U.C. Delegates Criticize Ivy Council Conference

Three members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Council met with representatives from the seven other Ivy League student governments at the annual Ivy Council (I.C.) meeting this weekend.

Council members Benjamin W. Hulse '98, Adam S. Vaina '97, and Olivia Verma '00 criticized the three-day conference at the Undergraduate Council meeting last night, calling it unproductive.

"The entire event, in my humble opinion, failed," Verma said.

Harvard's council members who attended the conference, which was held in Cambridge, suggested that Harvard drop its membership to the I.C. in the near future.

"I don't think lending Harvard's name to a council that doesn't even follow it's own constitution is a good idea," Vaina said.

Hulse said the only thing he learned from the I.C. was that Harvard's Undergraduate Council was superior to that of the other schools in the Ivy League.

"Most of [the other councils] seem to just be student extensions of the administrations," Hulse said.

But after the council meeting, Verma said the I.C. was not a complete failure. The Harvard representatives benefitted from interaction with the other students, she said.

For example, some schools' undergraduate councils receive four times the money that Harvard's council does from each student's term bill. This money can be used to attract more well-known bands for events like Harvard's Springfest.

"We got to learn how other schools are structured," Verma said. "Other schools end up with huge [undergraduate council] budgets. And we have a very small budget."

The I.C. discussed the college ratings system in U.S. News and World Report, and passed legislation condemning the magazine's ratings.

The legislation "publicizes the opinion that the Ivy Council does not support ranking schools and that an education cannot be quantified," Verma said.

Harvard was the only delegation to oppose the bill. Brown abstained.

"Some of it had to do with wording," Verma said. "It was very flowery. Many statements were truisms."

In other Undergraduate Council business last night, representatives discussed a proposal to require all student groups to agree to the council's non-discrimination clause before receiving council funding.

Currently, student groups must adhere to the University's non-discrimination clause, which does not include all of the categories covered by the council constitution such as economic disadvantage and gender identity.

But several council members departed early to support an event in Loker Commons, leaving the council without a quorum.

As a result the council could not vote on the bill and was forced to adjourn for the evening

Currently, student groups must adhere to the University's non-discrimination clause, which does not include all of the categories covered by the council constitution such as economic disadvantage and gender identity.

But several council members departed early to support an event in Loker Commons, leaving the council without a quorum.

As a result the council could not vote on the bill and was forced to adjourn for the evening