4 Quest for U.C. Top Spot

Undergraduate Council presidents are relentlessly scrutinized by the media, bitterly challenged by political rivals and invariably blamed for any council mistakes.

But for one candidate in this year's race for the presidency, that would be nothing new.

Joshua D. Liston '95, last year's vice president, survived an impeachment attempt, censure hearings and infringement of his civil rights last spring.

And for this campaign, he's come out fighting vigorously against his past, advocating an activist council that will restore pride to the student government and school spirit to the College.

"Essentially, you're going to have an in-your-face council," he says.

He's also crusading for a guarantee that Harvard will always offer need-blind admissions.

"Once it's publicly stated that Harvard has signed a commitment to need-blind admissions, they're going to have their names on a piece of paper," he says. "And if they break it, they're breaking a contract with the student body."

Shadow of the Past

But despite all his shiny new stances, Liston is unlikely to completely escape the shadow of last semester.

"He's definitely the easiest target," says David V. Bonfili '96, a three-year council member. "I don't think that Josh is an evil guy. I just don't think he's especially competent."

Other council members criticize Liston's volte-face on unpopular beliefs. For instance, while he pushed for last year's $10 term-bill fee hike, this year he wants it repealed.

But some delegates think the rough spring--and an Eliot House election in which he lost to a write-in and finished fourth out of six candidates--have genuinely changed Liston.

"In every person's life, they need certain extreme circumstances to cause them to reform a...failure or weakness," says vice presidential candidate Brandon C. Gregoire '95. The spring "has shown Josh that he has to pay more careful attention to executive matters."

Liston also vigorously defends his record, contending that he did little or nothing to draw the fire of council members or the media.

Last spring, many blamed Liston for botching a student referendum vote.

As vice president, Liston "made an executive decision" to ignore a bylaw prohibiting council members from tabling in their own districts. Partially because of tabling irregularities, the referendum was ultimately invalidated.

But Liston says he had just three days to organize a complex College-wide vote. Many council members refused to table unless they could do so in their own houses, he says.

"I had a choice of breaking an insignificant bylaw or the referendum wouldn't happen," the candidate says.

In addition, Liston has recently started vigorously defending his record on enforcement of council attendance policy.

Last year, Liston disregarded nearly three dozen absences by members of the student affairs committee. This meant that he failed to expel five council members who, according to council bylaws, should have been kicked out for excessive absences.

In council decisions last May, Liston avoided impeachment and got a censure vote reversed. Now, he is attacking the evidence that was used to discredit him.

The former vice president now says he received records of about 10 of the absences too late to act on them. His account conflicts with the account of student affairs secretary Denise A. Ebery '95, who submitted the records.

Liston also says that about 17 of the absences were marked "pre-excused" by former student affairs committee chair Hassen A. Sayeed '96. The presidential candidate blames Sayeed for letting him take the heat.

Liston says he knew that only the executive board can legitimately pardon absences, making Sayeed's excuses invalid.

He also says the bylaw on absences isn't always applicable. He cites the case of one council member, who was absent from meetings after her father died.

"I didn't include those absences," Liston says. "But using your logic, I should have had her thrown off as well."

Today, Liston says only that he wishes he hadn't acknowledged Sayeed's pre-excused absences; he won't agree that he flouted the bylaws.

His Chances

How all this water under the bridge affects Liston's chances tomorrow night is unclear.

Many who were on the council last year view Liston as an impressive leader lacking administrative skills.

But 75 percent of the council is new, and they say that they're not going to judge Liston on what they've read in The Crimson.

"I'm not sure how accurate all of this is," says Geoffrey C. Rapp '98. "Facts can be manipulated. I would really want to keep an open mind."

Liston hopes his past can actually be an asset, as he pitches his three years' experience on the council.

In the semester before his term as vice president, Liston was co-chair of the campus life committee. And he made an unsuccessful bid for secretary as a sophomore.

He is even focusing his academic life on the body, he says.

"I have spent so much time working on the Council, and considering the important issues facing it that I decided to write my Senior Honors Thesis on the Undergraduate Council," he wrote in his position paper.Joshua D. LISTON

He's also crusading for a guarantee that Harvard will always offer need-blind admissions.

"Once it's publicly stated that Harvard has signed a commitment to need-blind admissions, they're going to have their names on a piece of paper," he says. "And if they break it, they're breaking a contract with the student body."

Shadow of the Past

But despite all his shiny new stances, Liston is unlikely to completely escape the shadow of last semester.

"He's definitely the easiest target," says David V. Bonfili '96, a three-year council member. "I don't think that Josh is an evil guy. I just don't think he's especially competent."

Other council members criticize Liston's volte-face on unpopular beliefs. For instance, while he pushed for last year's $10 term-bill fee hike, this year he wants it repealed.

But some delegates think the rough spring--and an Eliot House election in which he lost to a write-in and finished fourth out of six candidates--have genuinely changed Liston.

"In every person's life, they need certain extreme circumstances to cause them to reform a...failure or weakness," says vice presidential candidate Brandon C. Gregoire '95. The spring "has shown Josh that he has to pay more careful attention to executive matters."

Liston also vigorously defends his record, contending that he did little or nothing to draw the fire of council members or the media.

Last spring, many blamed Liston for botching a student referendum vote.

As vice president, Liston "made an executive decision" to ignore a bylaw prohibiting council members from tabling in their own districts. Partially because of tabling irregularities, the referendum was ultimately invalidated.

But Liston says he had just three days to organize a complex College-wide vote. Many council members refused to table unless they could do so in their own houses, he says.

"I had a choice of breaking an insignificant bylaw or the referendum wouldn't happen," the candidate says.

In addition, Liston has recently started vigorously defending his record on enforcement of council attendance policy.

Last year, Liston disregarded nearly three dozen absences by members of the student affairs committee. This meant that he failed to expel five council members who, according to council bylaws, should have been kicked out for excessive absences.

In council decisions last May, Liston avoided impeachment and got a censure vote reversed. Now, he is attacking the evidence that was used to discredit him.

The former vice president now says he received records of about 10 of the absences too late to act on them. His account conflicts with the account of student affairs secretary Denise A. Ebery '95, who submitted the records.

Liston also says that about 17 of the absences were marked "pre-excused" by former student affairs committee chair Hassen A. Sayeed '96. The presidential candidate blames Sayeed for letting him take the heat.

Liston says he knew that only the executive board can legitimately pardon absences, making Sayeed's excuses invalid.

He also says the bylaw on absences isn't always applicable. He cites the case of one council member, who was absent from meetings after her father died.

"I didn't include those absences," Liston says. "But using your logic, I should have had her thrown off as well."

Today, Liston says only that he wishes he hadn't acknowledged Sayeed's pre-excused absences; he won't agree that he flouted the bylaws.

His Chances

How all this water under the bridge affects Liston's chances tomorrow night is unclear.

Many who were on the council last year view Liston as an impressive leader lacking administrative skills.

But 75 percent of the council is new, and they say that they're not going to judge Liston on what they've read in The Crimson.

"I'm not sure how accurate all of this is," says Geoffrey C. Rapp '98. "Facts can be manipulated. I would really want to keep an open mind."

Liston hopes his past can actually be an asset, as he pitches his three years' experience on the council.

In the semester before his term as vice president, Liston was co-chair of the campus life committee. And he made an unsuccessful bid for secretary as a sophomore.

He is even focusing his academic life on the body, he says.

"I have spent so much time working on the Council, and considering the important issues facing it that I decided to write my Senior Honors Thesis on the Undergraduate Council," he wrote in his position paper.Joshua D. LISTON