But Harvard students are not alone in their low rate of participation in local politics. City Councillor Timothy J. Toomey points out that Harvard students have a better voter turnout than their contemporaries down the river at MIT.

The participation level of students in politics depends in part on how much candidates reach out--or don't reach out--to the student community. Efforts to bring in the student vote vary greatly among campaigns.

For a few city council candidates, the student vote is a vital campaign concern and a focal point of election strategy.

"Students are an important factor in the Cambridge community, and Mayor Reeves encourages their political involvement," says Richard R. Buery '92, Reeves' campaign manager.

To bring students into politics and woo student voters, Reeves has made several appearances at Harvard before various student groups, Buery says.

Reeves spoke to the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association (BGLSA) during upperclass registration, according to BGLSA co-chair Dennis K. Lin '93-'94.

Reeves addressed members of the Caribbean Club, Black Students' Association and Association of Black Radcliffe Women at his Winthrop House appearance, Codrington says.

"Mayor Reeves really tries to encourage students to get involved with politics," Codrington says.

Reeves is also a member of the Phillips Brooks House (PBH) advisory committee, and this reflects his strong belief in the value of community service, Buery says.

In addition to scheduling meetings with student groups, the Reeves campaign hopes to reach students through advertisements in Perspective, Buery says.

"Students are a strong base of support, a group where we think we'll do very well," Buery says. "As a former Harvard student, Mayor Reeves feels a special affinity to the student body."

The student community is important to Reeves as a source of campaign volunteers as well as votes, says Buery, who also worked in local politics as an undergraduate. About 20 Harvard students are involved "intensely" with the Reeves campaign, Buery says.

Reeves' campaign is not the only re-election effort that attempts to reach out to students.

"The student vote is always very important, and I depend on it," says Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55. "As a former Harvard student, faculty member and administrator, I represent both the University and the city."

Duehay says that his effort to procure the student vote includes personal campus appearances and special mailings to students, and recruitment of campaign volunteers through the Harvard-Radcliffe Democrats.