David P. Eisenman '65 is back on the ballot. The Harvard Council for Undergraduate Affairs announced late yesterday afternoon that it had reversed its ruling disqualifying Eisenman for "campaigning," that a recount showed Eisenman had finished among the top eight candidates, and that therefore an unprecedented nine candidates would be on the ballot in today's marshal elections.
The HCUA's abrupt about-face ruling apparently resulted from a wee-hours session between H. Reed Ellis '65, Chairman of the HCUA, and William P. Saum '65, Elections Chairman, who laid down the original edict.
As a result of the conversation Saum was persuaded to recount the ballots, which he did yesterday morning in Dean Monro's office. He had counted them the first time alone in his Lowell House room.
Ellis and Saum clinched their decision after Eisenman satisfied Ellis that he had known nothing of the rule and that the HCUA had made no attempt to inform him of it.
"This oversight is totally the fault of the Council," admitted Ellis, "and, conquently, the final responsibility must rest with me."
Saum said he "made the original decision because the decision had to be made, bearing in mind that it was not irrevocable." Describing the events surrounding the second decision, he said: "Reed and I had conscience problems" about reinstating Eisenman because all the publicity he received had probably taken votes away from some other candidates. Saum hailed the final HCUA decision as "the most equitable solution in the great tradition of compromise."
Indecision
The Council's first inclination was to sacrifice the hitherto eighth-place candidate who was warned at noontime that he might be jettisoned. During the afternoon, however, the HCUA apparently softened its stand and contacted him about 5 p.m. to convey its change of heart.
Eisenman learned of his change of fortune about noontime during a lunchbreak from his Lamont studying. His roommate informed him that calls from supporters and from Ellis had kept the phone busy all morning. A Physics concentrator, Eisenman said he spends an average of 57 hours a week in Lamont.
Wonk
After hearing of his reinstatement, Eisenman discarded a sign reading "SHUCKS" which he had set up in his Lamont cubicle that morning, fished his white campaign carnation from the waste paper basket and pinned it to his lapel.
Eisenman said last night that he had been put under HCUA interdict preventing him from further campaigning and that he therefore thought it most prudent to decline comment. He was on his way to Lamont and was still wearing his carnation.
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