Out of the Slump

Almost every day a plan or project finds a place on the agenda of the Student Council, but only occasionally does the plan or project ever leave the agenda of the Student Council. Today the Council finishes one term and one week of its two-term session, and its batting average has not been high. There have been many at bats, but often, as in the case of the proposed Food Poll, the Council has popped to the pitcher, and often, as in the case of the Red Book investigation, the Council has only watched the strikes go by.

This does not mean that the present Council or any other Council generation is totally guilty of its own sins of omission. A major cause of chronic inaction is the very nature of Council elections. For although the '48-'49 Council has worked hard and long, its life span is only one year: it has had to learn its job from scratch, and the '49-'50 Council will also have to begin at the beginning. In addition, the hijinks often necessary to win elections sometimes mean that the best men do not get the Council seats. These troubles exist wherever there are representative elections. Before long somebody must figure out a way to get both continuity and the most qualified men into the Council--and still keep democratic elections.

In the meantime, however, the Council can do certain things to lubricate the legislative works. First, the Council needs a bigger chamber to seat all 20-odd official and ex-office members, and it needs more office assistance. However, these items may require funds which the Council does not have.

Second, the Council might well set up a Steering Committee to trim and space out some of the less important schemes which bog down Council agenda. The surgery performed by such a committee could be subject to Council review.

Third, all Council members should be well briefed on committee proposals before the Monday night meetings begin. Distributing plans and reports in advance would cut down on time the Council wastes mulling over small details; and would let the members form opinions in advance of the Council sessions.

Fourth, the long and often windy progress reports delivered at the start of the meetings might be shortened.

Fifth, the Council could save endless parliamentary peregrinations if it tightened up and clarified its procedure rules. The president recommended this move last Spring.

Council efficiency came one step closer last Fall, when the group streamlined what was once an amazingly tangled network of committees, sub-committees, etc. Now the Council must eliminate more of the kinks, and see if it can't boost its batting average.