The race for Undergraduate Council president got a little more crowded yesterday as two veterans of campus politics threw their hats into the ring.

Elizabeth A. Haynes '98 and Benjamin R. Kaplan '99 officially announced their candidacies, joining current council vice-president Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, who announced her presidential candidacy two weeks ago.

All three candidates ran for campus-wide office last spring, with Rawlins defeating Haynes for council vice-president and Kaplan finishing sixth in the presidential race.

According to Rawlins, she plans to run on her record of "fighting to make the council advocates for students," a history the others plan to question.

"I felt the council and its leadership aren't doing their job in responding to student concerns and needs," said Haynes, a former chair of the council's Student Affairs Committee, explaining her decision to run.

And Kaplan, a council representative, said he disagrees with the partisan nature of council politics under the leadership of the current council president, Robert M. Hyman '98-'97.

"Rob and Lamelle never disagree on anything," Kaplan said. "They kind of push their own personal agenda."

The Dynamics of the Race

Although candidates have until November 22 to declare their candidacy, the announcement means voters will have at least two women to choose from in the December 9 to 11 election.

Since the council has never had a female president, both women recognize the significance of two leading female contenders in the race.

"I applaud [Haynes] for running," Rawlins said. "I think it's time for Harvard students to have a woman as student body president."

Haynes downplayed the issue's significance as a central campaign theme.

"People will be able to make a decision based on qualifications, not gender," Haynes said. "If you feel gender is a qualification, then include it in your list."

Rawlins was quick to point out that she and Haynes represent very different perspectives.

"Liz and I are 100 percent opposed on many issues," Rawlins said. "I think it's a good thing that the student body will now have a choice between a conservative woman [Haynes] and a more progressive woman."

Haynes rebuffs the conservative label.

"If you look at the issues I've covered in the past, I've come down on both sides of the fence," Haynes said.

Building on a trend started in the spring by the Hyman/Rawlins ticket, both Haynes and Rawlins have chosen to take running mates in an attempt to strengthen their candidacies, while Kaplan is going it alone.

Vice-presidential candidate Mark

A, Price '98, running with Haynes, said he hopes the ticket will be able to make the council more accessible to traditionally underrepresented campus voices.

"I have really good ties with the black community and Liz has good ties with women on campus," said Price, who is vice-president of the Black Men's Forum. "We want to make the council accessible to all communities."

Among her campaign objectives, Haynes singled out creating a multicultural center, improving advising and improving the Core curriculum.

Kaplan said he plans to focus his campaign around several key issues, including active fundraising by the council, greater communication between student groups and rebuilding the council's credibility.

According to Kaplan, he decided to run again because of the positive feedback he said he received after an opinion piece he wrote appeared in The Crimson.

In the piece, which appeared on Friday, Kaplan criticized the council's fundraising tactics.

"People came up to me and said, 'Thanks for pointing that out,'" said Kaplan, who is a Crimson editor.

Rawlins said she wants the council to focus on supporting student groups.

"The U.C. must devote its resources to student services," Rawlins said. "To the extent that this limits our ability to entertain the campus, so be it.