Symposium 2011: The “Unmatched” Student Executive Committee

The Student Executive Committee makes the Symposium possible. The staff of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and the delegates to the 18th Annual International Law and Religion Symposium are profoundly grateful to this year’s outstanding Committee: Rebecca Hansen, Heath Becker, Chase Gunnell, Nate White, Kimberly Tolman, Jordan Teuscher, Cecily Couture, Justin CaplinJosh Bishop, Tyler Albrechtsen, Jens Rasmussen, Brandon Bastian, Rachel Snow, and Carly Castle

The success of the Symposium each year is due in large part to the planning and performance of these remarkable law students, who assume heavy responsibilities during many months leading up to the October event, culminating in ’round-the-clock efforts during a critical period in the middle of fall semester. This year, as Professor Durham remarked in closing the Symposium, has been “really unmatched.”

Rebecca and Cecily assumed supervision of the Master Schedule, which coordinates all Symposium events and personnel. Heath, Chase, Justin, and Josh recruited, organized, and supervised dozens of student volunteers from the law school and across campus and coordinate campus-wide delegate events. Nate, Tyler, and Jens were charge of transportation of delegates to and from the airport (a particular challenge along I-15 this year), between the hotel and the law school, and to and from other Symposium events, and a few doctors’ appointments as well. Kimberly and Brandon supervised the concierge desk and the many details involved in hosting delegates and other Symposium attendees, including acting as liaison with the Hosting Committee. Rachel, and Carly assumed the very heavy task of managing Symposium documents, including gathering delegate presentations and distributing them to translators, compiling the moderator packets, and many other details of the Symposium “paperwork” before, during, and after the event. Jordan was the designer of the Symposium flyer, program cover, banners, brochures, perpetually on call for design emergencies.

All members of the Committee were on deck during the entire Symposium and its accompanying events, driving the vans, holding the signs, changing the name cards and the water, meeting health emergencies, organizing lectures by delegates in classrooms “across the street,” and in countless ways to seeing to the comfort and convenience of the delegates and the smooth operation of the sessions.

We can’t thank them enough.

Photo of Master Schedule Co-Chairs Cecily Couture and Rebecca Hansen, by Duane Madsen