HUA Passes Subsidized Transportation Proposal, Amends Laundry Initiative

The Harvard Undergraduate Association announced the creation of a new subsidized transportation program and proposed updates to its Affordable Laundry Initiative at its weekly meeting Tuesday evening.

HUA Co-Presidents Ashley C. Adirika ’26 and Jonathan Haileselassie ’26 began the general meeting by announcing that a member from the Harvard Board of Overseers — the University’s second-highest governing body — is having dinner with HUA representatives on Thursday. They asked the group for feedback, but no attendee immediately provided any suggestions.

The HUA also discussed changes to the Affordable Laundry Initiative, which it announced last week. The initiative initially had $1,000 allocated towards placing free laundry detergent in 45 laundry centers across campus, but the HUA allocated an additional $200 Tuesday to support the cost required to purchase “more environmentally friendly” detergent.

The HUA then discussed whether students would know how to use the laundry sheets, which the HUA intends to use in lieu of liquid detergent or pods.

“If we have to ask how to use it, that’s not really a good sign for the general population,” Dillon A. Dukes ’28, a first-year team leader and Crimson Business associate, said. “I don’t know how many people would use the sheets if they don’t know how to use it.”

The HUA officers ultimately settled on including a jar with instructions and an HUA logo, increasing the funding allocation by $100 to cover the cost of printing and laminating — bringing the total amount allocated to the initiative to $1,300.

HUA Co-Director of Advocacy Joshua T. Eneji ’28 also announced the creation of UNITED4Change, a subsidized transportation initiative. The proposal, a collaboration with College administrators, would provide subsidized transportation for students traveling to the airport and returning during winter break.

“It evolved out of something that the inclusion team did last year, which is a rideshare program for folks to get to the airport at a subsidized cost,” Adirika said.

During the meeting, HUA Academic Officer Matthew R. Tobin ’27 also laid out the Academic Team’s second annual recognition event for teaching assistants, teaching fellows, and course assistants. Tobin, a Crimson Editorial editor, said the Academic Team was currently collecting nominations for the event.

“We’re going to be recognizing all of the nominees at a reception, but the academic team is putting together a committee to specifically honor one nominee per division,” Tobin said.

During the open floor segment of the meeting, Eneji also discussed the HUA’s input on the ongoing Harvard College Dean Search, proposing that the HUA lobby for candidates not based on their character or qualifications, but rather their attitude toward Harvard’s recent crackdown on student protesters.

“I know we were talking about qualities, but maybe a restorative justice push,” Eneji suggested, referring to students who were disciplined by the Harvard College Administrative Board for their participation in pro-Palestine protests.

Haileselassie also announced that the HUA had finalized its Harvard-Yale merchandise. Adirika added that the group would use proceeds from the sales to raise money.

“We got approval from Harvard Athletics, and they’re also very, very excited about this,” Haileselassie said. “Rock what you will.”

“We might ask some of y’all to model it,” Adirika added.

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

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