Two years ago, the council hit rock bottom, yet many problems have persisted. The divisive atmosphere still exists, internal morale is lower, communication with students is still poor, and a small fraction of members still do most of the work. This year, we are no better at enacting legislation, demonstrating the need for the president to be a facilitator, not a pied piper. Other candidates are selling an agenda; I am selling leadership. I have great ideas too, but there is more to being president than ideas. Instead of forcing through my agenda, I want to include and empower all members; only then can the council fulfill its potential to improve students' lives.

The council should refocus on issues of student advocacy, support of student groups, and community building that affect students every day. We must aggressively advocate student stances on the Core, Loker Commons and house advising. We must improve our support of student groups by decreasing the processing time of grant applications. Most importantly, the council must vigorously work to unify undergraduates through campus-wide events and services. The council is the only group that can bring the entire campus together and therefore has a unique responsibility to build our sense of an undergraduate community.

I'm not the smoothest talker or the best dressed, but I have been one of the hardest working and most enthusiastic members of the council and that is the kind of president that I will be.

Check out my web page! http://www.fas/~coffey

Benjamin R. Kaplan '99

It's all about ideas. Throughout this year, I have evaluated every aspect of the Undergraduate Council as an analyst, student leader and writer for The Crimson. I kept a clipping file of council articles and continually updated an ideas list of needed reforms. And consequently, a plethora of ideas came my way...

THE INTER-CLUB CONGRESS

Things go right when you bring together top leaders and let them do their stuff. That's Harvard's philosophy in admissions, and this Congress--bringing together leaders from Harvard's student organizations--is the first step towards building more unity and communication among the diverse individuals that comprise our campus.

E-MAIL INPUT CHANNELS

Office hours or an obscure web site that a student has to go fishing for just won't help get more input. Instead, the council should have each member contact an assigned group of students via e-mail. This way, it only takes the simple press of the "Reply" button to register concerns, and the same "R" button for the council member to do some research and respond.

UTILIZING RESOURCES

Harvard has some of the best resources in the world. Does the council or even the administration really use these resources effectively? Definitely not. Case in point: The randomization of the houses. Although practically any first-year statistics student could have shown that the administration's statistical approach would result in gender imbalances, no one even bothered to consult the Statistics Department. Do the cost-benefit analysis. Use the experts.

Michael R. Petitpas '95-'97

The Undergraduate Council needs more credibility with the student body, and this can only be accomplished by taking a central role in the lives of students. The council is the undergraduate student government at the most powerful educational institution in the world. This gives the council a great deal of responsibility to have a voice in issues concerning education and the University-such as ethnic studies and Core reform. The council should be a forum for ideas where issues and solutions are discussed in a collegial way. An experienced leader with an outside perspective is needed to lead a credible, effective council.

I am well qualified to be president. I have been at Harvard for a number of years, originally entering with the Class of '95. I will be a ninth-semester student taking only one course next term, so I will be able to spend most of my time carrying out my duties as president. I have experience running a large student organization, having been general manager of WHRB. Yet, I have not been a member of the council, so I will bring a fresh approach to the job.