Re-elect Gusmorino

Every year, the weeks before winter break bring final papers, dirty snow and the Undergraduate Council elections. This year, however, the election is rather less exciting than either the recent weather patterns or impending due dates. The two candidates who actually wish to be president—Lauren E. Bonner ’04 and council vice-president Sujean S. Lee ’03—come from different backgrounds on the council but are running on almost identical student-services platforms. The similarity of their platforms makes it difficult to distinguish between the candidates ideologically, but it is also a welcome sign that the bad old days of a highly politicized council may be drawing to a close. Over the past year, the council has sought to shed its image as an incubator for hot air and to become an organization that students take seriously and that seriously addresses students’ needs. We believe that Lee and her running mate, Anne M. Fernandez ’03, are the ticket best suited to continuing the council’s progress and serving students well.

No one has furthered the new and improved vision of the council more than its current president, Paul A. Gusmorino III ’02. Gusmorino, through his dedication and hard work, has managed to keep the council on track in serving students’ needs. Gusmorino’s administration has been marked by a series of small (and sometimes not-so-small) successes—subsidized concerts featuring name-brand bands, boxes to help with move-out, later hours for some Harvard parties. Even the disappointments of his administration, most notably its failure to persuade the House Masters to support 24-hour universal keycard access, have set the stage for real progress on issues that in the past have served as little more than election-season slogans.

Most importantly, Gusmorino’s term has seen a significant shift in the way the council is treated by the administration, the council’s most important audience. Though its credibility had often been compromised in previous administrations, in this past year the council made significant strides towards becoming an effective student voice in shaping University decisions. The decision to rely on the council in selecting student representatives to the Harvard Committee on Employment and Contracting Policies was heartening. So were the unusually frequent visits to council meetings by many administrators, including President Lawrence H. Summers, which demonstrated that the administration is starting to take the council more seriously. Neither candidate promises to be another Gusmorino, but only one of the tickets has the experience and skills necessary to solidify and build upon his accomplishments.

It is for this reason that we endorse Lee for president and Fernandez for vice president of the council. They have the combined experience to make sure the council retains its role as an organization that helps students. They have worked well together on the council in the past and have said that they build off one another in their enthusiasm. And Lee and Fernandez have a clear set of principles backed up by specific proposals.

Lee and Fernandez have proposed, among other ideas, to make the College “smarter” by requiring better training for teaching fellows and pushing for an “ethnic studies” certificate. They have also said the council should not be a partisan organization, signaling that the times when the council would take stands on national and international issues that have little bearing on student life are over. They have refreshingly called for the council to become more “representative,” a comment most likely prompted by the highly professional, yet distressingly small, group of students who have run the council this year.

Both Lee and Fernandez have long histories of engagement with the council. Lee, especially, has the requisite experience to be an effective council leader; she has served since she was a first-year and was the driving force behind FallFest and the concert commission. In comparison, Bonner has only served for one term on the council and is not presently a council member. Bonner’s running mate Luke R. Long ’03 has slightly more experience, but when matched with the dedication and commitment shown by Lee and Fernandez, the Bonner-Long ticket provides no competition.

While we commend Lee and Fernandez for the depth and specificity of their proposals and the quality of their contributions to the council, we hope they also realize the challenges they will face in making their vision a reality. Their most important responsibility will be preserving the gains made during Gusmorino’s tenure. There can be no doubt that the lion’s share of the credit for this past year’s successes goes to the indefatigable Gusmorino, the council president whose jolly demeanor and exceptional work ethic have made the council a real force in student life.

Last year, we endorsed Gusmorino wholeheartedly for the presidency. This year, we endorse the candidates with several reservations. Neither Lee nor Fernandez have demonstrated the drive or charisma that has characterized the council’s current leadership. The council has little power of its own, and many of its accomplishments this year have been achieved through the close relationships that Gusmorino has forged with the administration. Lee has not yet demonstrated Gusmorino’s talent and experience in working with the College. Lee also has more on her plate. She is a prefect, a member of the Seneca and is currently taking six classes. She may have the same enthusiasm as Gusmorino, but we fear that she will not be able to put in the same number of hours for her work on the council. Nevertheless, because of her experience working with Gusmorino and her demonstrated organizational and administrative skills, Lee is the best person to carry on in the spirit of Gusmorino’s reforms.

The presidential race is often a showcase of campus personalities and a time when students pay attention—at least for a short while—to the people who can, and occasionally do, make their lives better. This year there are no exceptional candidates, no one whose enthusiasm is infectious or whose originality is striking. Worse still, there is no option for those who might wish to vote for someone other than the current candidates. Due to a change in election rules, there will be no write-in candidates this year, an unfortunate limitation on students’ ability to express their preferences.

As much as voters may want to vote for Gusmorino again, sadly, they won’t be able to. However, given the current slate of candidates, students should cast their votes for the continuation of his work by the able and experienced candidates for council president and vice president, Sujean Lee and Ann Fernandez.