Ehrlich Elected PBHA President

Andrew J. Ehrlich '96 will remain at Harvard after his intended lune graduation date to assume the presidency of the Phillips Brooks House Association, Inc. (PBHA) beginning Feb. 1, PBHA officials said yesterday.

Ehrlich was chosen Sunday in the first half of PBHA's annual elections. PBHA executives said Ehrlich was chosen despite the fact that he is a senior because they wanted to make sure the new president has the experience and political know-how to guide the organization through the tough times it faces in dealing with the College administration.

Other officers selected Sunday by the PBHA cabinet were Vice President Hahrie C. Han '97, Treasurer Gene Koo '97, Secretary Elisabeth I. Ritter '97, and Christian A. Chu '97 and John C. Raezer '97 as fund-raisers.

The second half of the slate, about 10 people, will be elected tonight.

Ehrlich said yesterday that he was already planning to take a year off between graduation and law school, so the prospect of running PBHA next fall is not so daunting.

"This isn't a huge change in plan for me," he said.

Ehrlich follows outgoing President Vin Pan '95 '96 as PBHA leader who stayed on campus to keep working with the autonomous public service umbrella organization.

Still, the choice of Ehrlich as president reflects extreme conditions for the organization.

"Our design was not to set a precedent [of seniors] but owing to out present circumstances and also owing to the current situation--[Ehrlich] has a great deal of experience working with the administration," said Steven W. Hetts '96, who will serve in an advisory role to the capital campaign.

Ehrlich has been involved this fall in discussions between the administration and PBHA about the future of public service. PBHA is the independent student governing body of Phillips Brooks House.

Last month, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 chose ludith H. Kidd as the new assistant dean of public service and director of Phillips Brooks House, a position created as the result of a report on restructuring the College which lewis co-authored.

Members of PBHA have said this tall that the administration did not adequately consider student input in choosing Kidd over long-time PBHA Executive Director Greg A. Johnson '72. A rally last Thursday drew about 700 students and a myriad of community leaders in support of PBHA's stance against the administration.

Ehrlich said yesterday that 1996 will be an important year for PBHA for several reasons.

"We need to make sure that our programs this spring and summer run as strong or stronger than ever, and it's going to be a very tough environment for that, not just because of cuts within the college but because of external changes" such as government cutbacks, Ehrlich said.

"Specifically, there has been obviously lots of tension over the implementation of the Maull-Lewis report by Dean Lewis, and for the best interest of the programs, that needs to be resolved," Ehrlich said. "Hahrie and I hope to do that constructively with... Dean Lewis, Professor [of Government and Sociology Theda] Skocpol and the PBHA advisory board."

PBHA members have talked in the past month about the prospect of paying PBH's staff members and making PBH fully autonomous from the University, which currently pays the salaries of its 10 staffers.

"We are very willing to work with the administration. We feel that they haven't been willing to work with us in the past," Hetts said.

"The ball, as I see it, is in their court right now," Hetts said of the administration. "We are setting the agenda [by raising the possibility of separation]."

Han said she looks forward to the new year.

"I'm really excited to be working with Andrew think he'll be a good president and we'll have a good year," she said. "We need someone to do a lot of work.

"We need to make sure that our programs this spring and summer run as strong or stronger than ever, and it's going to be a very tough environment for that, not just because of cuts within the college but because of external changes" such as government cutbacks, Ehrlich said.

"Specifically, there has been obviously lots of tension over the implementation of the Maull-Lewis report by Dean Lewis, and for the best interest of the programs, that needs to be resolved," Ehrlich said. "Hahrie and I hope to do that constructively with... Dean Lewis, Professor [of Government and Sociology Theda] Skocpol and the PBHA advisory board."

PBHA members have talked in the past month about the prospect of paying PBH's staff members and making PBH fully autonomous from the University, which currently pays the salaries of its 10 staffers.

"We are very willing to work with the administration. We feel that they haven't been willing to work with us in the past," Hetts said.

"The ball, as I see it, is in their court right now," Hetts said of the administration. "We are setting the agenda [by raising the possibility of separation]."

Han said she looks forward to the new year.

"I'm really excited to be working with Andrew think he'll be a good president and we'll have a good year," she said. "We need someone to do a lot of work.