Under New Management

The first 100 days of a U.S. president's term are traditionally used as a barometer of the future efficacy of his administration--a chief executive who takes advantage of his "honeymoon period" to enact important policy initiatives is thought to have a good shot at future success.

If the "100 days" aphorism holds true--and applies to Undergraduate Council presidents--then Paul A. Gusmorino `02 seems to be in good shape.

Council members say Gusmorino has helped the council make unprecedented progress over the course of the spring term, which, fittingly, was just about 100 days long.

Even programs that Gusmorino did not run himself, they say, were catalyzed by his leadership and oversight.

Gusmorino and his vice presidential running mate Sujean S. Lee `03 campaigned on a four-part platform designed to "improve student life, stand up for students, save students money and enhance students' academic experience"--and they have seen considerable results.

Bettering Student Life

As part of the first platform plank, the Gusmorino-led council worked to have the College extend party curfews by one hour on weekends.

Brian R. Smith`02 led that effort. Along with other members of the council's Student Affairs Committee (SAC), he conducted a survey that showed an overwhelming majority of undergraduates favored extending official party hours from 1 a.m. until 2 a.m.

SAC members then spoke with House masters and administrators at meetings of the Committee on House Life (CHL) to negotiate for the new curfew.

Pending the resolution of logistical concerns, CHL recommended that the Houses allow House-sponsored events to last an extra hour come next year.

Since private, room parties can often run past 1 a.m. if they remain quiet, council members declared their efforts a victory for the council, though they say a new room party curfew is in the works.

The council also helped create the Harvard Concert Commission (HCC), which was responsible for bringing hip-hop bands The Roots and The Black Eyed Peas to Sanders Theater in February.

Lee co-founded HCC and oversaw its incorporation into the council's constitution and by-laws, making it a fixture within the council.

HCC's first concert was held without council input and made possible by financial contributions from the council and the administration, but future concerts will be under council jurisdiction--it can approve the band, for instance. Lee says HCC is also striving toward financial independence through its own fundraising efforts.

For now, the council will contribute $5,000 per concert to HCC.

Though plans for a second concert in May fell through, HCC has signed the popular band Dispatch to perform in the fall.

In another effort to improve social life on campus, the council created an online "Events Calendar" that informs students about campus-wide activities for the coming week.

Students receive weekly e-mails telling them where the activities will be, and Gusmorino says hundreds of undergraduates have already subscribed.

The council is also in the process of planning a "Fallfest" to be the seasonal counterpart of the annually successful "Springfest" that it already organizes.

The Campus Life Committee, headed by Robert M. Gee `02 and Melissa A. Eccleston `04, organized the best attended Springfest in memory last April, and they hope to make Fallfest equally popular.

To "stand up for students," the council took a number of steps to enhance the College's faculty advising program.

It established the Marquand Award for superior advising, a proposal of Gusmorino's designed to encourage faculty members to pay greater attention to their advisees. The award will be given in the fall.

In its February letter addressed to Harvard's next president, the council stressed the need for greater diversity among Harvard's faculty.

The council also passed resolutions to increase rape awareness and prevention on campus. In part as a result of the council's efforts, Gusmorino says, the "safe communities" meeting held for first-years during their first week at Harvard now includes a much larger segment addressing rape.

Penny Pinching

To fulfill its third pledge to undergraduates, the council expanded its "UC Books" and "UC Boxes" programs.

UC Books--a website that helps students find the best deals on textbooks--expanded to include material representing more of Harvard's courses. Gusmorino says he will work this summer to expand it even further.

The UC Boxes program, designed to provide students with boxes for their summer move-out at half the price of commercial boxes, sold all 750 in one day.

On April 29, the council also passed its "Financial Aid for Student Tickets Resolution," which will provide some financial aid students with vouchers to attend campus events that would otherwise be too expensive.

Members of the council, most notably Rohit Chopra `04, then procured the $20,000 necessary to begin the project in the fall. Next year, the administration will donate the money, but future voucher funds will be made available through an endowment that council members are working to establish.

Finally, to enhance students' academic experiences while in Cambridge, the council designed a plan for a "CUE Guide to Concentrations"--a web-based guide designed to help students choose a course of study.

The council also negotiated with the administration to increase the number of freshman seminars available to first-years.

Gusmorino credits the council's meetings with Dean of Undergraduate Education Susan G. Pedersen `81-`82 with the College's May announcement that it will almost double the number of freshman seminars next year--from 33 to 62.

