News

Harvard Quietly Resolves Anti-Palestinian Discrimination Complaint With Ed. Department

News

Following Dining Hall Crowds, Harvard College Won’t Say Whether It Tracked Wintersession Move-Ins

News

Harvard Outsources Program to Identify Descendants of Those Enslaved by University Affiliates, Lays Off Internal Staff

News

Harvard Medical School Cancels Class Session With Gazan Patients, Calling It One-Sided

News

Garber Privately Tells Faculty That Harvard Must Rethink Messaging After GOP Victory

THE STUDENT COUNCIL SHOULD ACT

NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED

In another column of the CRIMSON will be found a communication from the Chairman of a former Class Day Committee. The letter points out a real evil which arises from the fact that men are elected by their classmates to the Committee not because of any special ability in doing the work required, but because their prominence in athletics or other fields deserves recognition. Obviously there is no reason for placing in the hands of athletes the entire responsibility for the success of Class Day. The work properly belongs to men of recognized business ability, who have the time to spend on it. Where there is work to be done, the present method of honoring prominent men only succeeds in keeping those best suited to get results where they can be of no service; at the same time it gives the Chairman much more than his share of the work.

The author of the communication makes a suggestion that is practical and yet does not remove entirely the glamor of having the "big men" on the Class Day Committee. He would have the marshals and other class officers, with the nominating committee of the Student Council, appoint four men who are capable of relieving the Class Day Chairman of most of the responsibility and hard work. If any objection be raised that, by this system, four deserving men are deprived of the honor of holding office, it would be simple enough to place them on a larger Class Committee.

Making Class Day a success is a business proposition altogether too big for one man; it is far too important an event to trust to men who are engaged in other activities during the spring. Common sense demands that some of the romance be taken from the elections; that at least some men be chosen because they have the time and ability to serve their class actively and well. Coming as it does from a former Chairman, the suggestion should have the serious attention of the Student Council. Whether this plan solves the problem or not, something must be done immediately so that the coming Senior elections will not see a repetition of an evil that has been too long ignored.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags