Delegates Near Consensus On Key Convention Issues

Although delegates to the student Constitutional Convention failed to reach a quorum last night at their first meeting of 1978, several members expressed optimism that a growing consensus on major questions would aid the creation of a new student government.

The convention leaders scheduled the meeting, held at Lehman Hall, to consider the new government's relationship with existing student-faculty groups, especially the Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life (CHUL) and the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE).

Many delegates said they believe the two groups should send representatives that would have speaking, but not voting, rights in the new government.

Andrew F. Sharpless '77-4, a delegate from Winthrop House, said last night, "The student government should also be able to send representatives to CHUL and CUE."

Daniel M. Berman '79, a Currier House delegate, added last night that "the formation of the student government may help reform the unfair means of selection of representatives to the existing student-faculty committees."

Most delegates appear to agree that member of student "ethnic organizations" receive standing invitations to address the new student government.

They disagree, however, over the issue of whether members of other student organizations should receive the same invitation.

"This is mainly a matter of drawing a line between ethnic and political organizations," Berman said.

Delegates also seem to be reaching an agreement on a method of choosing representatives to the new government.

Most appear to lean toward the position of the Leverett House delegation, which has proposed the election of one representative for every randomly-chosen group of 75 students in a House. Such a system would result in a body of approximately 100 representatives.

The convention must still address the question of the function and purpose of the new government.

Berman said he would like to see "a body with the flexibility to do whatever students want to do." Sharpless adds that the government "should not have a strong president or claim to represent the views of the entire student body."

The means of financing the government would depend on its purpose, but most delegates support some form of term-bill checkoff. In addition, the Leverett House delegation's position paper calls for the election of a fundraising officer, independent of the student government's treasurer, who would try to make the government financially self-sufficient.

Convention delegates are virtually unanimous in their support for a studentwide referendum to approve the final constitution. They are also quick to claim the support of President Bok, Dean Epps--even though Rosovsky, in a reception at Dunster House last month, said, "It is absurd to assume that any organization could accurately reflect the views of Harvard's student body."

Sharpless countered Rosovsky's statement, saying, it is "ironic that he should feel that way, considering he's trying to improve undergraduate education. An organized undergraduate body is what Rosovsky needs to accomplish this.