Junior Chosen as New CUAB President

The Carolina Union Activities Board this weekend selected junior Charles Phaneuf as its president for the 2002-03 school year.

Using about 3 percent of all student fees, CUAB is responsible primarily for arranging and promoting events that have brought nationally renowned groups such as Vertical Horizon and The Roots to the UNC campus in recent years.

CUAB is also in charge of the Performing Arts Series and the movies that frequently run in the Union auditorium.

Phaneuf, a business major, currently is chairman of CUAB's Issues for Discussion committee.

He said his main goals as president will be to maintain CUAB's wide variety of programming that attempts to appeal to all students.

"I'm very excited, and I see this as a great opportunity to accomplish a lot of cool things," he said.

One challenge Phaneuf said he would likely face during his term is the upcoming renovation of Memorial Hall, which is used to host many of CUAB's events.

He said the organization will have to rely on smaller venues such as the Union auditorium and the Great Hall during Memorial Hall's construction work.

Phaneuf also said CUAB is attempting to book a touring comedy series and a music festival for the next year.

Senior Krisi Young, current CUAB president, said the board aims to provide quality programming for all sections of UNC's campus, no matter how small the minority.

Young said she thinks Phaneuf will do an excellent job as president of CUAB.

"As Issues for Discussion chairman, he was responsible for arranging Lewis Black's visit to the UNC campus last week," she said.

Young said the only advice she could give Phaneuf was to cherish and enjoy his time in office.

The Carolina Union Board of Directors, a committee with a wide variety of student and faculty representation, selects the CUAB president.

Currently, the Union Board of Directors includes members of the faculty, student government, the Black Student Movement and other student organizations.

Phaneuf said he is very excited about his upcoming term as CUAB president.

"I am looking forward to accomplishing a lot of great things and working with next year's board," he said.

"It's going to be a hype year for CUAB."

 

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.