Election Profile: Justin A. Barkley & Adam M. Johnson

Justin A. Barkley '02 wants the Undergraduate Council to return to its Seton roots.

He says the council actually accomplished things when, under former council President Noah Z. Seton '00, it focused strictly on student services rather than politics.

But under the leadership of council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01, he says the council has tried to balance political activism with student services -and made little headway in either direction.

And in a crowded race for control of the council, Barkely and running mate Adam M. Johnson '02 are hoping that sticking to student services and fiscal responsibility will help carry them to the top of a talented pool of candidates.

Barkley advocates improving campus social life by decentralizing the Council's role. He wants to give more support to House Committees and create a similar body for first-years--all in the belief that the most effective planning occurs on the small group level.

He contrasts the failure of last year's council-organized St. Patrick's Day Dance and DJ Spinoff with the success of independent House events like the Adams Masquerade and Leverett '80s Dance.

He also targets the Council's execution of annual events like Springfest--questioning the practice of spending $20,000 of a $30,000 Springfest budget on attracting a big-name band.

"If we had student bands, people would have just as good a time, and we could do it twice a year," said Barkley.

He proposes spending $10,000 on a "Fallfest" to take place in the Quad, $10,000 on Springfest and redistributing the remaining $10,000 to House Committees for their own use.

According to Barkley's campaign manager, Quincy House council representative Jeffrey A. Letalien '01, student groups have suffered as the council has completed several projects over budget.

"People always ask me why so much more money is spent on Springfest and why we can't do better things to improve campus life." Letalien says.

Barkley's aversion to any political agendas for the Council places him among the camp often dubbed conservatives. But Barkley says such a tag is misleading, since "the conservative label in real life means something most people [at Harvard] don't like, but in U.C. it's something most people do like."

Letalien says the label goes against everything Barkley stands for.

"It's inappropriate to label him ["conservative"] because the U.C. should not be about politics," Letalien says. "When the focus was on political movements, students services fell apart."

Todd E. Plants '01, an Eliot House council representative who ran for president in last year's election, says Barkley has proven himself to be a competent treasurer. But Plants says he wonders whether Barkley has "pigeon-holed himself too successfully" as a conservative to have a broad appeal.

According to Plants, the appeal of successful conservative candidates is concrete proposals on student services. But that voting bloc is likely to be split this year, since Barkley is opposed by Paul A. Gusmorino III '02, the chair of the Student Activities Committee and driving force behind successful council projects such as UC Books.

Plants says he also wonders if Barkley's student services versus activism pitch is too dated.

"The political battle has been fought and won, and we've struck a good balance [between activism and student services]," Plants says.

Rather than trying to garner the endorsements of specific student groups, Barkley says he hopes to appeal to the student body as a whole.

"We want groups to support us, but not because our agenda is 'pro-debate club' or Republican Club specific," he said.

Nonetheless, Barkley enjoys strong support from conservative students--a group that has been influential in past elections through its manpower.

Robert R. Porter '00-'02, who led Harvard Students for Bush and is a member of the Harvard Republican Club, says that Barkley's "pragmatic, common-sense approach resonates with people" to give him a wider appeal than candidates tied to specific causes or clubs.

The Republican Club, whose dues-paying membership has swelled from 30 to 200 this year, may play a crucial role in the fractious presidential contest, according to Porter.

Barkley brings significant experience to the race. He has represented Weld Hall and Adams House on the council since 1998 and is finishing a term as treasurer.

Johnson, who was in Barkley's proctor group as a first-year, is now a Kirkland House council representative and the publicity director for the Kirkland House Committee.

"[Johnson] has his finger on the pulse of the average, apathetic Harvard student," Barkley says. "He speaks to issues in the way students understand them. It'll be fun running with him because we know each other well."