UC Launches Effort to Fund Large-Scale Events

The Undergraduate Council recently launched an effort to enhance social spaces for students, both on- and off-campus, through the creation of a program that will fund large-scale events.

The Large Venue Grant Pilot Program, an initiative with $10,000 to spend for the semester, will grant student groups funds following an application and interview process with the UC Finance Committee. The chair of the committee said that the program will allow for student groups to collaborate and throw big events that otherwise would be exclusive or nonexistent.

“An event of this magnitude is best accomplished when several student groups join forces,” said Finance Committee Chair Ivet A. Bell. “Not only does collaboration allow for greater success, but it breaks the ‘club-members only’ barriers that sometimes leave people without options on a Friday night.”

The Finance Committee placed an emphasis on innovation and collaboration when evaluating applications and deciding which groups to reward with funding, according to Bell.

The previous cap for grants—which was $200—could not fund an off-campus venue like the Sheraton Commander without requiring additional sources of funding, such as charging students for admission. Changing the cap was one of the primary motivations for the Finance Committee’s creation of the program.

“There was never anything free,” Pratyusha Yalamanchi ’13, a Dunster House representative on the Finance Committee, said. “A large complaint last year was that there were parties funded by student groups but you were always charged for a ticket.”

Student groups have already started receiving funds from the program, whose application deadline was March 5. Out of 13 applications, the Finance Committee chose eight for its first round of funding.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association received funding for two separate events, the first of which will be a concert this Saturday, according to Jean J. Shiao ’13, the organization’s treasurer. The second event, called “Crash,” will be a “collaborative social event with Asian organizations,” she said.

The Latino Men’s Collective, which received a grant, will be collaborating with five other student groups to throw a  party at the Sheraton Commander called “All of the Lights.”

“We are trying to throw the party of the year,” J. Andre Mauri ’13, treasurer of the Latino Men’s Collective, said. “Thanks to the UC, we are able to fund it.”

Other groups that have received funding for off-campus functions include the United World Club at Harvard and the Woodbridge International Society, which are collaborating to host an event at the Sheraton Commander in April.

The event, which they have called “80 Minutes Around the World,” will highlight a variety of ethnic foods, dances, and performances, followed by a dance party featuring a mix of international music, according to Gili Vidan ’13, co-president of the United World Club.

“We are trying to create a big event because we are hoping to attract more American students to intermingle with international students,” Vidan said. “This grant is so great because it is an opportunity to have such an event completely free at the Sheraton Commander.”

Bell also said that the large-venue grants do not only reflect the UC’s mission to enhance social life, but they also reflect a cultural and directional change within the Finance Committee.

“We are focusing even more on being welcoming and open to student innovation,” Bell said.

Yalamanchi, the Finance Committee member, agreed.

“In the past, FiCom has always tried to stick to policy,” she said. “The large-venue grants is just one example of how we are trying to fix our policy so that it caters to student life and creativity.”

—Staff writer Rachael E. Apfel can be reached at rachaelapfel@college.harvard.edu.