to encourage greater diversity in UPB events.

"The main thing," he said, "is to make sure that each entity gets an equal share of the pie."

Hopkins said he would like to make the organization more "student oriented," and pointed to some UPB efforts already underway, such as "Wacky Wednesdays," in which UPB sponsors music, games and other activities on campus every Wednesday.

"A lot of my time is going to be spent on trying to get personal feedback from students," Hopkins said.

Calling the UPB's job "a collective effort," Hopkins also stressed the importance of recruitment and teamwork.

"We have got to get more board members because if we don't, I can guarantee you that there is not going to be a lot of programming," he said. "No organization that is effective can be run by one person."

In addition to heading UPB, Hopkins is also president of Associated Black Collegians.

While he admits that leading two major campus organizations is "a large task," Hopkins said he sees no conflict in his dual role.

"I can separate the two," he said. "This is totally different from ABC in that I am representing a chair for all students."

Hopkins has been on the board since 1995. In addition to being the recipient of various awards and honors, he currently holds a GPA of 3.3 and has studied and traveled extensively in Africa and Europe.