Council Ends Semester With Awards, Goofs

The Undergraduate Council closed the book on its 18th year last night by doing a little bit of everything--doling out money and awards, amending its constitution and debating small points of contention for long periods of time.

Dressed up in varying degrees of formal and semi-formal attire, council members snacked on chips and sparkling apple cider and celebrated the end of a semester.

Over the food and drink that Undergraduate Council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 pushed into the Sever 113 in a shopping cart, the council forgot its feuding for at least a few notable moments.

Council Treasurer Sterling P. A. Darling '01 was even able to find some humor in the rocky start to the semester caused by the impeachment of Council Vice President John A. Burton '01. When a council member wondered about the origins of the Star Market shopping cart, Darling--who sponsored the petition to impeach Burton for improperly using a student group's buttons in his campaign--had a quick answer.

"I'm sure it was a freely available resource," he joked, referring to a term which came to define the impeachment debate.

There was no bad blood evident at the meeting.

"You all have worked so hard this semester and made me so proud," Driskell told the council during her weekly presidential remarks.

"I promise you that next semester is going to be even better," she added.

These comments followed Driskell's induction of Campus Life Committee Co-Chair Stephen N. Smith '02 and former Council Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00 into the Council's Hall of Fame.

The council also recognized Cohen and four other seniors--former Presidents Noah Z. Seton and Beth A. Stewart, former and current Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Chairs John Paul Rollert and Michael D. Shumsky.

Driskell also presented Shumsky with an award given annually to a senior council member never elected to council-wide office.

Shumsky--who has frequently aroused Driskell's ire this semester, most notably when he bashed the council's proposed Spirit Week--strolled down the aisle to receive his award and wrapped Driskell in a bear-hug.

Between awards, the council managed to allocate money to buy folding tables, equipment for the council's sound system and extra Springfest T-shirts.

And it debated a constitutional amendment dealing with the sticky problem of how to assign members to each of the council's three standing committees.

Given that next year's smaller council will only have three members per House and that the council's constitution requires a member from each House to be on each committee, members might not be able to serve on their first-choice committees.

The council previously rejected an amendment that would allow certain members to serve on more than one committee.

Last night it considered an amendment, proposed by Cohen, that would eliminate the requirement that every House be represented on each committee.

Cohen argued that randomization and the loss of Houses' individual characters made the requirement unnecessary.

A roll call vote revealed strong support for Cohen's amendment, though members will have a week to vote via e-mail. Three-fourths of the entire council will have to vote for the amendment for it to pass.

The council also passed a number of bylaw amendments, though members failed to come to consensus on the line of succession should both the council president and vice president be unable to fulfill their duties.

However, it was tough for members to take one another too seriously in their disagreements, given many members' goofy interpretations of Driskell's request to wear "formal/semi-formal attire."

Three Finance Committee members wore tuxedos--one of them with a sweatband and tennis shoes.

Michael A. Hill '01 wore a leopard-print shirt and hemp dog collar.

Brian J. Hayes '03 sported a red T-shirt, yellow vest, green tie, blue blazer, neon green pants and flip-flops.

John I. Nevin '01 wore a toga.

Erik A. Beach '02 cut off his extremely long hair for the occasion.

Even Darling, usually conservative in politics and dress, wore a flashy plaid vest that drew raves from the crowd.

"Where did you get that vest?" Hill blurted out as Darling got up to make his final financial report.

Darling's answer: a Scottish importer.