Student Leaders Meet, Discuss Council Reform

A coalition of student leaders led by former Undergraduate Council member Hillary K. Anger '93-94 and Advocate executive Niko Canner '94 convened behind closed doors last night to discuss the fate of the Undergraduate Council and to begin developing reform proposals that will ultimately be presented to the council's re-evaluation committee.

The reform coalition was comprised of a select group of undergraduates Anger said she felt was representative of the student body's diversity, unlike, she added, the more homogeneous council.

Anger expects the coalition will draft a new constitution for the Undergraduate Council that will be presented to the council's re-evaluation committee next semester.

The former council member characterized her ideas for reforms as "too radical for the council to accept," saying she expects her committee's plan to be put forth as a student referendum by the end of the year. She said the referendum would be supported by Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57. Jewett could not be reached for comment.

"I expect that the U.C. in its present form will not exist on this campus by the end of the year," Anger said.

The coalition meeting's 18-person guest list included a host of campus leaders, including the presidents of the Black Students Association (BSA) and the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS), a co-chair of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association (BGLSA), and the former chairs of Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel and the Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Club.

Also invited were former council Chair David A. Aronberg '93, now a Law School student; three other former council representatives; council re-evaluation committee Chair David A. Smith '94; and several current council members who Anger says were not invited as representatives of the council. Anger resigned as one of three Dudley House representatives to the council last week.

"I called together this group of studentsbecause we want the input on the U.C. from theseleaders representing many sections of campus,"Anger said.

"The U.C. does not have the credibility to dosomething like that on its own," she added."There's no way the U.C. could bring together thepeople that Niko [Canner] and I have."

Although only three-fourths of those invitedwere able to attend, Anger said that everyoneexpressed interest in attending upcoming meetings."There was no one who turned down this chance toparticipate, and I think that's because everyoneagreed with the spirit of our reforms."

Anger arrived at the meeting armed with her ownproposals for reforming the council, saying beforethe meeting that she expected "thoughtful input"from her handpicked advisors.

The outline Anger presented to her committeefocused on six main points:

.The council delegations will be reduced to tworepresentatives per district (house or Yard group)rather than the current five. "The council rightnow is so large as to be unmanageable withoutprocedural formalities which slow everythingdown," Anger said.

.The council's general elections will beconducted mid-year. "We need to provide continuitythroughout the year," Anger said. "The way thecouncil runs now it only meets from mid-Octoberthrough April--only about half the year--and mostof the project work done by the University happensover the summer."

.All council delegates would be required to beactive members of their house committees. "Rightnow there is almost no dialogue between the housesand the U.C.; if we're going to be a studentgovernment we need to change that," Anger said.

.All financial records would be made public,and a College official would be required toco-sign any check over $1,000 that theUndergraduate Council approves. "If theyimplemented this system, questionable checks wouldnever be issued and respect for the U.C. wouldincrease tremendously," Anger said.

.The Undergraduate Council's financialstatements would be audited by the University eachsemester. "The U.C. needs to increase itsfinancial accountability and that's how to do it,"Anger said.

A standing committee would be created tooversee council elections, headed by Dean ofStudents Archie C. Epps III. "With all of theproblems we had with disputed elections this year,the reason for this committee should be obvious toanyone who wants elections to be conductedfairly."

Some new ideas for Undergraduate Council reformthat emerged from the meeting included thecreation of a council member-at-large status.

"If there are only two delegates per house theelections will become a lot more competitive, andwe don't want really dedicated people to be shutout of the U.C. entirely," Anger said.

Other issues addressed included the council'stax status and the grant allocation process.

Anger likened the reform coalition to a"consulting firm. We need to work from the outsidebecause talking about the U.C. structure with U.C.members always turns into a defensiveconversation."

But Anger insists that she harbors only respectfor the Undergraduate Council's presentleadership. "Because I respect the leaders rightnow so much, it's hard for me to see such goodpeople trying to work within such a poorstructure."

Anger said the reform coalition's goal is tochange the Undergraduate Council in the mostpeaceful manner possible, but maintained that hergroup's autonomy is essential to that end.

"The council needs to examine itself, but it'sin a very bad position to do that [itself]," Angersaid. "There's a reason why firms don't haveinternal consulting departments."

Anger foresees the reform coalition eventuallyproducing a new Undergraduate Councilconstitution. "The rumors that we are trying tooverthrow the U.C. are only halftrue," Anger said."Student government has been too long out ofstudents' hands, and we're trying to give themback their say."

Undergraduate Council President Carey W. Gabay'94 said he does not see the reform group as athreat to the council.

"If they want to exist, they'll exist," hesaid. "I don't expect that they will affect usmuch."

But Epps expressed hope that the council willbe open to reforming itself. He said he shunneddirect involvement in the reform group because"it's always best if the students discuss thingsamongst themselves."

"This is not an anti-U.C. movement--ifanything, this is my final act of devotion to theU.C. because I love it enough to want to changeit," Anger said. She will graduate at the end ofthis semester.

The reform coalition will reconvene afterwinter break. Other on Anger's initial guestinclude: RUS Co-president Deborah J. Wexler '95;outgoing Republican Club President Karen E. Boyle'94; former Hillel Chair Shai A. Held '94; BSAPresident Alvin L. Bragg '94; BGLSA Co-chairDennis K. Lin '94, a council member; formercouncil representatives and senior Class MarshalsNed M. Gubbins '94 and Theresa F. "Tree" Loong'94; and former council member Peter S. Cahn '96.

