U.C. OKs Blind Melon Concert

The Undergraduate Council last night overwhelming approved every item on a lengthy docket, including a proposal for a Blind Melon concert.

The council sharply diverged from the division it exhibited last week when it allocated $14,150 for a Digable Planets concert to be held during reading period in January. That motion passed by a vote of 32-30, with three members abstaining.

But the Digable Planets ultimately rejected the council's bid for the concert, according to concert organizer John A. Mann '92-'94. Mann then organized another proposal, which called upon the council to allocate $16,000 for a Blind Melon concert scheduled for February 17.

That motion sped through the council, despite obstacles posed by the council's parliamentary procedure which kept the resolution from an immediate vote.

The resolution was passed by a vote of 50-1, with five members abstaining.

The turnaround in council support for a large concert resulted from the combined effects of changing the concert date from reading period to the beginning of second semester and the sense among council members that Blind Melon is a more main-stream music group which will attract a larger Harvard audience, said council President Carey W. Gabay '94.

"One of the questions I had was whether Harvard students are cool enough to go partying right before exams," Gabay said, referring to the rhetoric former council Chair Michael P. Beys '94 used to marshal support for the original concert last week.

Gabay also said that the results of the student affairs committee's recent survey swayed his decision to support such a pricey concert despite the council's De La Soul failure two years ago.

According to the student survey based on a random sampling of more than 1,600 undergraduates, 26 percent of the students who responded said that they would attend a Blind Melon concert.

"Whenever you have a quarter of Harvard agreeing on anything there's no reason not to support it," Mann said.

The council then proceeded to allocate another$10.000 to bring Saturday Night Live comedianDavid Spade to Sanders Theatre on March 24. Thecampus life committee expects to incur a $3,000loss from the Blind Melon concert and another$1,060 loss from the Spade concert, assuming thatboth events sell out.

But the committee is already $1,581 over itsbudget, said council Treasurer Rene Reyes '95.Still, financial concerns were disregarded as thecouncil continued its pattern of magnanimousgestures throughout the night.

The council added to their $26,000 eveningexpenditures a campus life committee allocation of$1,440 for shuttle buses to run form Harvard toLogan International Airport on December 21 and 22.

In other business, the council approved ameasure which would request that the facultycouncil issue teaching fellow (T.F.) evaluationforms to all academic departments. The evaluationswould reinforce mandatory T.F. training at the BokCenter for Teaching and Learning.

"The benefits of the resolution are two-fold,"Mark P. Connolly '96, motion co-sponsor said."We're offering both preventive training beforeT.F.'s start teaching and then evaluations at theend to make sure they did their jobs well."

Reyes told the council that the financecommittee is presently $2.200 over its fallbudget.

Council members sped the two hour meeting alongdespite a late start caused by the appearance ofDean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57.

Jewett addressed the council before itofficially convened last night and offered hisperspective on the most important issues theCollege will face in upcoming months.

Jewett said that the yard dorm renovations,which will be completed soon, and thetransformation of Memorial Hall into a studentcenter, which will begin this June, are theCollege's priorities right now.

But council members pressed Jewett on an issueof more immediate concern to themselves--the roleof the council on campus.

Jewett said the council is considered anofficial organ of the University, as evidenced byits ability to "tax its constituents" in the formof a $20 yearly term bill charge.

Mann pointed out that other Universities chargetheir students up to $100 in fees and asked Jewettwhether Harvard might consider a higher councilpremium.

Jewett said he was skeptical that the councilwould be permitted to increase its funding usingthat method.

"It would entail a long process of presenting aproposal to the faculty council," Jewett said."And regardless of what the faculty councilthought, it wouldn't happen unless a sizablemajority of the student wanted it to happen.

Paul K. Kim '96 was elected to fill the vacancyin the Winthrop House delegation created whenformer presidential candidate Mark D. McKay '94resigned three weeks ago.

But just after gaining a new member last night,the council lost another when outspoken councilcritic Hillary k. Anger '93-'94 resigned.

Richard Cole Jr. '94, the remaining DudleyHouse representative, will work with council VicePresident Melissa Garza '94 to fill Anger's post

The council then proceeded to allocate another$10.000 to bring Saturday Night Live comedianDavid Spade to Sanders Theatre on March 24. Thecampus life committee expects to incur a $3,000loss from the Blind Melon concert and another$1,060 loss from the Spade concert, assuming thatboth events sell out.

But the committee is already $1,581 over itsbudget, said council Treasurer Rene Reyes '95.Still, financial concerns were disregarded as thecouncil continued its pattern of magnanimousgestures throughout the night.

The council added to their $26,000 eveningexpenditures a campus life committee allocation of$1,440 for shuttle buses to run form Harvard toLogan International Airport on December 21 and 22.

In other business, the council approved ameasure which would request that the facultycouncil issue teaching fellow (T.F.) evaluationforms to all academic departments. The evaluationswould reinforce mandatory T.F. training at the BokCenter for Teaching and Learning.

"The benefits of the resolution are two-fold,"Mark P. Connolly '96, motion co-sponsor said."We're offering both preventive training beforeT.F.'s start teaching and then evaluations at theend to make sure they did their jobs well."

Reyes told the council that the financecommittee is presently $2.200 over its fallbudget.

Council members sped the two hour meeting alongdespite a late start caused by the appearance ofDean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57.

Jewett addressed the council before itofficially convened last night and offered hisperspective on the most important issues theCollege will face in upcoming months.

Jewett said that the yard dorm renovations,which will be completed soon, and thetransformation of Memorial Hall into a studentcenter, which will begin this June, are theCollege's priorities right now.

But council members pressed Jewett on an issueof more immediate concern to themselves--the roleof the council on campus.

Jewett said the council is considered anofficial organ of the University, as evidenced byits ability to "tax its constituents" in the formof a $20 yearly term bill charge.

Mann pointed out that other Universities chargetheir students up to $100 in fees and asked Jewettwhether Harvard might consider a higher councilpremium.

Jewett said he was skeptical that the councilwould be permitted to increase its funding usingthat method.

"It would entail a long process of presenting aproposal to the faculty council," Jewett said."And regardless of what the faculty councilthought, it wouldn't happen unless a sizablemajority of the student wanted it to happen.

Paul K. Kim '96 was elected to fill the vacancyin the Winthrop House delegation created whenformer presidential candidate Mark D. McKay '94resigned three weeks ago.

But just after gaining a new member last night,the council lost another when outspoken councilcritic Hillary k. Anger '93-'94 resigned.

Richard Cole Jr. '94, the remaining DudleyHouse representative, will work with council VicePresident Melissa Garza '94 to fill Anger's post