Currier Committee Will Fund Malcolm X Events

The Currier House Committee voted last night to donate the profits from a party held last Yale weekend to help pay for events connected with the upcoming commemoration of the death of Black leader Malcolm X.

After an emotional but orderly discussion attended by more than 100 people and lasting more than two-and-a-half hours, the committee voted 21-5 to donate $1123.19, the net profit from the party held at Currier after the Harvard-Yale football game, to the Currier House Black Table and the Malcolm X Weekend Committee, which are co-sponsoring several events at Currier on February 21. The money will be used only to pay for those events held at Currier.

A member of the Currier House Black Table first raised the issue last week when he proposed that the committee donate $2000 to sponsor the three events the group will co-sponsor at Currier.

Phyllis M. Bursh '83, an organizer of the weekend and a member of the Currier House Committee, said yesterday the annual commemoration of Malcolm X's assassination began five years ago at Currier House and this year will take place on February 20, 21 and 22. It will include several cultural events and panel discussions, as well as a dinner, arts festival and cabaret at Currier House.

Students supporting the proposal described the history of the weekend commemoration, which was begun by Currier House students. One said the request was made in light of the precedent set by Currier's Yale party, which the House Committee sponsored.

James A. Star '83 said, "an historical relationship should not necessarily be a financial relationship," adding that the House should not sponsor a "political event."

Another student asked how the weekend can be a "properly administered program" when the Black Table waited until 12 days before the events take place to ask for $2000.

Bursh said the request came at such a late date because of recent changes in administration of the House Committee and recent cancellations of House Committee meetings.

Proponents of the donation also argued that the events at Currier would be cultural and educational events from which all House residents could benefit, and suggested possible discounts on tickets for Currier residents.

Bursh and several students at the meeting said several other Houses have been approached for money and other types of assistance, adding they have received no other replies.

One committee member said the tradition of the House Committee is not to fund events sponsored by groups outside the House, even when they are cosponsored by groups of Currier students, adding that a new precedent would allow any organization with supporters in Currier to ask for funds from the House.

Another member said that precedent should be broken, arguing it would represent "tunnel vision" on the part of the committee to refuse to help all outside organizations, even when they sponsor events that will benefit residents of Currier. Proponents of the funding said Black student groups had less access to alumni donations than other campus groups.

Before any member of the committee made a motion to vote on the request for $2000 made by the members of the Black Table, Thomas E. Read '83 proposed the compromise of donating the profits of the Yale weekend party to the sponsors of the three events that will take place at Currier on February 21.

The compromise proposal won in a secret ballot vote. After the vote, the audience broke into cheers and applause.

The outcome showed how the committee "is serving the needs of the different groups in the House," Alan Khazei '83, president of the committee, said