First, the council should cut its membership by three-fifths. There should be one representative elected from each house and Yard district, and an equal number of representatives elected at large.

This way, each house would have at least some representation. The houses that have a greater number of qualified individuals than seats, such as Quincy House last year, would be able to contribute all of those talents to the at-large contingent.

Second, representatives should face election each semester. The increased competition and constant evaluation would force the representatives to prove to the student body that they successfully pursued undergraduate interests, or they would lose. This would provide them incentive to tackle as many projects as possible.

Third, the student body should directly vote for the chair, vice chair, secretary, and treasurer. An elected leader of the student government would have more clout in negotiating with the administration than someone who was selected by his or her fellow council members.

Fourth, the council should trumpet its successes more. They should talk about how much money they raised for Philips Brooks House and how important calendar reform was to students. They should talk about the extracurriculars that would have had to find money elsewhere had they not received funding from the council. And they should try to make undergraduates understand that the council can only do so much since it has a very limited scope of authority compared to a municipal, state or federal government.

Fifth, the council should abolish the social subcommittee. No one cares about milk and cookie breaks. Few people attend social committee events held in Memorial Hall.

Instead, the council should give money to the house committees to throw collegewide events. The dance in Adams House in February was a success because house committee members worked to make it so.

The council should also retain rights over college facilities during important events, such as Alumni Hall during Head of the Charles, and instead of sponsoring a poorly attended battle of the bands, give the slot to a deserving and motivated undergraduate organization, in whose interest it would be to have students attend and raise money.

If the council was willing to make these changes, it might finally get the appropriate, limited amount of respect that it deserves.

Mark N. Templeton '93 was a representative to the Undergraduate Council last year.