Undergraduate Council presidents are relentlessly scrutinized by the media, bitterly challenged by political rivals and invariably blamed for any council mistakes.

But for one candidate in this year's race for the presidency, that would be nothing new.

Joshua D. Liston '95, last year's vice president, survived an impeachment attempt, censure hearings and infringement of his civil rights last spring.

And for this campaign, he's come out fighting vigorously against his past, advocating an activist council that will restore pride to the student government and school spirit to the College.

"Essentially, you're going to have an in-your-face council," he says.

He's also crusading for a guarantee that Harvard will always offer need-blind admissions.

"Once it's publicly stated that Harvard has signed a commitment to need-blind admissions, they're going to have their names on a piece of paper," he says. "And if they break it, they're breaking a contract with the student body."

Shadow of the Past

But despite all his shiny new stances, Liston is unlikely to completely escape the shadow of last semester.

"He's definitely the easiest target," says David V. Bonfili '96, a three-year council member. "I don't think that Josh is an evil guy. I just don't think he's especially competent."

Other council members criticize Liston's volte-face on unpopular beliefs. For instance, while he pushed for last year's $10 term-bill fee hike, this year he wants it repealed.

But some delegates think the rough spring--and an Eliot House election in which he lost to a write-in and finished fourth out of six candidates--have genuinely changed Liston.

"In every person's life, they need certain extreme circumstances to cause them to reform a...failure or weakness," says vice presidential candidate Brandon C. Gregoire '95. The spring "has shown Josh that he has to pay more careful attention to executive matters."

Liston also vigorously defends his record, contending that he did little or nothing to draw the fire of council members or the media.

Last spring, many blamed Liston for botching a student referendum vote.

As vice president, Liston "made an executive decision" to ignore a bylaw prohibiting council members from tabling in their own districts. Partially because of tabling irregularities, the referendum was ultimately invalidated.