Council Approves Most Amendments

The Undergraduate Council overwhelmingly approved most of the constitutional amendments dealing with grammar and clarity which it had deliberated on over the past week, council Vice President John A. Burton '01 announced at last night's council meeting.

In contrast to the reform effort of 1997, in which only two of a dozen proposed changes were adopted by the council, this past week members voted to approve 20 of 22 amendments by the required three-quarters majority.

But after allocating funds for next weekend's Springfest and passing three other bills, the constitutional momentum was slowed and the meeting was halted when former council President Noah Z. Seton '00 asked for a quorum call as the council prepared to debate 14 bylaw amendments proposed by the Constitutional Committee.

After doing a count and finding that fewer than half of the council was present--and consequently that no binding votes could be taken from that point on--council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 wrapped up the meeting.

According to Driskell, debate over the bylaw amendments will most likely be postponed until the council's May 7 meeting.

While the council passed 20 constitutional amendments last night, they voted to reject two amendments, dealing with the scope of the council's authority and committee assignments.

Some members argued that the proposed change in definition of the council's power would unnecessarily restrict the council' s actions. It proposed removing language authorizing the council to act on any matter "that can be decided or considered by an officer, office, or official body within the University."

The bill drew a two-thirds majority, but not the necessary three-fourths.

Former council Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00 made a last-minute plea for the council to reject the bill over the council's open e-mail list.

"It is imperative, in my mind, that the council retain its authority to question the actions of any organ of the University," Cohen wrote three hours before the meeting and voting deadline. "This bill would severely diminish our ability to do so."

Apparently, enough council members agreed and voted to reject the amendment.

Also defeated was a contentious amendment proposed by David B. Orr '01 and Jeffrey A. Letalien '01 which would allow certain council members to serve as voting members on more than one of the council's three standing committees.

Cohen and Seton vehemently denounced the bill as undemocratic at last week's meeting.

Still, Letalien and Orr's proposal did draw a two-thirds majority. But as Letalien had predicted, three-fourths proved to be too much.

Letalien said he felt some senior council members "who don't have to live with the consequences" of the downsized council irresponsibly voted against the bill.

"I don't want to hear people come whining to me next year if half the people on [Finance Committee] have never seen a budget statement before," he said.

Driskell, who voted against the bill, said she hopes someone else can come up with a better solution--though she praised Letalien and Orr for taking their best shot.

"They were definitely headed in the right direction," Driskell said. "We clearly have a problem."

Driskell said she was happy that virtually all the other amendments passed, an outcome that she and others predicted last week.

In other business last night, the council passed bills urging the administration to take action on sexual violence and environmental preservation.

Orr sponsored a bill calling on the administration to increase the possible penalties for sexual assaults other than rape and attempted rape.

But the council voted to amend the bill to remove calls for lawyers to be allowed in Administrative Board hearings and to end Ad Board gag orders. Feeling the bill had lost much of its meaning, Orr withdrew his sponsorship.

The amended bill passed easily.

So did a bill brought by Gabrielle B. Dreyfus '01, which called for the University to monitor and reduce its emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.

"We're thrilled that the [council] supports making Harvard more environmentally responsible," Dreyfus said.

And somewhere in the middle of debates on sexual violence, Ad Board procedures and global warming, the council found the time to allocate over $40,000 of student money.

Over $12,000 will go to next weekend's Springfest.

And over $28,000 was given to student groups in the council's spring grants package, presented by Finance Committee Chair John P. Marshall '01.

All council members present voted to approve the grants, except for Orr, who abstained.

Orr--who did not have a very successful council meeting--failed to convince the council that the $791 year-long grant to the Harvard Shooting Club was excessive. Orr had suggested cutting the grant to $400.