UC Critics Call for Reforms

When candidates for Undergraduate Council chair spoke before their peers at the organization's first full meeting last week, the watchword was reform.

In some sense, that was no wonder.

Last year's council was plagued by a reputation of being elitist and ineffectual. Several factors contributed to the image, including a highly publicized, make-or-break concert that flopped, internal strife that culminated in a failed effort to oust the group's treasurer, and a cumbersome grants process rumored to favor those with friends on the finance committee.

Veteran council members said they were counting on the group's 57 new members to help institute a series of revitalizing changes.

But--like a nation in the former east bloc racing to institute reforms before the whole bureaucracy collapses--Harvard's student government may be running out of time.

The events of the past week, highlighted by last night's failed attempt to impeach the group's vice chair, have led some campus leaders and even several council members to say they are fed up.

The students are wondering aloud whether it isn't time to disband the Undergraduate Council altogether and startfresh.

"I think that the U.C. is slowly killingitself," says former council member and QuincyHouse resident J.D. LaRock '95, who lost his spoton the group earlier this year.

"In terms of public opinion, the situation ismore doleful for the U.C. than it's ever been, andthis is without any major student service failuresyet," LaRock says. "I think the feeling that theU.C. should be scrapped is growing."

Council leaders reject LaRock's claims, andsome dismiss them as the sour grapes of a failedcandidate.

"I don't think one problem with one committeeelection necessitates a complete overhaul," sayscouncil Chair Malcolm A. Heinicke '93, referringto the contested election that initiated chargesof election tampering against Vice Chair Maya G.Prabhu '94. "It's unwarranted."

But the concerns voiced by LaRock have beenechoed by sitting council members, some of whom,though just elected, appear to have given up hopethat the council can be reformed.

"After the last two weeks, I'm convinced thatthe U.C. should be dissolved and other optionsconsidered," says recently elected Dunster Houserepresentative Douglas M. DeMay '94. "I think theU.C. is a mute point."

Chief among the criticisms leveled at thecouncil is that it attracts students who put theirown political aspirations ahead of theirconstituents' needs.

Back-slapping and hand-shaking, the criticsargue, have taken precedence over a genuinecommitment to service.

To correct that, some of them are suggesting anall-new committee--perhaps composed of students,faculty and University administrators--that wouldperform many of the same functions as the existingcouncil without all the highly politicalovertones.

"The U.C. has pretty broad powers right now andit's shown that it hasn't been able to use them inany constructive way," says LaRock. "Certainlymore constraints by the administration would stemthe tide of political aspirants."

Heinicke denies that Harvard's studentgovernment is too politicized and says he opposesefforts to abolish the council. Still, the newcouncil chair says he would be receptive to anysuggestions put forward by LaRock or others.

"I'll never rule anything out," Heinicke says."If he's got a proposal, let's see it, but I thinkthe situation right now doesn't warrant completeoverhaul or disbanding."

In fact, most students and administrators saythey doubt the council will be scrapped entirelythis year, or even at any time in the very nearfuture.

"The action of a few people doesn't necessarilytarnish the council any more than, [in] thenational government, [the] actions of a couple ofpeople in Congress should tarnish the wholegroup," says Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett'57. "I hope that the community will not assumethat because of this situation, the council is notcapable of performing valuable services."

But many are not so optimistic. "If you've gotmembers calling for each other's impeachment, howmuch work can get done?" asks former Dunster Houserepresentative Mark P. Parisi '93, who resignedfrom the council last year out of frustration withits management.

"I am pessimistic about what's going on thisyear," Parisi says. "I don't think the council isgoing to have much success unless they really,really clean house and get things straightened outas far as priorities go.

"I think that the U.C. is slowly killingitself," says former council member and QuincyHouse resident J.D. LaRock '95, who lost his spoton the group earlier this year.

"In terms of public opinion, the situation ismore doleful for the U.C. than it's ever been, andthis is without any major student service failuresyet," LaRock says. "I think the feeling that theU.C. should be scrapped is growing."

Council leaders reject LaRock's claims, andsome dismiss them as the sour grapes of a failedcandidate.

"I don't think one problem with one committeeelection necessitates a complete overhaul," sayscouncil Chair Malcolm A. Heinicke '93, referringto the contested election that initiated chargesof election tampering against Vice Chair Maya G.Prabhu '94. "It's unwarranted."

But the concerns voiced by LaRock have beenechoed by sitting council members, some of whom,though just elected, appear to have given up hopethat the council can be reformed.

"After the last two weeks, I'm convinced thatthe U.C. should be dissolved and other optionsconsidered," says recently elected Dunster Houserepresentative Douglas M. DeMay '94. "I think theU.C. is a mute point."

Chief among the criticisms leveled at thecouncil is that it attracts students who put theirown political aspirations ahead of theirconstituents' needs.

Back-slapping and hand-shaking, the criticsargue, have taken precedence over a genuinecommitment to service.

To correct that, some of them are suggesting anall-new committee--perhaps composed of students,faculty and University administrators--that wouldperform many of the same functions as the existingcouncil without all the highly politicalovertones.

"The U.C. has pretty broad powers right now andit's shown that it hasn't been able to use them inany constructive way," says LaRock. "Certainlymore constraints by the administration would stemthe tide of political aspirants."

Heinicke denies that Harvard's studentgovernment is too politicized and says he opposesefforts to abolish the council. Still, the newcouncil chair says he would be receptive to anysuggestions put forward by LaRock or others.

"I'll never rule anything out," Heinicke says."If he's got a proposal, let's see it, but I thinkthe situation right now doesn't warrant completeoverhaul or disbanding."

In fact, most students and administrators saythey doubt the council will be scrapped entirelythis year, or even at any time in the very nearfuture.

"The action of a few people doesn't necessarilytarnish the council any more than, [in] thenational government, [the] actions of a couple ofpeople in Congress should tarnish the wholegroup," says Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett'57. "I hope that the community will not assumethat because of this situation, the council is notcapable of performing valuable services."

But many are not so optimistic. "If you've gotmembers calling for each other's impeachment, howmuch work can get done?" asks former Dunster Houserepresentative Mark P. Parisi '93, who resignedfrom the council last year out of frustration withits management.

"I am pessimistic about what's going on thisyear," Parisi says. "I don't think the council isgoing to have much success unless they really,really clean house and get things straightened outas far as priorities go.