Democracy Revisited

The recent movement to make the Student Council a truly representative body has met with gratifying enthusiasm on the part of the student body thus far. The turnout of 100 men at Dunster House and 40 to 50 men at Kirkland and Leverett demonstrate the interest which this proposal has aroused among the hitherto "indifferent" students. Despite the fact that the Rump Council in session this summer does not have the authority to consider the proposals to be drawn up by the committee of House representatives, the fact that this committee does have a large amount of support behind it should force early action by the full council in the fall.

Harvard Student Councils have long deplored the indifference with which their actions and proposals were greeted. While the fact that the council was made a truly elected, representative body would not per se make the council's activities a matter of vital interest to every student, the students could at least feel that these activities were under popular control, and that the opinions expressed in the council meetings were not those of a select group.

Meeetings at Winthrop, Adams, and Dudley are scheduled for early next week. Provided that the recently generated enthusiasm does not wane, a committee with college-wide support should be set up by the end of the week. With new and numerous problems to be faced by an over-congested College next fall, a popularly elected, popularly supported Student Council should be created which will have the energy and authority to carry through programs of interest and benefit to the entire student body.