"I don't think they've imparted a change on campus," says council member Wesley B. Gilchrist '98, who ran unsuccessfully for council president last month. "It would have happened anyway."
"A lot of people are giving PUCC credit for things they weren't responsible for," he adds.
As examples, Gilchrist cites the Pepsi debate, as well as a council resolution condemning Harvard's investments in Shell Oil. The council objected to the Shell holdings because the corporation's investments support a Nigerian government which has committed numerous human rights abuses.
Gilchrist says those resolutions were more the result of the individual initiative of Student Affairs Chair Marco B. Simons '97, who is a PUCC member.
"I don't think he needed PUCC behind him," Gilchrist says.
Either way, some council members say that PUCC is wasting time debating issues that the student government should not tackle.
"The council is not better in terms of addressing student needs," says council member Elizabeth A. Haynes '98. "When we leave a meeting, we haven't left people who live on this campus any better in terms of their daily lives."
Other council members agree.
"PUCC is the worst thing to happen to the council since the invention of the wheel," says council member Christopher R. McFadden '97, who is a Crimson executive. "It takes the focus away from Harvard students and to more broad issues that don't directly affect students."
Some students unaffiliated with the council agree that PUCC's goal of "relevance" has not yet been achieved.
Most students interviewed say they have not heard of PUCC. And those that do have an opinion say any strides PUCC has made have had little impact on student life.
"It seems like they send a lot of letters to the deans, which I don't know if they have any effect at all," says student Joel J. Radtke '96.
"I don't know if it's wise to run a college like a democracy; they're deluding themselves to think that."
Minority and Female Representation
One of PUCC's goals last fall was to involve more women and minorities on the council. It is still unclear, however, whether any progress was made as a result of PUCC.
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