The rest of those invited were Phillips BrooksHouse Association Treasurer Andrew J. Ehrlich '96and Raza representative Richard Cole Jr., bothcouncil members; former Let's Go Publisher Mark N.Templeton '93-94; Salient editor Whitney D. Pidot'96; Rhodes scholar Alexander M. Johnston '94;Marshall scholar Paras P. Mehta '94; CrimsonEditorial Chair Joanna M. Weiss '94; and Instituteof Politics Student Advisory Committee ChairElizabeth R. Caputo '94

"I called together this group of studentsbecause we want the input on the U.C. from theseleaders representing many sections of campus,"Anger said.

"The U.C. does not have the credibility to dosomething like that on its own," she added."There's no way the U.C. could bring together thepeople that Niko [Canner] and I have."

Although only three-fourths of those invitedwere able to attend, Anger said that everyoneexpressed interest in attending upcoming meetings."There was no one who turned down this chance toparticipate, and I think that's because everyoneagreed with the spirit of our reforms."

Anger arrived at the meeting armed with her ownproposals for reforming the council, saying beforethe meeting that she expected "thoughtful input"from her handpicked advisors.

The outline Anger presented to her committeefocused on six main points:

.The council delegations will be reduced to tworepresentatives per district (house or Yard group)rather than the current five. "The council rightnow is so large as to be unmanageable withoutprocedural formalities which slow everythingdown," Anger said.

.The council's general elections will beconducted mid-year. "We need to provide continuitythroughout the year," Anger said. "The way thecouncil runs now it only meets from mid-Octoberthrough April--only about half the year--and mostof the project work done by the University happensover the summer."

.All council delegates would be required to beactive members of their house committees. "Rightnow there is almost no dialogue between the housesand the U.C.; if we're going to be a studentgovernment we need to change that," Anger said.

.All financial records would be made public,and a College official would be required toco-sign any check over $1,000 that theUndergraduate Council approves. "If theyimplemented this system, questionable checks wouldnever be issued and respect for the U.C. wouldincrease tremendously," Anger said.

.The Undergraduate Council's financialstatements would be audited by the University eachsemester. "The U.C. needs to increase itsfinancial accountability and that's how to do it,"Anger said.

A standing committee would be created tooversee council elections, headed by Dean ofStudents Archie C. Epps III. "With all of theproblems we had with disputed elections this year,the reason for this committee should be obvious toanyone who wants elections to be conductedfairly."

Some new ideas for Undergraduate Council reformthat emerged from the meeting included thecreation of a council member-at-large status.

"If there are only two delegates per house theelections will become a lot more competitive, andwe don't want really dedicated people to be shutout of the U.C. entirely," Anger said.

Other issues addressed included the council'stax status and the grant allocation process.

Anger likened the reform coalition to a"consulting firm. We need to work from the outsidebecause talking about the U.C. structure with U.C.members always turns into a defensiveconversation."

But Anger insists that she harbors only respectfor the Undergraduate Council's presentleadership. "Because I respect the leaders rightnow so much, it's hard for me to see such goodpeople trying to work within such a poorstructure."

Anger said the reform coalition's goal is tochange the Undergraduate Council in the mostpeaceful manner possible, but maintained that hergroup's autonomy is essential to that end.

"The council needs to examine itself, but it'sin a very bad position to do that [itself]," Angersaid. "There's a reason why firms don't haveinternal consulting departments."

Anger foresees the reform coalition eventuallyproducing a new Undergraduate Councilconstitution. "The rumors that we are trying tooverthrow the U.C. are only halftrue," Anger said."Student government has been too long out ofstudents' hands, and we're trying to give themback their say."

Undergraduate Council President Carey W. Gabay'94 said he does not see the reform group as athreat to the council.

"If they want to exist, they'll exist," hesaid. "I don't expect that they will affect usmuch."

But Epps expressed hope that the council willbe open to reforming itself. He said he shunneddirect involvement in the reform group because"it's always best if the students discuss thingsamongst themselves."

"This is not an anti-U.C. movement--ifanything, this is my final act of devotion to theU.C. because I love it enough to want to changeit," Anger said. She will graduate at the end ofthis semester.

The reform coalition will reconvene afterwinter break. Other on Anger's initial guestinclude: RUS Co-president Deborah J. Wexler '95;outgoing Republican Club President Karen E. Boyle'94; former Hillel Chair Shai A. Held '94; BSAPresident Alvin L. Bragg '94; BGLSA Co-chairDennis K. Lin '94, a council member; formercouncil representatives and senior Class MarshalsNed M. Gubbins '94 and Theresa F. "Tree" Loong'94; and former council member Peter S. Cahn '96.

The rest of those invited were Phillips BrooksHouse Association Treasurer Andrew J. Ehrlich '96and Raza representative Richard Cole Jr., bothcouncil members; former Let's Go Publisher Mark N.Templeton '93-94; Salient editor Whitney D. Pidot'96; Rhodes scholar Alexander M. Johnston '94;Marshall scholar Paras P. Mehta '94; CrimsonEditorial Chair Joanna M. Weiss '94; and Instituteof Politics Student Advisory Committee ChairElizabeth R. Caputo '94