Council Finds Forgotten $40K In Bank Account

Last night the Undergraduate Council began consideration of a constitutional amendment that would move its presidential elections from December to April.

Under the amendment's current form, presidential elections will be held this year in December. Then, after the president had served a term lasting only the spring semester and the summer, presidential elections would be held again in October, at the time as elections for councilrepresentatives.

Presidential elections would be held again inApril of that year, and held in April of everysubsequent year.

At a roll call vote at the end of last night'smeeting, 28 representatives voted for the bill, 15voted against it, 10 abstained and 23 were absent.

Absent or abstaining members will have one weekto vote on the amendment by e-mail.

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirdsmajority to pass. Approximately 65 percent ofthose who voted yes or no at last night's meetingvoted in favor of the resolution.

Supporters of the amendment, which was proposedby Council President Beth A. Stewart '00, said thebill would make the council reader and a betternegotiator with the administration.

Stewart said it was hard for her to assumeleadership of the council at the beginning of herterm last December, since council members wereused to being led by Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, thelast council president, who had a differentagenda.

Rawlins focused on campus activism, WhiteStewart prioritized student services over what shetermed a politicized council.

Stewart also said the University administrationoperates on a schedule based on the school year,and that it undermines the council's negotiatingpower to have a new student leader bring up a newagenda midway through the year.

"The best way to work with Faculty willtranslate into the best way to help students, "shesaid.

Other supporters of the amendment used otherschools' policies as support for their ideas.

"Why would high schools across America do it,Why would other colleges do it doesn't makesense?" said Chad A. Washington '00.

But opponents of the amendment said that sinceelections for the presidency would be held inApril, first-years would spend and entire yearunder the leadership of a president who they hadnot elected.

"We can't put the effectiveness of thepresidency in front of the degree to which thepresidency is representative. That's not goodgovernment," said Shai M. Sachs '01.

Others questioned whether the amendment wasreally the sort of change their constituentswanted.

"Change isn't the same as reform," said John A.Burton '01. "Just because we're changing thingsdoesn't mean we're becoming legitimate."

Burton said that students think the council isillegitimate not because of the timing of itselections, and that administrators will negotiatewith students no matter when the students bring uptheir concerns.

Other council members wondered why the councilwas reforming a process that it had created only afew years ago when it began popular elections ofthe council president.

Eric M. Nelson '99, who helped create thepopular election process, said the decision hadbeen made late at night at the very end of theelection reform process.

At the meeting three years ago, the council hadbeen kicked out of its meeting space and had tocrowd into the Loker coffeehouse, At midnight,with around 20 people present, Nelson said thecouncil mad a "very slipshod decision."

"I think if you polled the entire council thatyear, the majority of the council was in favor ofApril elections," he said.

Nominations Begin

In other election news. Vice President SamuelC. Cohen '00 announced that nomination petitionsfor this year's presidential and vice presidentialelections are now available on the door of thecouncil office in Holworthy basement.

To be included on presidential electionballots, candidates must turn in petitions with atleast 100 student signatures by Nov. 20.

Also at last night's meeting, the councilunanimously voted to allocate $1,800 forThanksgiving shuttle buses to Logan Airport.

The shuttles, which were used by about 250people last year, will depart 4 a.m. to 7 p.m.every hour on Nov. 25 from stops yet to bedetermined.

Bus tickets will be sold to students for $2.Resolution sponsors T. Christopher King '00 andRyan E. Dorris '00 said that a council memberwould ride on each of the buses beginning in themid-morning to collect tickets and insure that theproblems which arose last year do not come upagain.

According to Dorris, last year the buses oftenskipped stops in the Quad and let students ontothe stops in the Quad and let students onto thebus without tickets.

The Council also allocated $515 to fundtransportation of the council's four group made upof representatives of Ivy League studentgovernments.

At the request of University InformationServices (UIS), the council also voted to form ataskforce that will tell Harvard's computerdivision what students need.

