Council Insiders Offer 'Real Plan' and Record of Long Service

Late on a rainy Sunday night a few weeks ago, Rohit Chopra ’04 trekked out to the Radcliffe Quad, headed for a meeting of Harvard dancers upset about the impending loss of the Rieman Dance Center.

While Chopra is not a dancer, he says he attended the meeting because he had some information that could help the dancers save Rieman.

He had spoken to Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 about the loss of the center, and he recommended that the dancers get in touch with another dean who would be able to help them.

With connections like these, Chopra and his running mate, Jessica R. Stannard-Friel ’04, have been labeled the “insider” candidates by opponents.

Chopra served as vice-chair of the council’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC) as a first-year and is now its chair. His ticket has garnered the tacit support of current council President Sujean S. Lee ’03.

Opponents say Chopra and Stannard-Friel’s insider status will limit their vision for future council initiatives.

“People are fed up with the UC, and Rohit stands for the traditional UC way of doing things, which has been by and large pretty ineffective,” says rival presidential candidate Hunter A. Maats ’04.

But Chopra says the Rieman story typifies the team’s efforts to move beyond council politics and build connections with student groups.

“It shouldn’t be students’ responsibility to come to us,” he says. “If we win, we’ll continue our campaign of trying to reach students. [Representatives] have a responsibility to serve their constituents.”

Thus far, Chopra’s campaign has also netted endorsements from the First-Year Social Committee, Perspective Magazine, the Radcliffe Union of Students and even the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters’ Alliance—an organization that competitor Fred O. Smith ’04 has co-chaired.

Entrenched?

Many observers see Chopra and Stannard-Friel as the insider team due to their extensive work on the council.

Critics complain that they will be beholden to the establishment and lack the fresh perspective needed to make the council effective.

But Chopra and Stannard-Friel claim their experience as an asset.

“Because of the experience we’ve had, we know how to just sit down and do it,” says Stannard-Friel, who is co-chair of the council’s Campus Life Committee. “We’ve already seen the mistakes and know how to avoid them.”

Focusing on student services, Chopra and Stannard-Friel have been involved with efforts such as reducing Core Curriculum requirements, improving student financial aid and making Harvard-Yale tickets free.

Chopra chaired SAC during its successful push for universal keycard access until 2:30 a.m. and was the committee’s vice chair when the House masters agreed to extend the curfew for dining hall parties until 2 a.m.

“I think there’s a tendency to want to portray them as the UC insiders—that’s not the case at all,” says Alicia Menendez ’05, a member of the duo’s campaign team. “They are just as disenchanted with things that go on here at Harvard and they have a real vision for what Harvard can be and will be under their presidency.”

Chopra and Stannard-Friel say that, despite their tenure on the council, they are committed to changing the way the council operates and are open to overhauling the council’s entire structure—an approach that Stannard-Friel sums up with the catchphrase “revamp, relook, rethink.”

“We’re going to be completely different from any of our predecessors,” Chopra says.

“Our frustration with our current jobs helps us realize what needs to change,” Stannard-Friel says.

While Chopra joined the council as a first-year, Stannard-Friel first ran for the council as a sophomore. She says this inexperience relative to Chopra gives their ticket a necessary outsider’s view of the council.

“This gave me the perspective of not always knowing what’s going on,” Stannard-Friel says.

A New Vision

Chopra, the only presidential candidate serving in his fifth term on the council, says his experience and record improving student life make him a uniquely qualified leader.

He says the Faculty’s curricular review and the impending move of some University facilities to Allston will require council leaders who can effectively voice student opinion.

The candidates say their five major goals are revitalizing Harvard social life, making the school more affordable, upgrading the academic experience, improving safety and counseling, and empowering students and student groups.

“We have a broad and deep plan of how to address the issues,” Stannard-Friel says. “Our plans are both visionary and practical.”

Their platform promises online sourcebooks to lower student expenses, student representation on the Administrative Board and a council fund devoted entirely to student parties.

“Everyone campaigns on [the same issues], but we have a real plan,” Chopra says.

The candidates admit that, in the past, the council may not have done enough for students.

“Much of the perceptions are very close to the truth,” Chopra says. “The problem is that people want things immediately. Things take a long time.”

They also highlight the importance of striking a balance between short-term accomplishment and long-term vision.

As an example, the team cites the perennial campaign promise of a student center. They say it simply isn’t reasonable to expect that to happen in one year.

Instead, they promise to fight for improvements to Loker Commons in the short term. For the long term, they say they will begin working toward a true student center.

Chopra also says he will address what he describes as a disconnect between council members and the students they represent.

“The other problem is that people don’t seem to know their council representatives,” Chopra says. “No one knows exactly what we’re working on. We want to be much more visible.”

‘A Perfect Fit’

The team pairs Chopra’s extensive knowledge of the issues with Stannard-Friel’s social and interpersonal skills, a combination they say will enable them to be effective.

While Chopra has dealt mainly with implementing administrative change, Stannard-Friel’s specialty lies within the student body’s social realm.

Stannard-Friel has been the social chair of the Campus Life Committee for the last two semesters. She is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the Harvard College Democrats, and she helps to organize the Evening With Champions figure-skating charity event.

When not working on the council, Chopra tutors at a local correctional facility, works at Lamont Library and serves on the city of Cambridge’s Harvard Square Design Committee.

“Jessica’s able to really get people excited about things,” Chopra says. “I’m able to get people angry and ready to work hard. We’re very different—it’s a perfect fit.”