Stewart Far From Neutral

Long live the new apolitical Undergraduate Council. Although she was elected to "de-politicize" the Council, on Sunday President Beth Stewart '00 attempted to derail the traditionally neutral grants process in a way hardly consistent with her campaign platform.

In direct violation of the spirit of the grants process, Stewart used the pretense of protecting student interests to make a blatantly conservative political statement.

Stewart co-sponsored an unsuccessful amendment to the grants package that would have denied retroactive funding for the promotion of last year's Alternative Senior Gift Fund, which enabled some seniors to both support the College and voice their concerns about its lack of Faculty diversity.

Stewart's action is not only hypocritical given her campaign promise of political neutrality. It also flies in the face of majority student opinion on this issue. Elected to close the grade gap, extend party hours and provide fro-yo for first-years and cable TV for all, Stewart may unpleasantly surprise many of her supporters if she continues to champion right-wing political causes.

In any case, the coming semester is likely to further reveal the impossibility and undesirability of a politics of neutrality. --Anna Baldvin '00, Emma Cheuse '98, Council representatives