Houses Will Receive Grants From Council

After a debate which lasted more than an hour, the Undergraduate Council authorized $500 block grants to each of the undergraduate house committees and to the council's first-year caucus.

Representatives from several house committees came to the meeting to protest a condition of the original bill that required them to present their proposals to the council's Campus Life Committee for approval.

The bill passed with a final vote of 51-4, but underwent a discussion of potential amendments that lasted well over an hour.

The approved version of the bill did not require the committee's approval, but council members said they would like to know what the committees plan to do with the block grants.

"We're wasting a lot of time tonight," said council President Robert M. Hyman '98, who characterized much of the debate as "a lot of insipid trash [coming] from both sides."

"I don't see any harm in having [house committees] communicate with us, and telling us how [they're] spending the money," said Eric M. Nelson '99, who is chair of the Student Affairs Committee and a Crimson editor.

The council also approved a slew of new social events currently under consideration in the Campus Life Committee.

The council will allocate $276 to a Club Loker Dance Contest, $1106 for a Harvard-Yale pep rally and bonfire and $1450 for a victory party following The Game on November 23.

The council also voted to table a bill denouncing the Administrative Board's disciplinary action against Crimson editor William L. Kirtley '97, after Kirtley urged the council to withdraw the bill.

"I think [passing the bill] might hinder something that is more important, that is, getting students to sit on the Ad Board," Kirtley said.

At the beginning of the meeting, Hyman announced his decision to the council regarding the $1000 agent fee the council racked up in a botched search for band to play at HYPE. This had previously been a source of controversy on the council.

"Certainly we have no legal duty to pay this agent," Hyman said. "I don't think it's important that we spend $1000 of the students' money on this agent."