In addition, the council selected the winners of its Levenson Awards for teaching from a record number of applicants.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Dozens of other council members have played seminal roles in the council's collective accomplishments. Lee, for example, was a co-founder of HCC and Smith took on the party-hours initiative.

But by most accounts, Gusmorino's personability, knowledge and organizational skills are at least partially responsible for the success of most projects, even those with which he was not directly involved.

Council members say it is easy to work hard for an president who has their respects and also exerts a great deal of effort.

"Everyone likes Paul," says long-time council member and SAC Chair Todd E. Plants `01. "He's working hard and doing a great job."

Council Treasurer Justin A. Barkley `02, who ran against Gusmorino for president in the fall, says he too has been pleasantly surprised by the job Gusmorino has done.

"I ran against him because I was worried that the political aspect of the UC would become too large a part of our activities. I think student services are our main responsibility," Barkley says. "But despite a few progressive bills, I'm really happy with a lot of other things we have done."

Council members commend Gusmorino for having clear plans for his administration--laid out in his "UC Roadmap"--and running meetings quickly and efficiently.

"Thanks to Paul and Sujean's UC Roadmap, all representatives and constituents can gain a clear picture of the council's initiatives," said Trisha S. Dasgupta `03, chair of the council's Finance Committee.

Some council members draw a comparison between Gusmorino and his predecessor, Fentrice D. Driskell `01, saying that while personal conflicts and Driskell's leadership style undermined her presidency, Gusmorino has not faced any of the same impediments.

Former council member Jim R. Griffin `02, who remains close to the council, paints the most severe contrast between Gusmorino and Driskell.

"Paul knows parliamentary procedure and people respect his authority," Griffin says. "People just didn't respect Fentrice as much. There's was just a lack of competence."

Plants says Driskell's term was marred by the scandals that surrounded her election, including the impeachment of her running mate John A. Burton `01.

"The difference between Paul and Fentrice is like night and day," Barkley says.

Not A Walk In The Park

Despite its many successes, Gusmorino's council has faced its share of difficulties.

Some of the council's important policy initiatives, such as opening all of the College's houses to 24-hour universal keycard access for upperclassmen, were met by an unwelcoming administration.

Other plans, such as providing Harvard students with free tickets to the Harvard-Yale game when it is held at home and recommending improvements to the Malkin Athletic Center, have yet to be finalized.

Still others, like increasing student space for theatrical performances and providing students with a discounted cell phone plan, were barely addressed.

But Gusmorino says his administration will not ignore these areas.

"By the end of my term, the plan is that every area will see progress," he said.

Beyond policy problems, the council also struggled with internal strife.

The council's Feb. 25 meeting, during which the council voted not to recommend that the University censure Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield `53 for comments about black students' link to grade inflation, saw a fiery ideological debate unfold within the council--one that Gusmorino was hard-pressed to mitigate.

A similarly caustic debate arose during the council's May 6 meeting at which the council severed its ties with the much maligned Ivy Council.

Gusmorino's worst moment occurred on April 22, when the council contentiously voted to condemn the Progressive Student Labor Movement for its Mass. Hall sit-in. Gusmorino was left exasperated as some council members attempted to disrupt the council's quorum by walking out of the meeting while others tried to stop them.

Despite these minor setbacks, most council members deem Gusmorino's first term a triumph and predict great things for his next--and he'll have help.

Pillars Of The Presidency

On March 7, members of the Faculty Council voted to increase the term bill fee that funds the council from $20 to $35 dollars per student, increasing the council's budget from about $120,000 to $220,000 a year.

Council members convened a number of ad-hoc meetings to discuss how best to distribute the money across the council's committees.

Gusmorino is also in the process of negotiating with administrators the means by which the council can gain interest on its bank account. University policy mandates that at least $50,000 must be invested in one of its accounts before it can bear interest, and, up until now, the council has not been able to keep that much in at once.

In addition to financial support, Gusmorino's council may come back next year to find an administration more willing to hear its voice.

In his first official act as Harvard's President-elect, Lawrence H. Summers sat down with the full council for an off-the-record discussion of issues concerning undergraduates.

Council members hope that the unprecedented discussion indicates Summers' willingness to listen to the perspectives of undergraduates.

The council was also given a unique opportunity to affect University policy when it selected two student representatives to serve on the Katz Committee to investigate workers' wages at Harvard.

With more money to give back to student groups and a newly empowered and supportive council behind him, Gusmorino seems to have passed the first 100-days test.