Council Closes Out Year of Service

With ROTC, downsizing and divestment finally set aside, the members of the Undergraduate Council largely focused on congratulating themselves last night, at their final meeting of the term.

In the midst of the back-patting, the council did manage to pass one bill. A measure to have undergraduate diplomas printed in Latin was approved with little debate.

The bill, sponsored by Eric M. Nelson '99, was also passed last year in similar form but was tabled by a College administration that knew that diplomas would eventually change anyway to reflect a final Harvard-Radcliffe relationship.

College administrators and the Faculty Council must still approve the measure, but Nelson said he was confident the classics would return to undergraduate diplomas.

Alexis B. Karteron '01 spoke against the bill, saying students she spoke to would rather have their diploma in English.

"I'd like to be able to read my diploma," she said.

Despite Karteron's objections, the bill passed easily.

In other council business, Redmond announced that both constitutional amendments introduced last week, one concerning dropping the "Radcliffe" from the council's official name and another which proposed downsizing the council, had both failed.

"We tried," Seton said after hearing the results of the downsizing vote, an issue he has championed for most of his term.

Both debates were couched in laudatory remarks by council officers who congratulated representatives on a year of service.

Council Vice President Kamil E. Redmond '00 began the meeting with what she called a Benadryl-influenced final message to the council.

"I'm slightly doped, so bear with me," said the cold-stricken Redmond. "Trust me, I know the U.C. isn't the sexiest of organizations to be a member of," she said, "but you have stayed around to represent your constituents...Thank you for being a voice."

Redmond also talked about the road blocks she encountered leading the council with President Noah Z. Seton '00, asking, "Who would have thought that this conservative former Republican [Club] president and this self-described loud progressive could get along?"

"It hasn't been the smoothest transition, but I think many of the concerns Noah and I raised and still raise got played out in the forum of the U.C.," she said.

Seton agreed, calling Redmond his "partner-in-crime" and saying he considered their political marriage a success so far.

"She has kept me balanced because I think I have kept her balanced," he said.

Seton spent the remainder of the meeting recognizing council members and officers for their outstanding work. The "Hall of Fame" award went to Council Treasurer Sterling P.A. Darling '01, who Seton called the "the single most knowledgeable person of student affairs."

"If I could nominate someone to replace [Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III] as dean of students, I would nominate Sterling," Seton said.

On the heels of the success of his final council bill, Nelson, a three-year council member, received the Rudd Coffey '97 award for lifetime achievement.

The Adams House senior, who is also a Crimson editor, received a standing ovation after being praised by Seton as "the epitome of integrity and intellect."

After thanking the council for their work, Seton encouraged members to take pride in all they accomplished during the eventful semester.

"Don't let anyone get you down, because you don't deserve it," he said.