With voting set to begin Monday, snow has not deterred Undergraduate Council presidential and vice-presidential candidates from campaigning outdoors and getting their message to students.

Three sets of running-mates—Rohit Chopra ’04 and Jessica R. Stannard-Friel ’04; David M. Darst ’04 and Shira S. Simon ’04; and Fred O. Smith ’04 and Justin R. Chapa ’05—and their supporters campaigned outside the Science Center in the unfriendly weather and discussed aspects of their platforms with passers-by yesterday.

The two other tickets—Jason L. Lurie ’05 and Alexander S. Misono ’04, and Hunter A. Maats ’04 and John Paul M. Fox ’04—have been canvassing for votes on a smaller scale.

As student groups meet with candidates to decide endorsement and provide forums for campaign platforms, most would-be council presidents and vice presidents will spend the remaining few days before elections begin disseminating their views of the council’s future.

The Candidates

The candidates’ experiences and pet issues run the gamut from student life to the council’s organization to curricular reforms.

Chopra and Stannard-Friel, the council’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC) and Campus Life Committee chairs, respectively, have the most experience with the council.

They count their advocacy for extended party hours and later universal keycard access (UKA) among their accomplishments, and they also cite their efforts to reduce the Core requirements, make easier study-abroad, improve first-year advising and reform the lottery system in courses.

Chopra has also worked with the City of Cambridge on a project to improve pedestrian safety, advised University President Lawrence H. Summers on the naming of a new dean of the Faculty last year and served on multiple student-Faculty committees.

Darst, who has no experience with the council, has teamed with Simon, who is a council veteran and vice chair of SAC.

Darst has founded a pharmaceutical company, worked with a humanitarian non-profit organization devoted to fighting tuberculosis in Africa and is a member of Harvard’s sailing team.

Lurie and Misono have attracted attention for the former’s stances on religion at Harvard.

Lurie, who is in his first term as a council representative, was responsible last month for the council postponing approval of funds to two student groups, the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship (HRCF) and the Harvard Asian Baptist Student Koinonia (HABSK).

Lurie, also a member of the Harvard Secular Society, said the two groups discriminate on the basis of religion and that supporting these organizations would violate the council’s constitution. Though the council later approved a grant for HABSK, the Christian Fellowship is still being investigated by the College administration.

Smith, who is vice chair of the council’s Finance Committee, has partnered with Chapa, who is a council representative and a member of the Harvard Republican Club’s executive board.