The UC, Going Forward

Never—not when we asked students to abstain from voting in the Undergraduate Council presidential elections nor when we forecasted the council’s continuing irrelevance—did we think we would come to appreciate a body that was seemingly incapable of effecting change or inspiring student support. And yet this year, things are different.

Last week, 103 undergraduates hit the campaign trail in pursuit of a spot on the UC—a spot coveted by 20 percent more than a year ago and the most desired in three years. This spike in numbers also comes with a spike in the UC’s profile on campus. Under the leadership of UC President Gus A. Mayopoulos ’15 and Vice President Sietse K. Goffard ’15, the council has made an increased effort to engage with students through a variety of methods, including holding office hours, sending emails filled with gifs and memes, and dressing up in Napoleonic garb.

We are pleased to see the UC at least somewhat transformed. It may seem counterproductive to joke about the council’s ability to influence operations at the College. But when joking is mixed with substantive change—like the integration of CharlieCards and HUIDS, which Mayopoulos and Goffard have worked to roll out this fall—there is little harm in humor. This is especially true when that humor serves to inspire more students to run for and engage with the council.

We are excited to see what the new UC will accomplish, and we have no reason not to expect a good run ahead. We only worry because the UC's recent surge in total candidates coincides with a four-year low in female candidates. Only one in four candidates was a woman, and women now constitue only about 30 percent of those at the helm.

In the coming year, we look forward to continued efforts to address the bread and butter issues at stake at Harvard, along with longer term groundwork to fix graver problems—among them the underfunding of student groups and the College’s sexual assault policy. We do not relish a return to the days of lofty promises and minimal progress. But perhaps most importantly, when Election Day rolls around again, we would like to see a more balanced ballot and ultimately Council. The UC’s views are best informed and mean the most when all students are equally represented.

We hope that the 44 recently elected council members will continue down the path Mayopoulos and Goffard have begun to tread. Against all odds, the UC has shed its former image of bureaucratic uselessness and taken up a new mantle. It’s not a joke—but it isn’t afraid of one, either.