The current chairman of the Social Committee, Michael L. Goldenberg '89, who is seeking to retain his Leverett House seat, said, "The Undergraduate Council should remain a non-political organization and dedicate itself to improving student life."

"We should not serve as an outlet for Harvard students to voice their opinions to the U.S. Government," he added.

Several students, however, think the Council should involve itself in, but not center on, political issues in addition to those concerning student life. "Harvard is a prominent member of the community and should show an interest in local issues," Rommel T. Dionisio '91 said.

Farai N. Chideya '89 added, "Just because there are other [political] groups on campus doesn't mean that the majority of student's opinions are properly represented. That is the Council's job."

Input on Tenure Decision

Last year the council sent a written report to the administration concerning a desire for increased student input in the tenure process. The council's action was prompted by the administration's refusal to tenure several popular junior faculty members, among them Alan Brinkley.

Most candidates agreed with last year's report and said they advocated giving students a say in who receives tenure.

"We are coming here to be educated, and that depends on how well professors teach, not on their ability to develop theorems," Alex V. Edelstein '91 said.

Some upperclassmen proposed specific channels for students to air opinions on tenure decisions.

"The University should experiment by having students sit in on tenure review board meetings," said George Y. Ho '90.

Josh S. Preven '91 added, "[Students] should have a voice in the form of a student-faculty committee which can make recommendations."

But not all candidates approve the mandates of the tenure report. Valentin Rodriguez '91 said, "I don't think students should have anything to do with it [tenure decisions]. It should be left to the administration. That is their job."

"There should be some input but we can't judge academic credentials. The final decision should be left to the various departments," Daniel M. Donahue '89 said.

Formulating Alcohol Policy

While many candidates said they were unfamiliar with the University's current alcohol policy, they said they supported lenient policies for underage drinking.