Harvard Undergraduate Association to Fund Halloween Movie Night, Harvard-Yale Merch

The Harvard Undergraduate Association passed five proposals at its general meeting Tuesday evening, including funding for a Halloween movie night and for Harvard-Yale merchandise ahead of the 140th playing of The Game.

The HUA allocated $2,000 to fund a Halloween movie night on the Quad Lawn co-hosted by the HUA, Cabot House, and the Dean of Students Office. Adirika said Cabot House traditionally hosts a movie night during Halloween, but this year, the HUA wanted to expand the event and make it accessible to students across all Houses.

The HUA also allocated $1,000 for purchasing Harvard merchandise, which the HUA will hand out for free to students before this year’s Harvard-Yale football game on Nov. 23. Adirika said the HUA did a similar merchandise give-away in 2022, when The Game was last played at Harvard Stadium.

“There was a ton of demand, and students really enjoyed it,” Adirika said.

The HUA’s Inclusion Team and Well-being Team each received $1,500 to fund the “Helping Hands Fund,” a grant specifically designed for inclusion and well-being related initiatives.

“There were a ton of clubs who utilized the fund,” Adirika said. “From an inclusion and equity standpoint, I think it is important to have opportunities like this for student boards that are specifically focused on inclusion and well-being in terms of their programming.”

During the meeting, the HUA’s Social Life Team also received funding to support the HUA’s “Crimson Cohesion Fund” and “Fun Fund.”

The Social Life Team received $3,500 to finance the cohesion fund, which is intended for student organizations that host events for 200 or more students.

“The whole purpose of this fund — which has existed in the past — is to provide students with the opportunity to create those meaningful connections and meet new people outside of classes and have those different spaces where they can socialize and have fun,” said Tsion A. Daniel ’27, who serves as the HUA’s social life team officer.

The HUA also allocated $2,000 toward the Social Life Team’s “Fun Fund,” which allows groups of three to ten students to participate in a subsidized outing worth up to $15 per person.

“This would be a first-come, first-serve basis,” Daniel said.

Adirika and HUA Co-President Jonathan Haileselassie ’26 also announced that they met with Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra regarding the University’s search for a successor to Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana, who will step aside at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.

Adirika said she and Hailesellassie had a “wonderful conversation about ways we can collaborate” with the FAS on the College’s dean search.

“Dean Hoekstra is really interested in understanding student perspectives on this,” Adirika added.

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.

—Staff writer Adithya V. Madduri can be reached at adithya.madduri@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @adithyavmadduri.