On the 'Billionaire Boys Club'

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I would just like to clarify some of the statements attributed to me in the November 3 article on the Undergraduate Council Finance Committee entitled "Billionaire Boys' Club in Action."

First, in no way did I ever mean to indict the Finance Committee or its individual members for either intentionally or unintentionally encouraging male exclusivity within the committee. By stating that the Finance Committee was analogous to a "legal final club," I merely intended to describe the perception many people have of the committee, not the actual practice of sexual discrimination itself.

In reality, there are no established barriers to entry that discourage female council members from choosing finance. I only maintained that it was a misconception of the committee being a "Billionaire Boys' Club" that may prove intimidating for those wholly unfamiliar with the Finance Committee.

Second, in harshly describing the typical Finance Committee person, I once again meant only to describe the stereotype of the committee and not its actual membership. Especially this year, the people who comprise the Finance Committee are not power-hungry, resume-seeking "Gov Jocks," but conscientious students who put in a tremendous amount of time to ensure that each organization is judged fairly and properly.

The process of allocating $30,000 when student groups are asking for a combined $210,000 may give some people the impression that the committee members get their thrills by gleefully slashing grant requests. But in actuality, we on the Finance Committee take more pride not in the amount we cut, but in the amount we give.

If this letter doesn't help reverse the common misconceptions of this council committee, I hope it at least clears up what I said in the recent article. David Aronberg '93   Finance Committee Vice-Chair