After Months of Debate, Council Asks for Ivy Council Reforms

Speaking with rare unity, the Undergraduate Council laid down a list of grievances with the troubled Ivy Council and bade farewell to three outgoing council members in its final meeting of the semester last night.

After months of debate among council members, the council finally agreed last night to ask the Ivy Council, a group which brings together student governments from the Ivy League schools, for ten major reforms in the way it conducts business--spanning the council's finances, its planning, goals and initiatives.

"Every year we try to reform this council; every year we're stymied," said council member David B. Orr '01.

If the Ivy Council fails to make substantial progress by the end of the spring semester the Undergraduate Council will end its permanent affiliation with the body.

"We want them to show that they're actively working with us," council member Trisha S. Dasgupta '03 said.

The council asked the Ivy Council to prepare budgets and schedules for its semi-annual conferences a month in advance, to reform its conferences and to allow non-Ivy delegates to attend conferences, among other requests.

"They are very eager to work with us," Dasgupta reported. "These are not difficult requests. They're things the Ivy Council should be doing anyways."

The council passed the resolution on a vote of 33-3, with one absentation.

Then, in its final act of business this semester, the council amended the name of the Rudd Coffey Award, annually given to an outstanding senior council member who has not held council office, to the Coffey-Rollert Award--in honor of long-time member John Paul Rollert '00-'01.

Rollert headed the council's Student Affairs Committee when it instituted Fly-by, student-faculty dining and the Brain Break.

"To not have John Paul's name on this award is a travesty," member Todd E. Plants '01 said. "He's given more to the council than all the rest of us combined."

Finally, the council bade farewell to outgoing council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 and Vice President John A. Burton '01.

Reflecting on his controversial tenure, which began a year ago with his impeachment, Burton thanked his friends and supporters for their help over the course of the year.

"It's time for me to go," Burton concluded. "Play nice, all of you."

Speaking to an unusually quiet council, Driskell then thanked the council for its hard work over the course of the year, offering advice to members to "be humble,...remember to treat everyone with kindness...and never let anyone tell you what you cannot do."

"I have been proud to serve this council and this campus for the last year," she said, her voice breaking.

She cited her proudest accomplishments this year as UC Books and the council's Days of Dialogue this fall.

Lacking a gavel to pass, Driskell handed her favorite pen to incoming council President Gusmorino.

To a wave of applause, Gusmorino took the podium and declared, "I hereby close the fall session of the 17th session of the Harvard Undergraduate Council."

--Staff writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.