The taskforce, whose eight members will bechosen by the council's Student Affairs Committee,will relay student concerns Committee, will relaystudent Affairs Committee, will relay studentconcerns regarding issues like telephone andInternet service and cable television to UIS

Presidential elections would be held again inApril of that year, and held in April of everysubsequent year.

At a roll call vote at the end of last night'smeeting, 28 representatives voted for the bill, 15voted against it, 10 abstained and 23 were absent.

Absent or abstaining members will have one weekto vote on the amendment by e-mail.

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirdsmajority to pass. Approximately 65 percent ofthose who voted yes or no at last night's meetingvoted in favor of the resolution.

Supporters of the amendment, which was proposedby Council President Beth A. Stewart '00, said thebill would make the council reader and a betternegotiator with the administration.

Stewart said it was hard for her to assumeleadership of the council at the beginning of herterm last December, since council members wereused to being led by Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, thelast council president, who had a differentagenda.

Rawlins focused on campus activism, WhiteStewart prioritized student services over what shetermed a politicized council.

Stewart also said the University administrationoperates on a schedule based on the school year,and that it undermines the council's negotiatingpower to have a new student leader bring up a newagenda midway through the year.

"The best way to work with Faculty willtranslate into the best way to help students, "shesaid.

Other supporters of the amendment used otherschools' policies as support for their ideas.

"Why would high schools across America do it,Why would other colleges do it doesn't makesense?" said Chad A. Washington '00.

But opponents of the amendment said that sinceelections for the presidency would be held inApril, first-years would spend and entire yearunder the leadership of a president who they hadnot elected.

"We can't put the effectiveness of thepresidency in front of the degree to which thepresidency is representative. That's not goodgovernment," said Shai M. Sachs '01.

Others questioned whether the amendment wasreally the sort of change their constituentswanted.

"Change isn't the same as reform," said John A.Burton '01. "Just because we're changing thingsdoesn't mean we're becoming legitimate."

Burton said that students think the council isillegitimate not because of the timing of itselections, and that administrators will negotiatewith students no matter when the students bring uptheir concerns.

Other council members wondered why the councilwas reforming a process that it had created only afew years ago when it began popular elections ofthe council president.

Eric M. Nelson '99, who helped create thepopular election process, said the decision hadbeen made late at night at the very end of theelection reform process.

At the meeting three years ago, the council hadbeen kicked out of its meeting space and had tocrowd into the Loker coffeehouse, At midnight,with around 20 people present, Nelson said thecouncil mad a "very slipshod decision."

"I think if you polled the entire council thatyear, the majority of the council was in favor ofApril elections," he said.

Nominations Begin

In other election news. Vice President SamuelC. Cohen '00 announced that nomination petitionsfor this year's presidential and vice presidentialelections are now available on the door of thecouncil office in Holworthy basement.

To be included on presidential electionballots, candidates must turn in petitions with atleast 100 student signatures by Nov. 20.

Also at last night's meeting, the councilunanimously voted to allocate $1,800 forThanksgiving shuttle buses to Logan Airport.

The shuttles, which were used by about 250people last year, will depart 4 a.m. to 7 p.m.every hour on Nov. 25 from stops yet to bedetermined.

Bus tickets will be sold to students for $2.Resolution sponsors T. Christopher King '00 andRyan E. Dorris '00 said that a council memberwould ride on each of the buses beginning in themid-morning to collect tickets and insure that theproblems which arose last year do not come upagain.

According to Dorris, last year the buses oftenskipped stops in the Quad and let students ontothe stops in the Quad and let students onto thebus without tickets.

The Council also allocated $515 to fundtransportation of the council's four group made upof representatives of Ivy League studentgovernments.

At the request of University InformationServices (UIS), the council also voted to form ataskforce that will tell Harvard's computerdivision what students need.

The taskforce, whose eight members will bechosen by the council's Student Affairs Committee,will relay student concerns Committee, will relaystudent Affairs Committee, will relay studentconcerns regarding issues like telephone andInternet service and cable television to UIS