New Council Members Elect Chairs of Three Committees

The Undergraduate Council's Student Affairs Committee (SAC), which advocates changes in College policy, on Monday night elected Diana L. Adair '98 committee chair and Noah Freeman '98-'99 as vice-chair.

Newly elected council members also chose Robert S. Schwartz '00 as chair and Chuck A. Truesdell '99 as vice-chair of the council's Finance Committee, which distributes grants to student groups.

"Hopefully, the U.C. can continue to grow in its role as voicing what students want to change here at Harvard," Adair said.

Adair, who was a council representative last year, is the founder of Girl Spot and of the resource center of the Bisexual Gay Lesbian and Transgendered Supporters Association (BGLTSA).

"My agenda for the Student Affairs Committee is to make full use of the opportunity we have as students to serve on [student-faculty] committees," Adair added.

In her platform, Adair advocated a committee that will divide into task forces to tackle and become experts on several important issues.

Her own priorities include Faculty diversity; gender identity and the addition of "transgendered" students to the University non-discrimination clause; a multi-cultural student center, Administrative Board reform; and Core Curriculum reform.

"What I feel about the U.C. is that legislation can only do so much," Adair said. She emphasized the need for U.C. members to meet with and lobby members of the Administration in order to vocalize student concerns.

Benjamin W. Hulse '99 and Noah Z. Seton '00 also ran for the position of chair. Last spring the Faculty voted changes in the Core, but Hulse said he believed those changes were insufficient. In addition, he said that Adair's proposed task forces might weaken the power of the committee chair.

"On the one hand I am worried that we may not follow-up on the Core as aggressively as we did last semester," Hulse added. "On the other hand I think the quantity of legislation coming out of the committee last year may have been diminished by our monomania about the Core."

Several council members said that the election of both Adair and Schwartz represents a liberal inclination on the council.

"[This election] certainly shows where the majority of the council members stand in regards to [Council President Lamelle D. Rawlins '99] and her agenda," Seton said.

"Just because you're on the minority on the Council doesn't mean you can't get things done," Seton added.

Conflict of Interest?

Several council members said yesterday that Rawlins had shown strong support for Schwartz, and criticized that support as inappropriate because Rawlins also monitors the council committee elections. Rawlins, however, denied that she had formally endorsed Schwartz.

"In her role as popularly-elected president, Lamelle has every right to endorse candidates," Seton said.

"However, in her role as moderator of the council and presider over the sub-committee elections it is inappropriate for her to endorse candidates," Seton added. "That is why we wanted to separate those two roles in the reform package we introduced last year."

Rawlins contended that there was no conflict of interest. "If I were going to make a statement of endorsement for either candidate I would not have run the elections," Rawlins said. "I think it's clearly within my role as student body president to work for my agenda."

Rawlins was extremely active in recruiting new council members this fall, and several council members said they fear excessive influence at the council's apex.

"I think that she's got an impressive political organization and I hope that organization can integrate itself into the council," said Curtis J. Mahoney, who was defeated in the race for Finance Committee chair.

Schwartz said that his experience-not just Rawlins' support-was the major factor in his election.

"For me, I think it was experience winning out,"Schwartz said. "We're looking to make Finance work for student groups regardless of council politics."

Last year Schwartz worked on all aspects of the Finance Committee grants process, he said.

"Hopefully, we'll able to make the process easier to apply to and more responsive to their needs," Schwartz said.

Campus Life Committee

Last night the Campus Life Committee (CLC) elected sophomores Trevor S. Blake and Samuel C. Cochen as co-chairs. The committee is responsible for organizing council-sponsored campus social events.

Among other services, Blake and Cohen hope that this year's CLC will provide a more efficient shuttle service to Logan Air-port before holidays, a Spring Fling dance for sophomores and juniors, and busing to the Yale game.

A new event planned for this year will be a "Uno-thon." Students will play Uno continuously in an effort to raise money for Comic Relief, a non-profit.

Council members seemed excited to get to work on the committees.

"It's been our experience that there is a very precious window of opportunity between the seating of the Council and the beginning of the elections in November when people are able to work together," said Eric M. Nelson '99, former student affairs chair and a Crimson editor.

"We need to be spending our time discussing ways to push the committee forward," Hulse added.

Rawlins said she was pleased by the outcome of the elections.

"I am extremely thrilled with the choices the council has made tonight," Rawlins said. "I can't think of better people to lead these committees. The student body can be confident that their needs will be addressed with enthusiasm and dedication this semester.

Rawlins contended that there was no conflict of interest. "If I were going to make a statement of endorsement for either candidate I would not have run the elections," Rawlins said. "I think it's clearly within my role as student body president to work for my agenda."

Rawlins was extremely active in recruiting new council members this fall, and several council members said they fear excessive influence at the council's apex.

"I think that she's got an impressive political organization and I hope that organization can integrate itself into the council," said Curtis J. Mahoney, who was defeated in the race for Finance Committee chair.

Schwartz said that his experience-not just Rawlins' support-was the major factor in his election.

"For me, I think it was experience winning out,"Schwartz said. "We're looking to make Finance work for student groups regardless of council politics."

Last year Schwartz worked on all aspects of the Finance Committee grants process, he said.

"Hopefully, we'll able to make the process easier to apply to and more responsive to their needs," Schwartz said.

Campus Life Committee

Last night the Campus Life Committee (CLC) elected sophomores Trevor S. Blake and Samuel C. Cochen as co-chairs. The committee is responsible for organizing council-sponsored campus social events.

Among other services, Blake and Cohen hope that this year's CLC will provide a more efficient shuttle service to Logan Air-port before holidays, a Spring Fling dance for sophomores and juniors, and busing to the Yale game.

A new event planned for this year will be a "Uno-thon." Students will play Uno continuously in an effort to raise money for Comic Relief, a non-profit.

Council members seemed excited to get to work on the committees.

"It's been our experience that there is a very precious window of opportunity between the seating of the Council and the beginning of the elections in November when people are able to work together," said Eric M. Nelson '99, former student affairs chair and a Crimson editor.

"We need to be spending our time discussing ways to push the committee forward," Hulse added.

Rawlins said she was pleased by the outcome of the elections.

"I am extremely thrilled with the choices the council has made tonight," Rawlins said. "I can't think of better people to lead these committees. The student body can be confident that their needs will be addressed with enthusiasm and dedication this semester.