Committee Opposing HCUA Split Wants Student Government Study

The ad hoc committee opposing the HCUA's plan to create a two-body student government has decided to dust off a forgotten clause in the present HCUA constitution to use in its fight.

Under the clause, if 200 persons sign a petition, they can, with the Dean of Students' consent, propose an amendment to the HCUA constitution and submit it to a student referendum.

Wanted: More Power

At a meeting last Friday, the committee agreed to use this clause to propose an amendment which would set up a study group to investigate ways of creating a student government which would have more power than either the HCUA or the proposed two-body organization.

The committee has not yet drafted the petition, but a spokesman said the study group would serve as a forum for opinion in the College and would hold public meetings in an effort to find some more powerful form of student government. The group would make a report and propose a new constitution in June.

The study group as the ad hoc committee envisions it would not act as a student government. A referendum will be held Feb. 11 to allow the College to choose between the old HCUA and the two-body government the HCUA is proposing. Under the amendment proposed by the committee, the government chosen in February will serve as Harvard's student government for the rest of this year.

Will Fight New Plan

Members of the committee hope that the constitution which their study group would propose in June would replace the constitution accepted in February. They plan, however, to continue to fight the two-body constitution.

Eric Lessinger '63, a committee member, explained that "We are afraid that if the new constitution is adopted, students will feel the problem is solved and will lose their growing interest in student government. We want to keep the issue alive until a really effective government is set up."