Council Likely to Reject Proposal to Cut `Dead Weight'

The more things change on the Undergraduate Council, the more they stay the same.

As the council's leadership changed hands last night, the organization seemed poised to reject its third constitutional amendment in two years that would bring structural reform. The council also heard proposals for spending the $40,000 it recently found in a bank account, the balance of which only College officials were monitoring.

The constitutional amendment--which would "cut dead weight" on the council by reducing its size by around 20 members--had the support of 22 members at last night's meeting, with 18 members voting against it. Members have a week to vote on the amendment, which requires a three-quarters majority to pass.

Supporters of the bill said that there is not enough student interest to sustain the council's current size.

"The community has spoken when not enough people vote or run to fill all the seats", said Michael O'Mary '99, who won his Quincy House seat after elections were over by voting for himself by e-mail.

"I elected myself", O'Mary said. "That's just wrong."

"You should need to run for your seats, and you really don't now," added Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00, who sponsored the bill.

But opponents the amendment said that cutting down the council would make it less representative.

"The real problem is we are not considered representative or responsive to students right now", said Nicholas J. Stone. '00. "We lack credibility, and the way we solve that is not to make us appear less representative".

While opponents of the bill acknowledged that many council members don't contribute much, they said this problem could be remedied without cutting seats.

"If you see someone who could provide a better voice for this council, bring them aboard", said Todd E. Plants '01. "The answer is not to cut the dead-weight, it's to make the dead weight alive."

But at last night's meeting, which was attended by fewer than 50 council members, the dead weight seemed, well, dead. Many members were absent, and many who were present did not speak.

At virtually every meeting this term, the council has expelled several members for exceeding their quota of five absences per semester.

Still, despite the support of councilheavyweights, including the outgoing and incomingvice presidents, and incoming president Noah Z.Seton '00, support for the bill seemedinsufficient.

Other structural reform efforts in the past twoyears have failed as well.

Last year, the council rejected a similarmeasure to cut its size, and this year, itrejected a bill to reschedule the presidentialelection from its current winter date to thespring.

At last night's meeting, the council alsorejected a more minor reform proposal that wouldhave created permanent Student Affairs Committeetask forces to address key campus issues.

The bill's opponents said the subcommitteesshould be created and dismantled on a case-by-casebasis instead.

Spending Our Money

The council also heard a report from the ad-hoccommittee that was established to decide what todo with the $40,000 of recently discovered councilfunds.

While the council will not actually vote on howto use the money until next semester, the ad hoccommittee offered six separate proposals, which itranked in order of preference.

The proposal that was most highly recommendedby the committee would create a $25,000 fund forlarge, expensive campus-wide events, which wouldgive $1,000-$2,000 to as many as four events ayear.

Other highly recommended suggestions includedspending $5,000 to replace the council's soundsystem and pledging $30,000 to the University as adown payment on a student center.

Advocates of the student center proposal saidthe grant may be the only way to draw theUniversity's attention to students' wishes.

"By their own wits, it will never occur to themto create a student center," said outgoing CouncilPresident Beth A. Stewart '00.

Members of the ad hoc committee said theyintended to host a forum for students to expresstheir views on the $40,000 question before thecouncil makes its decision.

The End of an Era

At the close of last night's meeting, Stewartoffered her final words of wisdom to the council.

She said she was proud of her tenure aspresident, which took steps toward universalkeycard access and cable television in the Houses,and brought about improvements such as fly-bylunches, frozen yogurt in Annenberg and thecreation of a new $25,000 student activities fundby the College.

In the future, she said, council members shouldnot criticize the council or each other in publicsettings, because doing so diminishes respect forthe council.

And she said council members should have funand become friends.

"Hang out in the UC office, go out toPinnochio's after meetings...play truth or dare,maybe get naked," she said.

