Madison, Franklin and Washington meet Gusmorino, Griffin and Smith.

For the second time in four years, the Undergraduate Council is taking its massive constitution and bylaws back to the drawing board.

And just as in 1787, there is a deep divide over whether that constitution needs dramatic restructuring or just a bit of tweaking.

But in contrast to the situation faced by the Framers, there is no clear ideological divide on the question--council liberals and conservatives can be found on both sides of the debate.

With the broad mandate the council has given to its Ad Hoc Committee on Constitutional Reform--the authorizing bill passed in late February suggested areas of particular concern but did not place limits--the committee has attracted many influential council members from across the political spectrum.

All seek to leave their mark on the document that governs Harvard's student government, either by making drastic changes or preserving the status quo.

It is not yet clear whether the Constitutional Committee will be able to convince the full council--which must approve any amendments it offers--to do what it wants.

A 1997 attempt to reform the constitution was largely a failure: only two of a dozen amendments proposed by a reform committee were "ratified" by the council.