Har'd CORPS Plans Service Events

The first tangible result of the hotly debated Ivy Council will materialize next Saturday, Campus Life Committee Chair Stephen N. Smith '02 announced to the Undergraduate Council at its Monday night meeting.

Smith's promotional announcement for Har'd CORPS--a day of community service coordinated with similar events at the seven other Ivy League schools--was the highlight of a council meeting that literally had nothing on the docket.

Har'd CORPS (which stands for Harvard Community Outreach and Public Service), a registered student group led by Smith, will draw at least 500 students to locations all over Boston for various kinds of community service, Smith estimates.

The project has drawn wide acclaim from council members, despite its origins in the Ivy Council--a body with representatives from each Ivy League school that has come under fire from some council members for wasting council funds and accomplishing little.

"It looks like it will be a great success," said former council President Noah Z. Seton '00, who has had few good things to say about recent council initiatives.

President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 was even more enthusiastic, pointing out three reasons that "Har'd CORPS is so cool."

"One, it promotes unity through a campus-wide event," Driskell said.

According to Smith, while students will split up into groups of between five and 25 to do their projects, all will have the chance to come together at the end of the day to hear speeches and then attend a dance in Loker Commons. Admission will be $3 for Har'd CORPS participants and $5 for others.

Smith said that he has not yet finalized arrangements with a keynote speaker, though Har'd CORPS is hoping to arrange for Rep. Michael A. Capuano (D-Mass.) to come.

"Two, it promotes unity through an Ivy-wide event," Driskell continued.

Smith said he had planned to have the keynote speech simultaneously broadcast to groups of Ivy Corps volunteers at all Ivy League colleges, but the plan fell through. He said he hopes to do a telecast next year.

But volunteers at all schools will get Ivy Corps T-shirts.

"And three, it's going to do amazing things for the community," Driskell added.

Council member M. Kate Richey '03 said activities will range from "working with children to volunteering in nursing homes to painting houses."

Smith said that some students have designed their own projects. For instance, former council Secretary James R. Griffin '02 will be making quilts for AIDS patients.

However, Har'd CORPS has set up many of the projects itself.

Smith said that although only 200 students were signed up as of Monday's meeting, he was certain that at least 500 will participate, in part due to the pledges of 15 to 20 student groups to provide volunteers.

Council members will continue to publicize the event, said council Secretary Jean E. Huang '03.

Students can also register at the event by showing up in front of the Science Center between 8 and 9 a.m. on Saturday.

While most council members wholeheartedly endorse the event, some have complained that Smith organized the event through the Ivy Council, bypassing the Undergraduate Council's formal procedure for sponsoring an event yet drawing from its resources.

"I think it definitely should have been proposed as a council project," said council Treasurer Sterling P. A. Darling '01. "I'm concerned when the council doesn't have the opportunity to adopt Ivy Council ideas and projects."

"Obviously, it's important that the delegates [to the Ivy Council] have a responsibility to the [Undergraduate] Council first and foremost," he added.

Smith acknowledged that the criticism was "fair," but said that he was pleased with the way everything worked out.