Photo by: Michael Furman

Judicial action on campus is back in the hands of students. A judicial branch was reinstated in January as part of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). USG president Antoine Perretta appointed four justices and a chief justice to serve out the rest of the academic year.

The team of five will lay the groundwork for appeals processes involving student organizations and senate. The following are their stories.

Jess Hunter

Jess Hunter will humbly admit to being the newly appointed chief justice in one breath, but in the next will pointedly remark that she is only one member of a team.

“I think it’s funny that there’s a distinguishing position,” said Hunter who views chief justice as a liaison role.

“It’s not for me to lead but to establish and help others establish this [judicial branch],” said Hunter with clarity in her brown eyes as she pushed her shiny locks from her face.

Hunter is part of the four-plus-one academic program and she received her undergraduate degree in accounting and finance. She also received minors in Spanish and leadership. She is currently working on her Master’s in business administration.

The All Undergraduate Student Association (AUSA) senate’s constitution was reviewed and rewritten last summer and a lack of appeals systems in areas like student organization funding was brought up, said Hunter. This sparked the reinstatement of the judicial branch.

“By the end of the quarter we hope to have operational procedures to establish the groundwork, now, for appeals next year,” said Hunter. “The judicial board is really here for the student organizations. It will be interesting to see student feedback and we’ll welcome suggestions.”

Hunter foresees the judgment factor of the new position being a matter of responsibility rather than guilt. Accountability will be emphasized not punishment, said Hunter.

“[We’re] being realistic for short-term expectations and dreaming for long-term and realizing that tension,” said Hunter. 

She is building something she will never see through fruition but believes the endeavor is about accepting that, said Hunter.

In her free time, Hunter enjoys skiing, camping, likes to read, hang out with friends, explore and travel. She has been heavily involved on campus with endeavors like the Honor Code Task Force and the DU Grilling Society (D.U.G.S.). She was a resident assistant as an undergraduate and last year was the senator for the Daniel’s College of Business.

After graduation, she plans to work with Academic Resources and eventually go to law school.

 

Ericca McCutcheon

Ericca McCutcheon embodies calm collected sophistication.

“Whenever you’re starting something new you need to be relaxed,” said McCutcheon about the reinstatement of the judicial branch.

She is no stranger to student government as she was involved with senate her freshman and sophomore year. McCutcheon is a junior studying business administration and accepted the nomination as justice because she is interested in long-term involvement in developing student accountability.

“When students start inspiring each other I think that’s when real change occurs,” McCutcheon said. “I really value the student government. [It is] invaluable to instill a process where students can hold students accountable.”

With a bright, coy smile, McCutcheon admitted that she enjoys looking at the intricate details of institutional structures and processes and how students do or do not respect them.

McCutcheon balances academics and student government involvements with being a resident assistant in Nagel Hall. She also works with the Heritage Christian Center where she started a devotional program for young girls. She is currently working with other churches to develop a workbook for young girls that will address self-esteem, confidence and academics.

To keep her stress levels in check, McCutcheon plays basketball, piano and runs. Her brother, six-years-old, and sister, three-years-old, make her life complete and she loves spending time with family, said McCutcheon.

After graduation she hopes to work with teen organizations on organizational development. She is passionate about motivating teams and wants to research how to get people to work together better.

 

Eli Rozansky

Junior Eli Rozansky may spend a fair amount of time studying at Daniels College of Business working on his real estate major, but now he is adding student justice to his extracurricular activities.

The focus of the justices should be to aim for sustainability and build a program that will be useful for future students, said Rozansky. He claims with a smile that he is unafraid to take on the responsibility of reviewing cases of students who commit academic fraud.

“Well, you don’t exactly make more friends in the position, but I think students prefer to be judged by people in similar situations as them. I think I will have a better understanding, as a student, of their situation than a staff member would be,” Rozansky said.

He also believes the new board coincides with the University’s values and thus will provide benefits beyond the DU campus.

“In the business school there is a heavy emphasis on ethics, to continue that message I hope we can create an environment in which students are peer pressured to do the right thing,” Rozansky said.

Rozansky came to DU from Bethesda, Maryland for the scenic mountains, city life and the amount of student organizations. He is a member of GREC, Greek Life and Kayaking club and spends his free time playing rock music and snowboarding.

Christine Duda

Christine Duda is a senior and a accounting major hailing from Saint Paul, Minn., who loves the DU campus and classes.

Duda believes that the new justice process of students appealing to students strengthens the fabric of the university.

“People are trying to define what we are going to be and how we will do it but I think what is important is the empowerment of students’ perspectives and offering a student opinion on academic fraud. I think this will be our biggest help,” said Duda.

Duda is a former member of the board of contingency a branch of the senate that allocates extra funds that have not been delegated by the senate to DU clubs who request more funding throughout the academic year.

In her free time, Duda enjoys skiing and is developing an interest in triathlon. She loves getting involved and is also the captain of the club volleyball team. She balances all of this with being a resident assistant in Johnson-MacFarlane.

This summer, after graduating, she will stay in Denver to take an internship with KPMG, one of four of the nations primary accounting firms before heading back to DU in the fall to complete a Master’s program.

 

Charlie Wondergem

Freshman Charlie Wondergem may be the youngest member of the judicial board but he is no stranger to rolling up his sleeves and getting involved.

In high school he was the governor of Michigan for the Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) and was also involved in student council.

Wondergem is a international business major with minors in public policy and finance.

Currently he is a member of the Creativity in Entrepreneurship Living and Learning Community in J-Mac and in fall he ran unsuccessfully for freshman president.

He keeps a full schedule between Alpha Cappa Psi Business Society, Lambda Chi Alpha, rotary club, pioneer alumni relations club and involvement at the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL).

“I enjoy reading about the new face of capitalism and how business can become involved in a more noble way as a forefront for social and environmental change,” said Wondergerm in regards to his interests.