They're unlikely couple at best. Noah Z. Seton '00 and Kamil E. Redmond '00 owe their newly inaugurated reign over the Undergraduate Council to the votes of two very separate constituencies: the supporters of Seton's student services approach and those drawn to Redmond's card-carrying liberal credentials.

But from the campaign trail to their first meeting last night, the new council president and vice president have joined forces and are now rallying around student services as the sole foundation of their administration this semester.

As early as last year, a partnership between the politically polar pair would have been out of the question.

A self-described "crazy, loud progressive," Redmond has lobbied for Faculty diversity and the creation of a multicultural student center. She sought the vice presidency in 1997 on a liberal ticket headed by Jobe G. Danganan '99. Then-president Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, once part of the Progressive Undergraduate Council Coalition, endorsed Redmond and Danganan.

Seton worked for their victorious rivals, Beth A. Stewart '00 and Samuel C. Cohen '00, who advocated council depoliticization and focused on quality of life issues like universal keycard access and frozen yogurt in Annenberg Dining Hall.

"Kamil and I were really progressive, and Noah and Beth were both really involved in the Salient and the Republican Club. We were not on good terms," Danganan says.

"When I first heard they were running together I was incredibly surprised," adds Danganan, who endorsed a different ticket in this year's election. "It's strange bedfellows, because when Kamil and I were running, Noah was Beth Stewart's right hand."

Neither Seton nor Redmond has undergone a conversion since that previous race.

"Noah and I have very different ideas about what the Undergraduate Council should do," Redmond says. "I do believe in a more activist council."

But, supporters say, when they teamed up to seek higher office, Seton and Redmond put together a common agenda that will keep them from clashing on council.

"If there are slight differences between which parts of the platform they campaigned upon, they've talked about that," says former vice president Cohen.

Redmond has also shown a recent willingness to compromise. She once argued that the council should not hold a referendum on how to spend the $40,000 in council funds discovered last semester, but reversed her position at last night's council meeting.

Seton and Redmond go out of their way to stress what they have in common.

"We are a team," Seton says. "Politically we might be different, but in our personal leadership styles we're very compatible."

"Noah and I agree on the big stuff," Redmond adds.