Profile of Driskell-Burton

Fentrice D. Driskell '01 and John A. Burton '01 are both veterans of Undergraduate Council campaigns, having come up short for the presidential and vice presidential spots last year--on different tickets.

Burton finished third in last year's presidential election and Driskell finished second in the vice-presidential race.

This year, Driskell and Burton are back for more, hoping that a "smoother operation," complete with strategy meetings and bolder posters, will lead them to election victory.

Driskell said she and Burton hope that by combining forces they will present a single, clear choice to constituencies they may have divided in last year's race.

"We saw how that [running on separate tickets] split the progressive vote, how that may have split the black vote," she says.

This year, the two have also traded places, with Driskell vying for the presidential spot as Burton seeks the vice presidency.

"People think either of us could be president," says Driskell, who approached several prospective running mates before finding a good fit with Burton.

"I said, 'John, I will not ask you to run to be my vice president. I said, 'I will ask you to be a co-president with me,'" Driskell says. "He did agree to run for vice president since some of the main ideas were my own."

Driskell says she is sticking to the community-building proposals that earned her and her presidential running mate, T. Christopher King '01, second place in last year's elections. The pair has also added a plank of council reform to their platform.

Driskell hopes to continue the Harvard Census 2000 project she started as a council member, which she says will allow the council to "assess where Harvard is now."

The survey will gauge student opinion on the student center proposal, ask students what they like and do not like about Harvard, and ask how they would like to see the College improved. Driskell says Associate Dean David P. Illingworth '71 and University President Neil L. Rudenstine have committed to review the survey's results.

Like last year, Driskell is also hoping to build community by offering grants to student groups that collaborate on projects. The team hopes to offer several grants of $500 or $1000 to groups that plan joint social events, such as dances or outings.

Driskell and Burton have been endorsed by the Radcliffe Union of Students, Black Students Association, Perspective, Students for Choice and Black Men's Forum. The ticket also has the support of outgoing council vice president Kamil E. Redmond '00 and King, Driskell's former running mate. The Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance also endorsed Burton.

Driskell, a native of Lakeland, Fla. and Mather House, sings in the Kuumba Singers and is a member of the Harvard chapter of NAACP, the Black Students Association and the Mather House Committee.

And Driskell--who says helping organize the first-year formal one of her proudest council accomplishments--declares herself "die-hard U.C."

Burton, on the other hand, stresses the insight he's gained from time outside the council, writing for Perspective, the Advocate and The Crimson and working with the Office for the Arts.

"It deflated my impression of the U.C.," says Burton, who hails from Miami, Fla. and Cabot House. "If you spent 20 hours in the U.C. office and that's all, you get a warped view."

Last spring, Burton took a break from the council after serving as its treasurer for two semesters. He remained on council but devoted most of his time to other activities.

And last week, Burton was kicked off the council for 10 absences--twice the allowable five--an episode Burton says was do to scheduling conflicts and will not be repeated.

"As vice president, I could never do this," he said. "Even as a U.C. member, it's not the best thing to do, but it was appropriate under these circumstances." The council's executive board re-instated Burton as a member this weekend.

Both Driskell and Burton pledge to reform the council if elected.

They say they would make sure council delegates hold weekly office hours in their House dining halls.

"Being on the U.C. all the time, your perspective gets skewed," says Burton, who says he walks around the dining hall one night most weeks to meet his constituents. "It's nice to get the person who says, 'U.C., what's that?'"

Driskell and Burton also hope to distribute dining hall table tents announcing recent council votes and upcoming items on the council's agenda.

They say council representatives should be assigned to specific projects, like advising or faculty diversity task forces, and made accountable for their work during the term.

"People can come to the U.C. and get lost in the numbers and that's sad," Driskell says.

"My ideal U.C. is one where everybody is working toward some project that they can have a stake in and that they can be accountable for," she adds.

While the team stresses broad goals like community building, they also say this year they are focusing more on specific quality-of-life goals.

"To run a successful campaign and know what to do when elected you need specifics," Burton says.

They propose offering Fly-By lunches for first-years and making improvements to the Malkin Athletic Center.

And if elected, the pair says they will work on every item in their platform.

"No administration's been able to do that before," Driskell says.