It is astonishing what a rich public life can be built out of a simple confusion. Time magazine, for example, has just pointed to the re-election of the Harvard Student Council's president as a sign that campus conservatism is booming. Plainly Time is under the impression that such elections at Harvard have political and ideological significance, and, although nobody here will lose any sleep over Time's mistakes, this one is irritating.
The lesson for Council members should be apparent. They know that they are officially apolitical; they know that they cannot pretend to represent the opinions of Harvard students on any issue, let alone a political one. Most members appreciate the distinction between speaking in their official capacity and as private individuals. Since it is unhappily obvious that the public at large does not, people on the Council ought to be more careful.
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