U.C. Squashes Review Group

The Undergraduate Council last night squashed plans to create a policy review committee of council members, undergraduate student leaders and representatives from the faculty and administration.

The committee would have discussed internal council reforms, questions of improprieties among council members and the general state of the council, according to David V. Bonfili '96 and Rudd W. Coffey '97, the motion's sponsors.

"Other students might have ideas or solutions that we don't see," Bonfili said. "We are a student organization. There are other student organizations."

Although a majority of council members present last night supported the motion, it failed to receive the required three-fourths support necessary for a change to the council's constitution.

"Students don't care about what we do," said council member Randall A. Fine '96. "If they wanted to be on the U.C., they could sign up and be on. The structure of the council is irrelevant [to the general student body]."

Other council members said they felt the reform committee would replace the opinions of council members with those of people not directly affected by the reform process.

"Please don't vote to exclude interested members of the council from the reform process," said Will E. Rehling '86-'95.

Despite the defeat of this motion, council Vice President Brandon C. Gregoire '95 said he is currently looking for two faculty advisors to the council.

Gregoire said he wants an advisor "to be someone we can connect with, a third party we can consult with."

The vice president said the council currently consults on an ad hoc basis with Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 and Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III.

Not all council members were excited by the prospects of faculty involvement, however.

"The U.C. is committed to being independent from the administration and the faculty as much as possible," said council Treasurer Jay Kim '95. "I believe it should be."

Earlier in the meeting, the council unanimously approved two motions designed to improve campus security.

One motion recommended to the administration that the University increase the number of "blue light" security telephones and place a blue light above all outdoor Centrex telephones.

"If you're standing anywhere on campus, there should be a blue phone in eyesight," said Justin C. Label '97. "Two independent breakins last week in Matthews [Hall] makes this a very hot issue."

Another motion recommended the University significantly increase the number of bicycle racks placed across campus, especially around the Science Center.

In other business, the council unanimously approved the final budget for the first-year formal and a plan to seek bids from area printers to reduce copying costs for student organizations.

Gregoire welcomed to the council one new member, Dudley House representative Brenna D. Segal '95.

Gregoire also expelled two members--Victor M. Thorne '96 and Paul K. Kim '96--for excessive absences.