Ivy Council Questioned

Paul A. Gusmorino '02 and Sujean S. Lee '03 swept the election for president and vice president in last week's Undergraduate Council voting. Running on the slogan "We've done it before. We'll do it again," the pair promise increased student services, building on the progress they have made on the council in the last several terms. From optimizing the shuttle schedule to saving students money on move-out boxes, Gusmorino and Lee have several worthy ideas to improve student life at Harvard.

Yet the council faces a funding crisis. This year the council has been forced to drastically cut back on grants to student organizations. Unless a termbill hike is approved expeditiously by the administration, Gusmorino and Lee likely will find themselves hamstrung by lack of money. It would be a shame if they were unable to accomplish their goals due to the unavailability of funds. With this concern in mind, the council considered a bill on Sunday to withdraw from the Ivy Council.

The Ivy Council is a group intended to foster interaction between student government between Ivy League schools. Unfortunately, its annual conference amounts to little more than an expensive junket for representatives. The conference has resulted in few tangible benefits. The most recent idea attributed to the Ivy Council, the "Census 2000" initiative of Fentrice D. Driskell '01, flopped after lackluster student participation.

Reflecting these concerns, the council on Sunday drew up a list of grievances against the Ivy Council. Accusing the Ivy Council of wasting time at its conferences and complaining that it should provide funding for delegates' travel expenses, students voted to leave the group at the end of the year if these issues are not addressed. This prudent move should give the Ivy Council ample opportunity to reform. If it cannot, then the council's money would be better spent elsewhere.

The idea of discussing innovative ideas with members of other student government organizations is a good one, but surely it could be done in a cheaper way--over e-mail or conference call, for example. In several past conferences, it has taken almost as much time for the students to drive to the event as they have actually spent discussing issues. The $1,000 that is spent on this conference would be better spent in almost any other area.

If the Ivy Council cannot transform itself into an effective and productive organization, Gusmorino and Lee should urge the council to leave the group. The money saved would give them the opportunity to cut back on council waste and provide more money for students and council initiatives at the same time. Student groups need an increased termbill, but in its absence, the council's money must not be wasted. It should be spent in a way that benefits the entire student body, not only the ones who are privileged to attend an unproductive conference on the council's tab.