Council Holds Final Session

The current leaders of the Undergraduate Council presided over their final meeting—and passed a position paper supporting Lamont as a 24-hour library—before giving way to tearful, emotional goodbyes last night in Emerson Hall.

The council’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC), which conducted a phone survey of 257 undergraduates, found that 92 percent favored a 24-hour library on campus.

John S. Haddock ’07 and Ryan A. Petersen ’08, the co-sponsors of the position paper, wrote that five of seven other Ivy League schools have a 24-hour study space.

“Mental health is being challenged when students are being forced back into inappropriate study spaces,” said Haddock in an effort to refute claims that 24-hour libraries would create stress by encouraging students to work all night.

Council President Matthew W. Mahan ’05 supported an amendment to the position paper which said that the Council did not expect the libraries, which petitioned for more money at Tuesday’s faculty meeting, to sacrifice adequate funding to make Lamont a 24-hour facility.

“We understand their plight,” Mahan said. The amendment and the position paper both passed unanimously.

Mahan said he will meet with head librarian Nancy M. Cline next week and then later with Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 and Dean of the Faculty William C. Kirby to lobby for the change.

After the Financial Committee (FiCom) passed a grants package, each Committee chair came up to the podium to say their thank yous, and, in some cases, goodbyes.

Christina L. Adams ’06, chair of the campus life committee (CLC), said she was “continually impressed” with the members of the CLC, and presented each member with a small gift.

FiCom took a different approach, with chair Teo P. Nicolais ’06 and vice-chair and vice-president elect Ian W. Nichols ’06 passing out beers to male members and Smirnoff Ice to female members.

“We just barely missed the $120,000 mark on the amount we’ve given out,” said Nicolais of FiCom’s grants to students and student groups.

President-elect Matthew J. Glazer ’06 spoke next as chair of SAC.

“How proud I am of this committee,” said Glazer. “We serve students and there’s an honor to that.”

Glazer and vice-chair Teddy E. Chesnut ’06 were both presented with pairs women’s underwear that had pictures of the two pasted on.

At the end of the meeting, Mahan and outgoing council Vice President Michael R. Blickstead ’05, dressed in tuxedos, came to the podium.

Blickstead spoke of some of the accomplishments of the council, focusing on efforts to bring the council together as a community.

“We believed that friendship among members would create a more united and productive UC,” said Blickstead, who fought back tears when thanking his brother and friends near the close of the speech.

Mahan, after congratulating the council on a year of action, warned members of the danger of not restructuring the council.

Mahan highlighted council progress on communication with the administration, which he said helped bring about blue light phones, universal keycard access and 2 a.m. party hours.

“But with expansion comes pressure, and we are about to burst at the seams,” Mahan said.

He warned that without major structural reform, the council would see “more bounced checks, more out-of-touch social events and more weeks where the council is ready to mutiny.”

Mahan ended his speech with thank yous—and an apology—to friends and Blickstead.

“I hope I can make up to you everything I’ve kind of sacrificed the past three years,” Mahan, shedding tears, said to friends.

Glazer then took the stage, and told the outgoing leaders, “You guys have personally changed all of us.”

He then offered the outgoing leaders a gift from the entire council—books.

—Staff writer Liz C. Goodwin can be reached at goodwin@fas.harvard.edu.