COUNCIL INDIFFERENCE

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

I am writing in comment on your editorial appearing in the Nov. 17 issue of the CRIMSON. My opinions represent the attitudes of a member of the Student Council but to a greater extent the reactions of a Harvard student to the editorial mentioned above. The editorial chides the Student Council for resorting to a "hastily-contrived inverse technique" in order to obtain a quorum. I agree that the lack of quorum in the Student Council's meetings on several occasions suggests a substantial indifference among its members--most of which indifference can not be attributed to the agenda or to the manner in which the Student Council meetings are conducted.

It is my opinion that a large number of the membership expected to gain a political position uncontested. The hope of an uncontested seat motivated individuals who had little interest in performing constructive services for the student community. In reference to the particular meeting which prompted the CRIMSON editorial, it is noteworthy that the members of the Students Council present called for a quorum rather than pass resolutions knowing that a quorum did not exist--this last being allowable parliamentary procedure.

As your second paragraph points out, the Student Council has undertaken a comprehensive educational program in Twentieth Century Week and has taken a very prominent position in NSA affairs--especially in the New England region. I would like to point out that most of the effort and interest in these areas has resulted from the efforts of few Student Council members matched by a some-what larger number of non-Council Harvard students.

It is not my purpose to question the amount of work each Student Council member has done in behalf of the Council; rather it is to suggest that the great majority of the Student Council members--as well as a much larger percentage of Harvard undergraduates--are quite indifferent to the functioning of the Student Council.

With a very close presidential election focused especially on Harvard and Massachusetts, one would expect substantial student interest in "the more openly political organizations." Nevertheless I believe that the greater interest shown in political clubs results from the personal ambitions of their members and not from desire to perform service for the Harvard community. This aim to to perform services should be basic to the Student Council, but is not important to "more openly political organizations"--until they decide to solicit votes for professional politicians or even student politicos.

As a Student Council member, I want to thank the CRIMSON for discussing the lack of interest in the Student Council and for pointing out certain areas of Council activity. However, I would have appreciated the editorial considerably more and would consider it far more constructive if it had occurred prior and not subsequent to the Student Council elections. Charles P. Gamer '61