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UC Struggles to Win Friends, Influence Policy

"I'd like to be on the Campus Life Committeeagain and help those things that students can seeas real benefits the [council] gave them--likevans to Logan at Thanksgiving and Christmas,"Campbell says.P>Still, others say the council will becomeeffective once the atmosphere gets "exciting"again.

"You can only get excited about cable TV for solong," Danganan says, explaining that he wasdisappointed when a resolution supportingaffirmative action failed to muster the council'sconsideration.

But others say the council needs changes thatare more than skin deep. They say members need tounderstand that student leaders on housecommittees, ethnic groups and campus-wide studentorganizations know just as much about what is goodfor undergraduates as representatives elected by asmall minority of students.

"Who know best?" Rawlins asks. "The housecommittee chairs or the Committee on Campus Lifechairs who got elected by nine percent of theirhouse?"

"You have to be honest about those numbers andbe respectful about the mandate you have," Rawlinssays.

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Taking Care of the Student Body

The Undergraduate Council has faced criticismfrom some members for several recent fundallocations. For comparison, the average studentgroup grant was $250.

$8000: God Street Wine for Springfest'97 "Who could like God Street Wine? It wasa horrible band and a horrible choice,"--KamilE. Redmond '00, Pforzheimer

$1000: Four delegates to New York for IvyCouncil "We were considering dropping outof it because what was happening over the last twoyears was a waste of money."--Samuel C. Cohen'00, Lowell

$340: Random Acts of Kindness "Youwant students to be appreciative of the staff. Butdo we have to do it using $340? I'm not sosure."--Robert S. Schwartz '00, EliotCrimsonAmelia E. MorrowShort Line at the Polls? Turnout figuresfor the Undergraduate Council's representativeelections last fall.

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