In Council Debate, Candidates Tussle Over Campus Role

The candidates for Undergraduate Council president and vice-president debated the role the council should play on campus last night during their first public debate.

Candidates admitted the council sometimes gets caught up in internal politics and promised to reach out more to the student body.

"We need to get more students involved in council and have those council members do a better job of letting students know what's going on," presidential hopeful B.J. Averell '02 told the roughly 50 students in attendance.

"Of course we take ourselves too seriously sometimes for what we do," said Paul A. Gusmorino '02, also a presidential candidate. "We have the experience, backing and the leadership to affect change though."

Gusmorino said his plan this fall to begin "initiative groups" on the council had already made the council more productive.

John F. Bash '03, running mate of Matthew Zanotelli '02, said part of the council's problem with legitimacy stems from a lack of funds.

"It's a catch-22. We haven't been doing much because we don't have the money, and students don't want to give us more money because we haven't been doing much," he said.

"We need to show them we're not wasting money and not passing useless resolutions," Bash added.

Many candidates said House committees need more money, and that those committees are more effective at throwing campus events than the council is.

"Part of our platform says that we don't think the council has done a good job planning campus-wide events," said presidential candidate Justin A. Barkley '02.

"Students recognize the HoCos do better events," added Barkley's running-mate, Adam M. Johnson '02. "The U.C. even recognizes that HoCos do better events."

Barkley suggested the council cut back on big-name bands at Springfest in order to double funding to House Committees and fund a "Fallfest" in the Quad featuring student bands.

Gusmorino promised more diverse offerings at fly-by bunch as well as a sophomore formal, in addition to more concerts organized by his running-mate Sujean S. Lee '03--who is organizing a Roots concert in Sanders Theatre in February.

Many tickets also cautioned against promising too much.

"We're not going to be able to give you everything you want," said presidential candidate Stephen N. Smith '02, who also echoed the ideas of more diverse fly-by and a school-wide formal.

Averell and Gerety also explained in detail their plans for electoral reform on the council. Under their plans, council elections would be replaced with a petition process where candidates who got 60 to 100 signatures from students would be automatically on the council and would represent only those people who signed their petition.

"The size of the council would fluctuate with the level of interest on campus," Gerety said.

"We can make people care," Gerety said. "If we win, it'll be because the 70 percent of people who don't normally vote will have voted."

Averell and Gerety also challenged the other candidates to join them in a "Primal Scream" naked lap around Harvard Yard tonight at midnight to kick off the voting.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. tonight, student may vote by typing "ucvote" at the fas% prompt in telnet.

-- Staff writer Garret M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.