Student Activists to Attempt U.C. Reform

About two dozen student leaders have formed a campus activist group, with the goal of changing an Undergraduate Council they claim is a poor advocate for student concerns.

The group, dubbed the Progressive Undergraduate Council Coalition (PUCC), counts among its members leaders of groups like the Asian American Association (AAA), Perspective and the Bisexual Gay and Lesbian Student Association (BGLSA).

The group has held three informal gatherings over the past several weeks, during which members have discussed a preliminary platform and course of action.

David V. Bonfili '96, a PUCC member and former council delegate who resigned his seat in November, said the group is committed to making the council a hub of campus debate.

"These leaders see that the U.C. has tremendous, largely squandered potential, to serve as a center of revitalized campus dialogue and to advance the interest of all under-graduates," Bonfili said in an interview yesterday.

Jedediah S. Purdy '97, a senior editor of Perspective and one of the group's organizers, said in an interview last night that enhanced "student empowerment" is a guiding principle of PUCC.

"What we have in mind is not a strictly partisan form of activism by any means," Purdy said. "This is certainly not a national leftist agenda. The sort of activism we have in mind is advocacy of student interests."

Purdy emphasized that PUCC is in its preliminary stages and that none of its policy positions are set in stone.

Still, he cited a number of issues that PUCC's members would like to see the council tackle.

As an example of the push for student empowerment, he said, the council should call for undergraduate participation on every University committee affecting College life-- ,including the governing boards and the FacultyCouncil, which have traditionally met in secret.

Purdy also recommended that the councilfacilitate the efforts of student activist groupsthat "demonstrate broad-based support and whoseefforts are legitimately related to the interestsof students."

Another issue of importance to PUCC members,Purdy said, is a more coherent and aggressiveattitude toward reform of the curriculum,particularly the core.

As a means of electing a student governmentthat will serve as a collective voice forundergraduates, PUCC members said they areinterested in molding a council to reflect theCollege's gender balance and ethnic diversity.

Only about 25 percent of the council is female,for example, and council percentages of Black andHispanic students are below those of the College,according to Bonfili.

But PUCC members said that they want to see thecouncil recruit minority candidates moreaggressively.

"[The council] doesn't do enough to reach outto minorities," Bonfili said. "Part of the reasonthese groups aren't represented is that they don'tsee the U.C. as representing their interests."

Purdy said that 20 students, including himself,have committed to running for the council thisfall on PUCC's platform, if the group feels itnecessary.

Among those who have attended the preliminarymeetings are AAA President Irene C. Cheng '97 andBGLSA Co-chair Moon Duchin '97.

All members of the council leadershipinterviewed by The Crimson last night--includingPresident Joshua D. Liston '95, Vice PresidentJustin C. Label '97 and former president David L.Hanselman '94-'95--said they were pleased to seethe new group.

"This sounds fantastic," Label said. "It'sexactly the kind of thing that is needed to combatthe apathy which keeps us from performing to fullpotential.

Purdy also recommended that the councilfacilitate the efforts of student activist groupsthat "demonstrate broad-based support and whoseefforts are legitimately related to the interestsof students."

Another issue of importance to PUCC members,Purdy said, is a more coherent and aggressiveattitude toward reform of the curriculum,particularly the core.

As a means of electing a student governmentthat will serve as a collective voice forundergraduates, PUCC members said they areinterested in molding a council to reflect theCollege's gender balance and ethnic diversity.

Only about 25 percent of the council is female,for example, and council percentages of Black andHispanic students are below those of the College,according to Bonfili.

But PUCC members said that they want to see thecouncil recruit minority candidates moreaggressively.

"[The council] doesn't do enough to reach outto minorities," Bonfili said. "Part of the reasonthese groups aren't represented is that they don'tsee the U.C. as representing their interests."

Purdy said that 20 students, including himself,have committed to running for the council thisfall on PUCC's platform, if the group feels itnecessary.

Among those who have attended the preliminarymeetings are AAA President Irene C. Cheng '97 andBGLSA Co-chair Moon Duchin '97.

All members of the council leadershipinterviewed by The Crimson last night--includingPresident Joshua D. Liston '95, Vice PresidentJustin C. Label '97 and former president David L.Hanselman '94-'95--said they were pleased to seethe new group.

"This sounds fantastic," Label said. "It'sexactly the kind of thing that is needed to combatthe apathy which keeps us from performing to fullpotential.