Swasey, White Aim to Reduce Role of Council

In recent months, the Undergraduate Council has been concerned with establishing itself as the voice of the student body.

But Edward "Ted" A. Swasey '00 and Jared S. White '00, council outsiders running for the student government's highest offices, want to refocus the council, giving it a more limited role while empowering student groups and House committees.

Rather than organizing specific events and making recommendations on policies, Swasey, who is running for president, says the council should play a supporting role on campus.

"The U.C. seems to speak for students when the students could better speak for themselves," Swasey says. "The student groups are the political ones. We'd like to see them empowered so that they can get across their points."

Swasey also questions the council's ability to represent the campus effectively.

"It's tough for U.C. to make a blanket statement, because there are so many different people here," he says.

Swasey and White's vision for the council also calls for decentralization.

"The U.C. should be refocused as a hub of information. Student groups are doing a great job. And they can be a lot more powerful," White says.

The candidates call for taking the council out of the driver's seat in planning campus-wide events.

"We'd like to give grants to student groups and House committees to have events...give grants to organizations to run Spring Fest. This way, the event would be more diverse and more successful," Swasey says.

Recasting the council as a facilitator, Swasey calls for partnerships with other campus groups.

"We'd like to focus on work with student groups and House committees: simplify the way to found a student group, help set up bank accounts for new groups, ease the shift of power from year to year in groups that have had trouble with this in the past and advocate greater office space," he says.

"We look at doing things a little differently."

White says he hopes the council can also increase cooperation between student groups.

"We should be opening dialogues. The U.C. shouldn't be as aloof. We'll be working to make this a better place to go to school," he said.

Swasey says he also aims to organize forums where students could speak to administrators face-to-face about their concerns.

"I've discussed this with Dean [of the College Harry R.] Lewis ['68]," he says. "We want to bring the students into direct contact with the administration."

While Swasey says he believes the administration does not listen to the council, he says larger groups of students could not be ignored.

"If you want to get something done, you have to put it where it hurts for the administration--their reputation," Swasey says. "It's easier to say 'no' to a lone U.C. member than to a whole lot of students when they are put on the spot at a forum like we are advocating."

The candidates, who are roommates affiliated with Kirkland House, say they believe the variety in their experiences would make their leadership good for the council. Swasey, a social studies concentrator, is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Yearbook. White, who concentrates in literature, has been involved in theater groups on campus.

Swasey and White say they hope to make the campus community a more vital and exciting place.

"We have a different perspective on where the U.C. can go," Swasey said. "We have no preconceived notions, and we're enthusiastic about getting things done."