Left Meets Right

They're unlikely couple at best. Noah Z. Seton '00 and Kamil E. Redmond '00 owe their newly inaugurated reign over the Undergraduate Council to the votes of two very separate constituencies: the supporters of Seton's student services approach and those drawn to Redmond's card-carrying liberal credentials.

But from the campaign trail to their first meeting last night, the new council president and vice president have joined forces and are now rallying around student services as the sole foundation of their administration this semester.

As early as last year, a partnership between the politically polar pair would have been out of the question.

A self-described "crazy, loud progressive," Redmond has lobbied for Faculty diversity and the creation of a multicultural student center. She sought the vice presidency in 1997 on a liberal ticket headed by Jobe G. Danganan '99. Then-president Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, once part of the Progressive Undergraduate Council Coalition, endorsed Redmond and Danganan.

Seton worked for their victorious rivals, Beth A. Stewart '00 and Samuel C. Cohen '00, who advocated council depoliticization and focused on quality of life issues like universal keycard access and frozen yogurt in Annenberg Dining Hall.

"Kamil and I were really progressive, and Noah and Beth were both really involved in the Salient and the Republican Club. We were not on good terms," Danganan says.

"When I first heard they were running together I was incredibly surprised," adds Danganan, who endorsed a different ticket in this year's election. "It's strange bedfellows, because when Kamil and I were running, Noah was Beth Stewart's right hand."

Neither Seton nor Redmond has undergone a conversion since that previous race.

"Noah and I have very different ideas about what the Undergraduate Council should do," Redmond says. "I do believe in a more activist council."

But, supporters say, when they teamed up to seek higher office, Seton and Redmond put together a common agenda that will keep them from clashing on council.

"If there are slight differences between which parts of the platform they campaigned upon, they've talked about that," says former vice president Cohen.

Redmond has also shown a recent willingness to compromise. She once argued that the council should not hold a referendum on how to spend the $40,000 in council funds discovered last semester, but reversed her position at last night's council meeting.

Seton and Redmond go out of their way to stress what they have in common.

"We are a team," Seton says. "Politically we might be different, but in our personal leadership styles we're very compatible."

"Noah and I agree on the big stuff," Redmond adds.

The Program

The "big stuff" this semester is mostly student service related.

Atop the list are obtaining more funds for student groups and planning this year's Springfest.

But the two also promise to address thornier College policy issues.

"While we'll still be working o n things like universal keycard access... we're also looking at larger things like advising and UHS [University Health Services] reform," Redmond says.

While the council's efforts to reverse entrenched College policies have fared poorly in the past, Seton's agenda seeks to supplement reforms initiated by the administration.

He is currently designing questions to be included in UHS's periodic survey to students, and he stresses "improving communication" with the institution.

The council's advising reform efforts will build off a recent report written by a committee chaired by Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68.

"We've taken a bunch of ideas from Lewis' report and are helping him to lobby for it," Seton says.

Progressivism's Place

With student services dominating this semester's plans, some students say Redmond has strayed from her progressive roots.

"Noah and Kamil seem to be going in the same direction personally, but it seems that direction is along a less progressive road," says Shai M. Sachs '01, a member of the progressive caucus on the council.

"I don't think their victory is entirely encouraging for progressives," he adds.

But Redmond says she is still personally committed to progressive issues.

"Faculty diversity is not necessarily on our specific agenda," she says. "But...I'm working on those things on my own. They don't necessarily have to be on the Kamil Redmond-Noah Seton agenda for me to work on them."

"I might not be bringing specific legislation to the council as yet, but I'm still working on these issues as Undergraduate Council vice president," she adds.

Despite the initial absence of progressive proposals on the council leadership's agenda, some social activists have high hopes that those topics will emerge there eventually.

"I haven't heard any official statement from Kamil of her progressive platform, but I'm secretly hoping that she'll bring it out once her term officially begins," Danganan says. "I'm really hoping she'll bring back the fervor of social action from Lamelle's days."

Redmond says social activists can bring legislation to the council themselves.

"I as a figure am very welcoming to those issues," she says. In contrast, she says, last year "It appeared that progressive issues were not welcome."

Sachs says the progressive caucus on the council intends to bring more legislation this term, including resolutions supporting affirmative action and gay rights.

Council leadership "seems a bit more tolerant of progressive issues, Kamil in particular," says Sachs, who is also a Crimson editor. But he adds, "I don't think they themselves will be the catalyzing force for change."

