A college report released two weeks ago, however, reached the opposite conclusion. The report recommended that a committee of students and faculty members work to revamp the council. The report proposed that house committees increase their involvement in council activities. Also, it suggested that non-council members be allowed more input in student-faculty committees which oversee aspects of the college ranging from the core curriculum to college life.
While these proposals would be good first steps, we need to do more. It is time to alter the council's charter on the Harvard campus. Given the council's blatant resistance to input from the very persons it supposedly represents, we need to approach the faculty and ask them to revoke the council's power to take students in any way less than one which is completely voluntary.
Instead of assuming that everyone is going to pore over the term bill to find the council refund box, the council should be required to enclose a cover letter with every term bill explaining their activities and requesting financial support. Students should be presented with the option of checking either a "yes" or "no" box. The council should receive the money only if the student checks the "yes" box. This measure would remove the underhandedness of the current process.
Furthermore, this truly voluntary method would enable us to gain an accurate understanding of how students value council activities. If students really benefit from the services the council provides, they will continue to support it.
Since the council funds several stud net organizations, council members sometimes argue that students do benefit from their fees even though they may not realize it. Students, however, could better target their donations to the organizations they wish to support by giving directly to the organizations themselves instead paying a council fee.
If students decide to express their dissatisfaction with the council by discontinuing their support, then the council will have to make do with less funding next year. Either way, the process will gain what it currently lacks: honesty.
George S. Wang '96 and Evan Pearce '96 are not running for the Undergraduate Council.