Council Avoids Contentious Debate, Approves Spring Grants

They were greeted with pizza and a four-page agenda, but pre-frosh who visited Harvard Hall last night expecting a highly charged Undergraduate Council meeting were sorely disappointed.

A motion to rescind the controversial Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) bill and a declaration involving "depoliticizing" the council failed before even reaching debate, and the bulk of the highly anticipated meeting was spent approving the spring package of grants for student groups.

Alex A. Boni-Saenz '01 made a motion to rescind the ROTC bill passed two weeks ago. The bill, which endorsed stronger support of Harvard students in ROTC, drew fire from students who saw it as a tacit endorsement of the military's discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy towards gays and lesbians.

Boni-Saenz argued that besides endorsing discrimination, the bill would have little practical effect.

"[Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68] has said that the ROTC policy is not going to change anytime soon," he said. "It just remains as an offensive political statement."

Despite the contentious issue, Boni-Saenz's one-minute introduction was all the discussion the proposal got. A procedural motion to rescind, which would have re-opened debate on the bill, failed 21-29.

Students who attended the meeting in support of rescission said they were disappointed by the results.

"It's appalling," said Michael K. T. Tan '00, secretary of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance, after the meeting.

"I think it's a communication that the U.C. is not interested in representing its constituents," he said, adding that "their refusal to even consider it is horrendous."

Before the ROTC motion was defeated, Jeffrey A. Letalien '00 and John P. Marshall '01 proposed a "depoliticization declaration" as new business.

This was also expected to incite argument, but the legislation did not even gain enough votes for consideration, let alone debate.

The declaration specifically targeted the Coalition Against Sexual Violence and the Radcliffe Union of Students' Take Back the Night, whose activities were recently endorsed by the council.

Marshall and Letalien argued that the council's endorsement of the groups should not necessarily be seen as support of the groups' political views.

"When these organizations turn around and take a political stance...I don't think our name as the U.C. should be used to promote that," Letalien said.

However, council members disagreed and the preliminary vote to consider the declaration failed.

On the less controversial side, the spring grants package, which awarded over $29,000 to various student groups, passed unanimously. The only debate surrounded an appeal by George T. Hill '00, director of Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment Summer Program (BYRE) for an $400 increase of his group's grant.

According to Hill, who is also a Crimson editor, BYRE employs 11 senior counselors each summer, eight of which are Harvard undergraduates. But Bradley L. Davis'00 pointed out that the salaries for seven ofthose students are subsidized by other sources.

"We felt the money could be used for a groupthat has a larger effect on campus rather than asa stipend for one undergrad," Davis said. Thecouncil voted to increase BYRE's grant by $100 andquickly approved the rest of the package. In othercouncil business, members of the Campus LifeCommittee (CLC) asked representatives to helppublicize this weekend's Springfest.

According to CLC co-chair Ryan E. Dorris '00,no alcohol will be served at the event this yearfor "security and insurance reasons." But Dorrissaid he expects a successful event nevertheless,beginning with a Battle of the Bands inPforzheimer House Friday night and includingamusements, food and a Violent Femmes performanceon Saturday.

"The more word of mouth we get, the better,"said CLC co-chair Stephen N. Smith '02. "It'll bea blast.

"We felt the money could be used for a groupthat has a larger effect on campus rather than asa stipend for one undergrad," Davis said. Thecouncil voted to increase BYRE's grant by $100 andquickly approved the rest of the package. In othercouncil business, members of the Campus LifeCommittee (CLC) asked representatives to helppublicize this weekend's Springfest.

According to CLC co-chair Ryan E. Dorris '00,no alcohol will be served at the event this yearfor "security and insurance reasons." But Dorrissaid he expects a successful event nevertheless,beginning with a Battle of the Bands inPforzheimer House Friday night and includingamusements, food and a Violent Femmes performanceon Saturday.

"The more word of mouth we get, the better,"said CLC co-chair Stephen N. Smith '02. "It'll bea blast.