Council Will Provide More Funds to Houses

The Undergraduate Council voted last night to nearly double funding for undergraduate House committees, granting each one $1,000.

In addition, the Houses will each receive $100 to purchase House flags for the Harvard-Yale football game.

Council President Paul A. Gusmorino ’02 said the proposal, which passed by a wide margin, represented “a major step” in the year-old effort to enhance council cooperation with House committees.

The council began last year to smooth over its historically rocky relationships with House committees—many of which Gusmorino said opposed the council’s creation 20 years ago—by creating a “House of the Month” award designed to facilitate communication among the Houses and with the council. This year, Gusmorino said, the council’s goal has been to give more money to the House committees. Last night marked the first significant victory in that effort.

“We’re building upon the gains made last year,” Gusmorino said.

“I think it’s been a really big change in attitude for the council,” said council member Brian R. Smith ’02, who has also served on the Quincy House Committee. “The council’s becoming more aware of the large role that House committees play campus.”

The $1,000 grants to the 12 undergraduate House committees and the $600 allotted to Dudley House will promote more social events such as “stein clubs” and improved formal dances, according to council member Rohit Chopra ’04.

Distributing money to the Houses and allowing them to make their own decisions is gaining popularity among council members.

“I’m glad to see more money going to the House committees,” said Cabot House representative D. Alexander Ewing ’03. “That’s where it will have a greater impact on student life.”

The money allotted to each House to purchase a flag to wave at the Harvard-Yale football game is one grant that many council members hope will have a tangible effect on student life.

“Whereas the Harvard Houses had no flags with which to rally the football team to victory, and whereas the Yale Colleges flaunted their banners in the faces of Harvard students after the Bulldogs barely ran away with victory...Be it resolved that the [council] contributes $100 per House for each House that wishes to have a flag,” read the language of the council’s bill.

Last night’s council meeting was the last before tonight’s sold-out Dispatch concert in Sanders Theatre, the largest council-sponsored event of the year so far.

“We are really excited,” said Luke R. Long ’03, a member of the council and the concert commission. “Dispatch is a great band and the students are excited.”

Anticipating future concerts, the council voted narrowly to increase the concert commission’s grant from $5,000 for the Dispatch show to $15,000 for the three shows they plan this year.

Adam M. Johnson ’02, who led the opposition to the $15,000 concert commission grant, said he thought the issue wasn’t made clear prior to voting.

Since the individual concerts must be still be approved by the council, Johnson said, “if we don’t approve the proposal, what will [the commission] do with the money? If they can spend it, they’re not accountable to us. If they can’t spend it, what purpose does [the grant] serve?”

Chopra, who voted for the $15,000 grant, said it “was completely an accounting matter. It’s really good for them to have it all at once for liquidity.”

Although the Dispatch concert sold out rapidly, the council also moved last week to standardize and increase its publicity for future events through tabling, postering and even creating phone banks.

Ernani J. DeAraujo ’03, the first appointee to the newly created post of council publicity secretary, described the new measures as “an unprecedented step by the Council to ensure that all students are aware of what we are doing.”

—Staff writer William M. Rasmussen can be reached at wrasmuss@fas.harvard.edu.