The fact that the term-bill fee is voluntary is not an excuse for arbitrarily raising it. Student groups represent a common benefit to the campus, and their funding is a common obligation. In fact, only those students who recognize this obligation, who feel honor-bound to pay their share, would have any reason to oppose raising a voluntary fee. Refusing to pay the higher term-bill fee would hurt student groups, not the decisionmakers. The staff should never promote such a selfish type of protest.
The only justification for overturning the referendum is that Harvard students are not smart enough to know what is good for them. We reject that view. The council, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 and the Faculty should stop patronizing students and start listening to what they have to say.
--David M. DeBartolo '03, Robert J. Fenster '03 and Stephen E. Sachs '02