In two weeks, a little less than half the campus will vote, the winner will be announced, and the flurry of activity will come to a close.

And for one brief and brilliant moment, the council will be, if nothing else, at the center of the public eye.

The Vision Thing

With the exception of the President and Vice President, most students on campus remain largely oblivious of their individual elected representatives' politics and proposals.

Meanwhile, five presidential and four vice presidential candidates are now jostling for the spotlight, drafting position papers, preparing for debates and opening themselves to public scrutiny.

"It's a lot harder to woo a [random] undergrad than 80 council members who are there all the time," Stewart said.

For the council, this is one of the few opportunities to put a face to its proceedings. Students will meet progressive council members, long-time council insiders and freshly minted council representatives, all vying to become the next council president.

"People get excited about the UC [during the campaign]," says current council President Noah Z. Seton '00. "People take interest in it, and the voter turnout is high."