The YCC: a breeding ground for future pols

LIZ OLINER/YH LIZ OLINER/YH President Zach Kaufman, SY '00, and Vice President Fawzi Jumean, MC '00, will head next year's Yale College Council.

Within their residential colleges, students can get involved in their College Councils and Student Activities Committees (SAC). These councils hold weekly meetings to address concerns of the college. The SACs coordinate their residential colleges' social activities, such as dances and trips to baseball games and famous talk shows. At the end of each semester, students can run for president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer of their residental college council or SAC chair. Non-elected members are encouraged to attend council meetings and give their input on residential college issues.

At the class level, freshmen can represent their college in the Freshman Class Council (FCC). The FCC pursues projects and issues relevant to the frosh including the "Freshman Screw" (an annual dance where freshmen set their roommates up on blind dates) in the fall. The FCC also works closely with the Yale College Council (YCC) to host Spring Fling. This year's FCC opened the Freshman Lounge in Bingham Hall, a rec room complete with a big screen TV for freshmen only. Freshmen can run for one of their college's two FCC representative seats early in the year. Though the sophomore and junior classes do not have class councils, there is a Senior Class Council which organizes special events for members of the senior class.

As the representative government of the entire Yale student body, the YCC strives to build a better Yale on a campus-wide level. This year, the YCC extended library and gym hours during finals time. YCC leadership consists of the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and Undergraduate Office of Funding Committee chair, selected every year in April elections. The council also contains residential college representatives responsible for representing their college's interests and communicating YCC's decisions to the members of their college. To fulfill this duty, representatives are expected to be in constant close contact with their residential college councils and at the same time attend two YCC full council meetings every week and serve on at least one YCC committee.

Representatives can pursue their visions of a better Yale through the YCC's three committees. The Issues Committee addresses campus-wide questions like financial aid reform. The Projects Committee focuses on special projects, such as improving the dining halls and the meal plan. The Activities Committee hosts campus-wide events, including the Winter Ball and Spring Fling (past headlining acts include They Might Be Giants, George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars, G-Love and Special Sauce, the Lemonheads, and the Indigo Girls). Any member of a committee can run for a committee chairmanship.

Students who are not interested in running to be a representative may apply to be an associate of the YCC. Although associates may not chair committees or vote at full council meetings, they contribute just as much as representatives in time and insight.

The YCC also selects individuals to serve on the University's standing committees. These student-faculty committees help the Administration make decisions, ranging from the funding of major undergraduate organizations to sexual harassment grievances.

Student government thrives at Yale, and anyone with the desire to get involved can take advantage of a variety of opportunities, working on large-scale improvements as well as minor but important changes. Prior leadership experience is not required. Whether you are a former high-school class president or a newcomer to student elections, you can easily find a place in Yale's student government.

Zach Kaufman, SY '00, is President of the YCC.

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