Others see the prospects for liberal activism in the council's rank-and-file membership.

"I think there are more active progressives on the council than there were last year," says John A. Burton '01. "I don't know how the council administration under Noah Seton is going to perceive progressivism. I imagine that it will be the same."

Burton ran for council president as a [progressive candidate and placed third.

Campus Superstars?

Some students hope the energetic Redmond will reinvigorate the vice presidency.

"She might be a little more outspoken than I was," says Cohen--once called "the most invisible man on campus" in a Crimson editorial.

"On the council this year, the leadership has almost faded away," Danganan adds. "I think (the vice presidency) will be elevated to a more powerful, outspoken position."

"I'm very vocal," agrees Redmond. "I'm loud, and people know I'm loud."

She says she hopes to forge stronger bonds between student groups and the council.

"One of the things we want to work on is getting student groups involved," Redmond says. "I'm very involved in student group life on campus. The problem now is all we do is hand out checks, and that's ridiculous."

Seton and Redmond are seeking greater involvement in this year's Springfest from extracurricular organizations and House Committees.

And, on council, they hope for greater participation as well.

"It's very easy for a lot of these issues to be handled by me and Kamil...and the average U.C. member doesn't have a stake in it," Seton says. "The people on SAC [the council's Student Affairs Committee] on these advocacy issues need to be more involved."

But these council insiders are used to taking charge.

"We've been around," Seton says. "We've had some obligations before. Now it's just more. Life is pretty much the same as it was before."

But now, their work has a higher profile.

"People know who I am, people start to say `hi,'" Redmond says. "It's a lot of e-mail."

The higher profile has its disadvantages as well.

"People like to complain to us," Seton jokes. "It's remarkable how much more they complain to us now." Kamil E. Redmond '00 History and Literature and Women's Studies Concentrator Pforzheimer House Philadelphia, PA

Activities . Team Group Coordinator for Mission Hill Program . The Harvard Crimson . Lecture Series Chair, Harvard-Radcliffe Black Students Association . Volunteer for Program Umoja . Mentorship Coordinator for Pforzheimer HAND . UNITE!

The Council . Student Affairs Committee . Co-Chair of Faculty Diversity Task Force . Committee on Undergraduate Education Noah Z. Seton '00 Government Concentrator Kirkland House Pound Ridge, NY

Activities . Associate, Institute of Politics . President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Alliance . Co-President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Club . Lamont Reader Services

The Council . Director, Dining Services Task Force . Director, UHS Task Force . Vice Chair, Student Affairs Committee . Committee on College Life . Committee on House Life . Committee on Undergraduate Education

Activities . Team Group Coordinator for Mission Hill Program . The Harvard Crimson . Lecture Series Chair, Harvard-Radcliffe Black Students Association . Volunteer for Program Umoja . Mentorship Coordinator for Pforzheimer HAND . UNITE!

The Council . Student Affairs Committee . Co-Chair of Faculty Diversity Task Force . Committee on Undergraduate Education Noah Z. Seton '00 Government Concentrator Kirkland House Pound Ridge, NY

Activities . Associate, Institute of Politics . President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Alliance . Co-President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Club . Lamont Reader Services

The Council . Director, Dining Services Task Force . Director, UHS Task Force . Vice Chair, Student Affairs Committee . Committee on College Life . Committee on House Life . Committee on Undergraduate Education

The Council . Student Affairs Committee . Co-Chair of Faculty Diversity Task Force . Committee on Undergraduate Education Noah Z. Seton '00 Government Concentrator Kirkland House Pound Ridge, NY

Activities . Associate, Institute of Politics . President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Alliance . Co-President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Club . Lamont Reader Services

The Council . Director, Dining Services Task Force . Director, UHS Task Force . Vice Chair, Student Affairs Committee . Committee on College Life . Committee on House Life . Committee on Undergraduate Education

Activities . Associate, Institute of Politics . President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Alliance . Co-President, Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Club . Lamont Reader Services

The Council . Director, Dining Services Task Force . Director, UHS Task Force . Vice Chair, Student Affairs Committee . Committee on College Life . Committee on House Life . Committee on Undergraduate Education

The Council . Director, Dining Services Task Force . Director, UHS Task Force . Vice Chair, Student Affairs Committee . Committee on College Life . Committee on House Life . Committee on Undergraduate Education