Game Should Be Free, Council Says

Two weeks before The Game against Yale, the Undergraduate Council last night called for the settling of what member Paul A. Gusmorino '02 called an "age-old gripe": that Harvard undergraduates have to pay $12 for a ticket to The Game--even when it's at Harvard.

Yale undergraduates do not have to pay for tickets when The Game is in New Haven.

"Yalies don't have to pay. Are we worse than Yalies? I think not," sponsor Todd E. Plants '01 thundered.

Plants and Gusmorino said the issue of free tickets is under consideration by Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68. They said the council's resolution would go a long way towards encouraging Lewis.

"This is a way to say this really is important to us," Gusmorino said.

Calling the New Haven school "an abomination," the council also passed a resolution beginning its appropriations for activities during Harvard-Yale weekend.

The council allocated $170 for a dry tailgate party at The Game, and $770 for a DJ "Spin-Off" in Lowell House. The Campus Life Committee also plans a Battle of the Bands for that weekend, in addition to other activities.

The council's most divisive debate of the evening came during a discussion about the traditional council-sponsored shuttles to the airport prior to Thanksgiving break.

Under the proposed bill, the council would raise the ticket price from $3 to $5--a move made, sponsors said, in order to break even after a loss of several hundred dollars last year.

"We can provide the service, while raising some money," said sponsor Vladimir A. Kleyman '02.

"If you had to pay $5 to get to the airport, would you feel robbed by the UC? No," asked Steven Chung '01.

However, former council treasurer Sterling P.A. Darling '01 called the hike excessive, and said that last year's loss on the shuttles was due to poor organization by the council. In fact, he said, last year was the only year that the council lost money on the service.

He argued that if the council put more effort into selling the tickets this year, the shuttles could break even without a price hike.

"It was the council's fault we didn't break even, not the student body's," Darling said. "Let's not base this on a past failure but a future success."

Several council members also objected to using the hike in order to make money on ticket sales.

"The Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Council has a long tradition of saving students money, not costing them money," Plants said.

Twelve council members voted in favor of the $3 fee, five voted for a $4 fee, and 21 voted in favor of the proposed $5 price. The bill sponsoring the shuttles then passed easily by a vote of 20 to 2 with 4 abstentions.

In other council business, the council allocated funds for the Ivy Council, a body made up of representatives from of Ivy League student governments. It also overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for the City of Cambridge to place signs in crosswalks along Mt. Auburn Street and Mass. Ave., warning motor vehicles to stop for pedestrians.

Kyle D. Hawkins '02, chair of the council's election commission announced the timeline for the council's presidential election in early December.

Petitions for those who wish to be on the ballot will be available today outside the council's office in Holworthy Hall. Students must turn in their petitions with 100 signatures by Nov. 17.

Hawkins also announced that the council is looking for three non-council members to serve on the committee.

--Staff Writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.