The pair cited this year’s Harvard-Yale tailgate as a successful example of the type of collaboration they hope to encourage between the council and student groups.

“It wasn’t an event that happened to students,” Nicolais says. “It was something they made happen.”

Added Mannapperuma: “Sigma Chi knows how to throw a tailgate better than we ever will; we just let them do it. That’s really our idea about the philosophical change.”

THE CLINTONS

While Nicolais and Mannapperuma have drawn comparisons to Bill and Hillary Clinton and been labeled a “power couple,” they insist that they don’t consider themselves career politicians.

"We’re not politicos who from freshman year decided to run for vice president and president and have been strategizing,” Nicolais says.

The two point to the fact that “almost none” of their campaign staff are council members. Mannapperuma, who is in her first year on the council, has more experience as a student leader, and cites her involvement as special events chair of Harvard’s Women in Business club.

“She’s responsible for organizing pretty much everything we do. She’s just one of those ‘on point’ people you can count on for anything,” Erin T. Probst ’06, chair of the club’s administrative committee, writes in an e-mail.

Mannapperuma, who is also a Crimson editor, says she was approached by other presidential candidates to run with them, but decided to run with Nicolais because the contrast in their experiences strengthens their appeal.

Though Mannapperuma is new to the council, Nicolais is an insider: in his second year on the council, he has chaired one of the most influential bodies, the Finance Committee (FiCom). During his tenure, he presided over a significant overhaul of the grants process, reducing the application time for grants from six weeks to eight days.

Fellow FiCom members say that Nicolais’ tenure as chair has been one marked by much-needed reform.

“Teo has dedicated his Harvard college experience to FiCom, and enhancing the lives of Harvard students on campus,” writes committee member Jasmine X. Zhang ’06, who has not endorsed any candidate, in an e-mail. Nicolais’ ticket has won the endorsement of the Harvard Republican Club.

Several FiCom members, however, have endorsed other candidates. FiCom member S. Faraz N. Munaim ’06 says Nicolais is a “strong leader,” but is endorsing Glazer.

And council members expressed conflicting opinions of the relevance of the couple’s relationship. Some believe Nicolais has granted Mannapperuma more authority than her tenure warrants, while others say the fact that they are dating is not an issue.

“Because they’re in a relationship, even though Samita is lower down in the FiCom hierarchy, she’s treated as vice-chair,” says one council member who spoke on condition of anonymity.