“The CCL kept it quiet and behind closed doors,” Mahan said. “They’ve done a disservice to the campus.”
AACF officials could not be reached for comment last night.
The council also voted to adopt a resolution urging the College to immediately implement Universal Keycard Access (UKA) for all undergraduates.
“UKA is an essential component to most effectively protect students,” Mahan said during debate over the resolution, which passed 35 to 3.
Mahan said that despite some House Masters’ concerns that UKA could lead to a rise in crime, the Harvard University Police Department has found “no increase in criminal activity” since Quincy House instituted Universal Keycard Access.
While the vast majority of the council supported of the resolution, some members raised doubts over whether safety rather than access was the primary motive of the council in supporting the bill.
“There are other meritable arguments we should be making,” said Aaron D. Chadbourne ’06, who voted against the resolution.
In response to the charges that the council was not being upfront about its motivations for pushing for UKA, Mahan said after the meeting that while “it’s definitely a convenience issue, the safety issue trumps all others.”
Mahan also said that he is planning to meet with Cambridge Mayor Michael Sullivan to discuss placing “blue-light” phones in Cambridge Common.
In other business, the council voted to approve its spring HoCo funding bill after rejecting an amendment that would have reduced the funding to Houses by $450 a piece. Vice president Michael R. Blickstead ’05 and secretary Jason L. Lurie ’05 said the $38,350 allocated to the HoCos was too large an amount.
“Personally, I’m worried it’s too much money,” said Blickstead.
But the amendment was rejected.
Another failed amendment to the bill, introduced by the first-year representatives, sought to grant $5,000 for capital improvements in the freshman dormitories. It will be reintroduced next week as a separate bill, according to the members who proposed it.
The council also was visited by members of the Ivy Council—composed of student councils from all of the Ivy League schools except Harvard—seeking to garner support to have Harvard rejoin the organization.
Harvard left in 2000, citing poor organization within the Ivy Council and misuse of funds by Ivy Council members.
The council’s Student Advisory Council will consider the possibility of rejoining within the next week, Mahan said.
—Staff writer Jeffrey C. Aguero can be reached at aguero@fas.harvard.edu.