Improving Council Elections

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

George L. Wrenn's letter in the April 24th issue of the CRIMSON apparently underlines a very important and damning fact about the Student Council elections: that they are almost never conducted legally.

With regard to the Council nomination meetings in the Houses, the Constitution of the Student Council states, "Two Council members shall attend . . . to present a report on the activities of the Council since the last election." This has rarely been done. Specifically in the recent Adams House meeting the Council ignored this duty. Also the Constitution states, "25 percent of the total membership of any House shall constitute a quorum for nominations . . . (and) only recognized members of a House shall be counted for a quorum." The Council rarely identifies and counts those present to ascertain whether a quorum is present--again they failed in this duty at the recent Adams House meeting. The Council is responsible for running nomination meetings. Since it has failed to carry out its duties in a serious and efficient manner, may I suggest to the Council that:

(1) It investigate past nomination meeting and, if no proof of legality can be established, it announce the illegality of the subsequent election.

(2) If such dereliction of duty is proved, the Council disband as having been responsible for culpably mishandling its duties.

(3) All individual Council members responsible for dereliction of duty, the President included, since all ultimate responsibility devolves upon him, be immediately disbarred from holding further office.

(4) All nomination meeting for the coming elections be carefully investigated and, if it is established that they have been illegally run, all relative nominations be declared invalid.

I believe the first road to reform lies in offering the Council the opportunity of reforming itself. If that opportunity is not taken, then other means must be employed. The necessary reform can naturally base itself upon the widespread student interest evoked by the present controversies. Such reform would probably sweep away the small clique of men apparently dedicated to self-perpetuation in office and would replace it with a more representative, honest, and democratic student representation. William E. W. Gowen '52