Undergraduate Council

To the Editors of the Crimson:

The South Africa issue among others demonstrates that Harvard student government is a waste of time for at least three reasons. First, some members of the Undergraduate Council question the validity of divestiture just like President Bok. Others on the council who support divestiture adopt an ACSR-like approach. It takes little to see that Bok could not be happier with the council's pace of action. Even if the council and the ACSR manage to correctly dot the "i"s of pro-divestiture resolutions year after year, this has little effect on political realities. The council's lack of effective action against Bok on divestiture seems to indicate that there is not much reason for student government to exist.

Secondly and thirdly, many in the student government want to separate "student" issues from "political" issues--e.g. beer parties and social events from federal student loan programs--just like Reagan and council forefather and mastermind Professor Dowling. Labeling issues "political" is usually a means of avoiding conflict with the government or university adminsitration desirous of political order on campus.

Thus, the student government sees no urgent reason to exist vis-a-vis the Harvard Corporation, the Harvard administration or the federal government. It's only to be expected that after 350 years of administrative control of students, often times Harvard student government doesn't seem to know why it should have its new official status with independent financial powers. Henry Park '84