Harvard Graduate Council Passes Resolution to Support People of Iran

Members of the Harvard Graduate Council voted in favor of a resolution declaring support for the people of Iran on behalf of the University’s graduate students at their Monday night meeting.

The statement passed alongside another resolution calling for the creation of more university-wide student groups. A resolution in support of affirmative action was tabled. Board members and representatives also approved the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget for the body and continued planning a Harvard-Yale tailgate for graduate students.

Janan Iranbomy, HGC chair of student advocacy and engagement, presented the resolution on Iran.

“I find it symbolic that we are gathered at the Harvard Divinity School for today's meeting. One of the core values of the divinity school is respect and dignity for others,” she said. “And with that spirit – for respecting the dignity of others — I hope you can all vote in favor of this resolution for freedom and justice in Iran.”

Pointing to a vigil and teach-in at Harvard Law School, Iranbomy said that the goal of the resolution is to “align the actions” taken by graduate students across the University in support of Iranian people with a unified written statement.

Other students questioned the purpose of the resolution and what the support it promises might look like in action.

“Beyond your communication, where does this go, and what further action do you require from us?” asked Harvard School of Public Health student Idongesit Sampson.

Christopher H. Cleveland ’14 – chair of the student advisory committee to Harvard’s presidential search committee – joined the beginning of the meeting. He presented several questions from the survey distributed by the student advisory committee.

The Council approved a larger-than-normal budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, with projected expenditures totalling $97,500. Of their revenue, $16,446 stems from a carryover of the 2021-2022 budget.

Carlos A. Gonzalez Sierra, president of the Council, referenced a lack of social events in the previous year due to Covid-19 health precautions as a reason to spend more on events this year.

“We have some carryover funds, and I think it's important to allocate those especially on events that bring the graduate student community together because largely, the reason we have a carryover is because there weren't many events last year,” he said.

The budget includes $8,400 for executive board honorariums, a set of stipends for the body’s leadership. The Council previously approved the stipends, which are a standard practice across the graduate student councils of several other Ivy League schools.

Board members provided updates on initiatives such as a graduate student intramural sports league and a cross-school mentorship program. The Council also discussed plans for the graduate student Harvard-Yale tailgate, ultimately deciding to limit ticket sales to current students, excluding significant others and graduate school alumni.

The first round of 100 tickets sold out fewer than 10 minutes after their release at noon on Tuesday. One hundred more are set to be released on Friday.

—Staff writer Paton D. Roberts can be reached at paton.roberts@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @paton_dr.