Council Holds 'Town Meeting'

At a "town meeting" sponsored by the Undergraduate Council last night, about 25 students talked with council representatives about their relations with constituents and the suitability of the future Loker Commons student center.

Council President Joshua D. Liston '95 said at the open meeting, the second of the year, that the council was trying to make itself more directly accountable to students.

"There are structural problems with the U.C. that make it difficult for you to hold your representatives accountable," Liston said. "It's mainly up to the representatives to keep their constituents informed. We're trying to change that."

Students at the hour-long meeting also said they were dissatisfield with plans for the Loker Commons, which will occupy the basement of Memorial Hall. Students said that it did not satisfy the campus's need for a student center.

Campus life committee Co-chair Rudd W. Coffey '97 said the Commons are "one of the things the students are getting screwed on."

Coffey said the Commons, a mixture of two restaurants and a coffee shop open to the public and run for profit, will just be a "larger version of the Greenhouse."

"Dean Epps has been promising that the lack of a social life will be filled by Loker Commons," he said. "The main reason there is no student center is that the house masters want the houses to be the focus of social life."

"The administration is being open, but they're giving us lip service," Coffey said.

At the general meeting following the town meeting, Co-chair of the student affairs committee Elizabeth A. Haynes '98 exhorted other members to check the answering machine in the council office. The machine has run outof memory a few times this past week due to anexcess of messages, many from students requestingcouncil shuttle service to Logan Airport laterthis week.

"If we talk so much about being in touch withour constituents, not checking our machine is themost obvious way to dis them," she said.

In other council business, resolutions tosponsor a "Springfest" in the Malkin AthleticCenter quad and a comedy show featuring Chris Rockpassed unanimously.

But after the meeting, at least one councilmember said he was upset about the date set forthe comedy show, Friday, April 14th. Passover andGood Friday both fall on that date.

"It seems silly to be spending all that moneywhen people would like to see it but will not beable to," said Ethan R. Mollick '97. "I'msurprised that it passed unanimously."

Jonathan P. Feeney '97, who presented the bill,said he realized the show date was a religiousholiday, but that the conflict couldn't be helped.

"We have no choice on the matter. It was theonly date available," Feeney said. "It was one ofthose regrettable things."

The council also voted to hold a studentreferendum in May to decide whether Harvard shouldhave a mascot and if so, what it should be.

Liston reminded the council that the mascotreferendum was the third item in his "Contractwith the College."

If a mascot is chosen, the council agreed toaward a cash prize of $100 to the student whodesigns it

"If we talk so much about being in touch withour constituents, not checking our machine is themost obvious way to dis them," she said.

In other council business, resolutions tosponsor a "Springfest" in the Malkin AthleticCenter quad and a comedy show featuring Chris Rockpassed unanimously.

But after the meeting, at least one councilmember said he was upset about the date set forthe comedy show, Friday, April 14th. Passover andGood Friday both fall on that date.

"It seems silly to be spending all that moneywhen people would like to see it but will not beable to," said Ethan R. Mollick '97. "I'msurprised that it passed unanimously."

Jonathan P. Feeney '97, who presented the bill,said he realized the show date was a religiousholiday, but that the conflict couldn't be helped.

"We have no choice on the matter. It was theonly date available," Feeney said. "It was one ofthose regrettable things."

The council also voted to hold a studentreferendum in May to decide whether Harvard shouldhave a mascot and if so, what it should be.

Liston reminded the council that the mascotreferendum was the third item in his "Contractwith the College."

If a mascot is chosen, the council agreed toaward a cash prize of $100 to the student whodesigns it