Council Dance Draws 150 Students, Mixed Verdict

In a meeting last night during which the Undergraduate Council passed five bills with little dissent, the only real debate was over the success or failure of the council's Saturday night dance in honor of St. Patrick's Day and Spirit Week.

According to Vladimir A. Kleyman '02, who organized last week's council effort to generate spirit on campus through themed dress-up days, the dance was a definite, if not overwhelming, success.

Kleyman reported to the council that about 150 students attended the dance. Since most attendees got in at the discounted $3 price by wearing green, the council lost $160 of the $650 it spent on the dance.

But this loss, according to Kleyman, was "not necessarily a bad thing."

"Judging from the number of random hook-ups at the end people had a lot of fun," said Kleyman.

Some council members, however, were not so sure that the dance could be called a success.

Kyle D. Hawkins '02, who did not attend the dance, said the attendance figure of 150 was not too impressive.

"That's two-thirds of the council and a date," Hawkins said.

But Kleyman said this was not an entirely accurate portrayal of the dance's attendance. He guessed there were only 15 or 20 council members at the dance.

But despite the council's low turnout at its own dance, council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 pointed out that many council members helped out with the dance. All Executive Board members except one came to Pforzheimer House to help set up. And many stuck around once the festivities started.

"Even [council Treasurer] Sterling [P.A. Darling '01] danced a little bit," Driskell joked in her opening remarks to the council.

Driskell and Kleyman conceded that there were things the council could have done better, particularly in terms of publicizing the dance.

But council members who attended the dance tried to put a positive spin on the relatively low attendance.

"The people were there enjoyed it, and they weren't at the Grille," James C. Coleman '03 said.

"I liked the way it was because I had room to dance," Jared S. Morgenstern '03 said.

And 150 students are 150 more than were expected by Student Affairs Committee chair Michael D. Shumsky '00, who predicted last week that no one would show up to a dry council-sponsored St. Patrick's Day dance in the Quad.

Shumsky, who was the only Executive Board member not to help set up, said he had only good things to say about the dance.

"Congratulations to Vlad and the council," said Shumsky, who said he was criticized for attacking the event last week. "It was wonderful to see them pull off this dance against all odds."

In other business, the council formed a task force to investigate the possibility of letting student groups use council office space, allocated money for Springfest amusements and council feedback cards and agreed to sponsor an Ivy Council-led community service day and a first-year faculty dinner.

None of the bills encountered any serious opposition.

Council Vice President John A. Burton '01 sponsored the feedback card bill--his first of the semester--which allocates $55 towards facilitating student input on the council and passed easily.