It has begun.

At the stroke of midnight yesterday morning, candidates for the presidency and vice presidency of the Undergraduate Council officially began their feverish pitches for office. The posters--and the endorsements--are already flying.

Several candidates, noting an expectation of high voter turnout among first-years, say they hope to visit every single dorm in the Yard.

Others will take a more lighthearted approach.

Two years ago, Michael J. Bush '99 greeted constituents from atop a throne of beer cans in front of the science center. He finished third in the race overall.

This year, Benjamin Dreyfus '01 is running on a jingoistic platform, hoping to convince Mass. Hall to declare war on an unspecified small nation.

Endorsements are already starting to trickle in--former council President Beth A. Stewart '00 announced she will endorse council treasurer Sterling P. A. Darling '01 and is working on his campaign--and the trickle will likely become a flood as other campus figures and student groups decide which candidate they support.

Council candidates, like their counterparts on a national scale, will argue this year's issues--which will likely include the proposed termbill increase, the proposed downsizing of the council and the need for council reform--at an Institute of Politics debate sometime next week.