Cohen's advice was less suggestive: "Foremostin my mind, I'd like to see this council make aconcerted effort for the creation of a studentcenter," he said

Still, despite the support of councilheavyweights, including the outgoing and incomingvice presidents, and incoming president Noah Z.Seton '00, support for the bill seemedinsufficient.

Other structural reform efforts in the past twoyears have failed as well.

Last year, the council rejected a similarmeasure to cut its size, and this year, itrejected a bill to reschedule the presidentialelection from its current winter date to thespring.

At last night's meeting, the council alsorejected a more minor reform proposal that wouldhave created permanent Student Affairs Committeetask forces to address key campus issues.

The bill's opponents said the subcommitteesshould be created and dismantled on a case-by-casebasis instead.

Spending Our Money

The council also heard a report from the ad-hoccommittee that was established to decide what todo with the $40,000 of recently discovered councilfunds.

While the council will not actually vote on howto use the money until next semester, the ad hoccommittee offered six separate proposals, which itranked in order of preference.

The proposal that was most highly recommendedby the committee would create a $25,000 fund forlarge, expensive campus-wide events, which wouldgive $1,000-$2,000 to as many as four events ayear.

Other highly recommended suggestions includedspending $5,000 to replace the council's soundsystem and pledging $30,000 to the University as adown payment on a student center.

Advocates of the student center proposal saidthe grant may be the only way to draw theUniversity's attention to students' wishes.

"By their own wits, it will never occur to themto create a student center," said outgoing CouncilPresident Beth A. Stewart '00.

Members of the ad hoc committee said theyintended to host a forum for students to expresstheir views on the $40,000 question before thecouncil makes its decision.

The End of an Era

At the close of last night's meeting, Stewartoffered her final words of wisdom to the council.

She said she was proud of her tenure aspresident, which took steps toward universalkeycard access and cable television in the Houses,and brought about improvements such as fly-bylunches, frozen yogurt in Annenberg and thecreation of a new $25,000 student activities fundby the College.

In the future, she said, council members shouldnot criticize the council or each other in publicsettings, because doing so diminishes respect forthe council.

And she said council members should have funand become friends.

"Hang out in the UC office, go out toPinnochio's after meetings...play truth or dare,maybe get naked," she said.

Cohen's advice was less suggestive: "Foremostin my mind, I'd like to see this council make aconcerted effort for the creation of a studentcenter," he said

Spending Our Money

The council also heard a report from the ad-hoccommittee that was established to decide what todo with the $40,000 of recently discovered councilfunds.

While the council will not actually vote on howto use the money until next semester, the ad hoccommittee offered six separate proposals, which itranked in order of preference.

The proposal that was most highly recommendedby the committee would create a $25,000 fund forlarge, expensive campus-wide events, which wouldgive $1,000-$2,000 to as many as four events ayear.

Other highly recommended suggestions includedspending $5,000 to replace the council's soundsystem and pledging $30,000 to the University as adown payment on a student center.

Advocates of the student center proposal saidthe grant may be the only way to draw theUniversity's attention to students' wishes.

"By their own wits, it will never occur to themto create a student center," said outgoing CouncilPresident Beth A. Stewart '00.

Members of the ad hoc committee said theyintended to host a forum for students to expresstheir views on the $40,000 question before thecouncil makes its decision.

The End of an Era

At the close of last night's meeting, Stewartoffered her final words of wisdom to the council.

She said she was proud of her tenure aspresident, which took steps toward universalkeycard access and cable television in the Houses,and brought about improvements such as fly-bylunches, frozen yogurt in Annenberg and thecreation of a new $25,000 student activities fundby the College.

In the future, she said, council members shouldnot criticize the council or each other in publicsettings, because doing so diminishes respect forthe council.

And she said council members should have funand become friends.

"Hang out in the UC office, go out toPinnochio's after meetings...play truth or dare,maybe get naked," she said.

Cohen's advice was less suggestive: "Foremostin my mind, I'd like to see this council make aconcerted effort for the creation of a studentcenter," he said