PBHA Elections Focus on Troubling Financial Situation

Last night's elections for Harvard's biggest undergraduate organization turned on one topic: money.

While candidates for president and vice-president ran unopposed in the elections for next year's Philips Brooks House Association (PBHA) officers, the election for treasurer involved extensive deliberation on the part of the organization's 40-plus committee chairs.

Joseph M. Garland '00 and Susan J. Koo '99 were elected president and vice-president, respectively, within minutes of their speeches and to wild applause from their fellow members. But it took nearly 45 minutes of speeches, question-and-answer sessions and a final vote before Chandan G. Reddy '00 emerged as the next treasurer of PBHA, which oversees almost all of Harvard's many volunteer organization.

Despite the leadership's desire to be fiscally independent, the organization has been forced to take out loans from both Harvard and a local bank to fund its ongoing programs.

In response, PBHA is planning to launch an ambitious, $6 million capital campaign.

Concerns about the organization's finances were clearly at the forefront of the minds of both candidates and voting members.

Reddy, along with other candidates for treasurer Lee M. Hampton '01 and David B. Orr '01, stressed that the treasurer will play an exceptionally important role in the coming year.

"We fight for social justice," Orr said. "To do this we need organization, we need spirit and we need money. But our financial situation is awful."

Reddy noted that PBHA has already signed a loan "to get us through the end of the year" and offered his own ideas on how to navigate the group through the difficult time, such as getting grants from foundations.

Hampton also pointed to PBHA's debt as a reason to elect him treasurer. He suggested he would be able to raise even more than the $6 million capital campaign goal.

"I think we can increase the amount raised to $10 or $12 million," Hampton said.

Most of the questions from the cabinet, whichis made up of representatives from each volunteergroup affiliated with PBHA, dealt with how todivide limited funds among groups and where to cutfunds when there is no available money.

Said Orr, "We can't keep spending money wedon't have."

All the candidates agreed, however, thateliminating entire volunteer groups was out of thequestion.

"If that means no snacks at cabinet meetings,then no snacks at cabinet meetings," Orr said.

Candidates for president and vice-presidentgave five-minute speeches followed by aquestion-and-answer session.

Garland emphasized the enormous reach of thePBHA, which involves 70 programs and more than10,000 people.

"We need to continue to address community needsas best we can," he said.

Garland also discussed his plans to make thePBHA more efficient, such as evaluating programsto find out where help is most needed, and to makevolunteers feel more welcome.

"Remember that we are more than just the peoplein this room. If we remember this, then I knowthat we will make the best decisions for the PBHAand the community," he said.

Koo echoed these statements in her speech.

"We need to make volunteers feel like they havea stake in this organization," she said.

In response to a question expressing concernabout the size of PBHA and the fact that manycabinet members do not know each other, Koo calledfor more discussion among groups and a feeling of"interconnectedness."

At the beginning of the meeting, outgoingPresident Lisa A. Tomlinson '99 discussedimprovements made last year, such as volunteernewsletters and new accounting software to helpprogram directors keep track of their finances.

PBHA also elected a new secretary, fundraiser,programming chair and events coordinator lastnight. Results of those elections were unavailableat press time

Most of the questions from the cabinet, whichis made up of representatives from each volunteergroup affiliated with PBHA, dealt with how todivide limited funds among groups and where to cutfunds when there is no available money.

Said Orr, "We can't keep spending money wedon't have."

All the candidates agreed, however, thateliminating entire volunteer groups was out of thequestion.

"If that means no snacks at cabinet meetings,then no snacks at cabinet meetings," Orr said.

Candidates for president and vice-presidentgave five-minute speeches followed by aquestion-and-answer session.

Garland emphasized the enormous reach of thePBHA, which involves 70 programs and more than10,000 people.

"We need to continue to address community needsas best we can," he said.

Garland also discussed his plans to make thePBHA more efficient, such as evaluating programsto find out where help is most needed, and to makevolunteers feel more welcome.

"Remember that we are more than just the peoplein this room. If we remember this, then I knowthat we will make the best decisions for the PBHAand the community," he said.

Koo echoed these statements in her speech.

"We need to make volunteers feel like they havea stake in this organization," she said.

In response to a question expressing concernabout the size of PBHA and the fact that manycabinet members do not know each other, Koo calledfor more discussion among groups and a feeling of"interconnectedness."

At the beginning of the meeting, outgoingPresident Lisa A. Tomlinson '99 discussedimprovements made last year, such as volunteernewsletters and new accounting software to helpprogram directors keep track of their finances.

PBHA also elected a new secretary, fundraiser,programming chair and events coordinator lastnight. Results of those elections were unavailableat press time