Gil Joseph ’25 is back to representing his class. On Friday, Joseph was elected Young Alumni Trustee (YAT) for the Class of 2025. Joseph will serve on the University’s Board of Trustees for a four year term, starting on July 1.
Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
The general election, which ran between April 30 and May 14, saw a total voter turnout of 21 percent, including 37 percent of seniors. This is a slight increase from last year’s election, where 18 percent of eligible voters participated. Members of the Class of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 were all eligible to vote in the final round, while the primary election was only open to seniors.
The University did not share the breakdown of votes for each candidate in its initial announcement.
In YAT elections, candidates are not allowed to campaign, a restriction that has faced criticism in the past for being undemocratic. The YAT handbook justifies this restriction as a way to ensure that “every trustee comes to each issue with an open mind, the ability to consider all evidence and an overarching commitment to arrive at the best decision for the University as a whole, not as an advocate for a particular constituency or point of view.”
Joseph did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Joseph served as class president for the Class of 2025 in their sophomore and junior years, but lost to Wachspress in 2024. He has been president of Princeton African Students Association and is a Residential College Advisor.
He also serves on the Class Day committee, which chose Jay Shetty to be the Class Day speaker. This decision has faced some criticism from seniors, including a recent open letter that characterized Shetty as “repeated plagiarist” that “does not reflect our values as a class.”
YATs were established in 1969 as a way “to ensure that the Board would always include four
members with recent experience as undergraduates,” according to the YAT handbook. They serve a four year term and have the same powers, including votes, as other members of the Board of Trustees.
Vitus Larrieu is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Pensacola, Fla. and typically covers community activism, the state of higher education, and construction and architecture.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
Read More
“Open, monetizable, and loyal”: A company co–founded by a Princeton professor is breaking into AI with a new business model
Hayk YengibaryanA Princeton professor and alumni contributors co-founded Sentient and raised $85 million to build an open, community-driven AI ecosystem featuring the “open, monetizable, and loyal” standard, global hackathons, and a vibrant developer network.
A Princeton professor and alumni contributors co-founded Sentient and raised $85 million to build an open, community-driven AI ecosystem featuring the “open, monetizable, and loyal” standard, global hackathons, and a vibrant developer network.
Back to School: The 2025 Reunions Issue
Daily Princetonian StaffThe ‘Prince’ looks back on the most notable moments of coverage for 2025.
The ‘Prince’ looks back on the most notable moments of coverage for 2025.
‘A brilliant young contemporary writer and a beautiful human being’: Remembering Lauren Blackburn ’26
Victoria Davies and Caitlyn TabladaBlackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
Blackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”