Ivy Council gears up for intense meeting

Although the eight Ivy League universities spend most of the year competing athletically, once a semester they put their rivalries aside and share ideas on effective ways to deal with common issues. More than 40 students, representing all eight schools, will meet at Columbia University tonight for the three-day Ivy Council Fall Conference. Established in 1993, the IC is a student-led body that meets twice yearly to facilitate communication between student government leaders from across the Ivies. Last year the group received extensive media attention for a statement it released to various newspapers questioning the reliability of the U.S. News and World Report's college ranking system and requesting that the process be researched further. The comments contributed, in part, to revisions the magazine made to its ranking process this fall. Organizers of this weekend's conference hope that at least two resolutions will emerge from discussions, including one voicing the IC's opposition to the Solomon Amendment of the Federal Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1997, which would deny federal funding to institutions that bar on-campus military recruitment. Last month, Penn's Law School faculty caved in the face of the federal amendment and allowed military representatives to recruit on campus. The decision spurred protest from various campus gay and lesbian groups, who claimed it violated the University's anti-discrimination policies. The IC also expects to produce a resolution supporting Brown's student government in its quest for need-blind financial aid. Brown junior Amy Finkelstein, IC vice president for external affairs, said the issue will come to forefront in January, as Brown's new president, E. Gordon Gee, takes office. "When the student government brings a proposal to the new president, they will be able to use a statement from the Ivy Council supporting need-blind financial aid to their advantage," Finkelstein explained. Also on the agenda is a series of roundtable discussions on issues ranging from race to voter turnout and a meeting to reform the Ivy Council Constitution. Wharton sophomore Dan Kryzanowski, an IC member, said he hopes revamping the constitution won't take time away from more "practical" parts of the conference, such as the roundtable discussions. Noting that the council meets only twice a year, he said he fears "wasting" time. Other UA representatives heading to Columbia hope to return to Penn with ideas for new programs and tips on how to deal with administrators. "Ivy Council is really useful to get ideas about what other schools are doing to solve certain problems," said UA Vice Chairperson and IC Steering Committee member Samara Barend, citing the issue of funding fraternity parties. The College junior added that plans for a Penn Winter Fest celebration during reading days are based on Dartmouth's annual Winter Carnival, which she learned about at last spring's IC conference.