UC Votes Money To Houses

With blazing speed, the Undergraduate Council passed six resolutions at last night's meeting.

Among the legislation passed last night was a bill tabled at last week's meeting to provide block grants to all 12 house committees and the council's Freshman Caucus.

Debate on the bill centered around two amendments, one that would eliminate the stipulation that funds must be used for durable goods and another striking the requirement that committees get approval from the Campus Life Committee before spending the funds.

Council Member Elizabeth A. Haynes '98 said she felt the requirement for house committees to get Campus Life approval would be a necessary check.

"We only have so much money, and this is a big chunk," Haynes said. "Shouldn't we have this check? We don't fund houses, we fund undergraduates, and they just happen to live in the houses and yard dorms."

A number of council members, including council president Robert M. Hyman '98-'97, William H. Rehling '86-'96 and Christopher R. McFadden '97, who is also a Crimson editor, spoke out against this check on house committees' authority to spend the funds.

"My intent is that house committees shouldn't have to go to the Campus Life Committee and give detailed summaries of what they want to do," Hyman said. "I want to show we trust the house committees to do what's best."

Campus Life Committee Co-chair and declared candidate for the council's presidential elections next semester Rudd W. Coffey '97 said he disagreed with the bill as a whole because it would take too much money away from the Campus Life Committee.

"We're spending almost half of our budget on a blank check to the house committees," Coffey said.

Hyman said he disagreed with Coffey's appraisal of the effect the allocation would have on the Campus Life Committee.

"Rudd said this would be half of the budget. I don't know where these numbers are coming from. Maybe he's using the new math I haven't read about. If this passes, it's $8,000 out of a $40,000 budget," Hyman said.

Coffey said the bill was not fair because it allocated money equally to all houses whether or not they pursue fundraising on their own. He also said forcing the house committees to get Campus Life Committee approval would not be an undue burden on them.

"We're not the people who make people beg," Coffey said. "That's the Finance Committee."

McFadden said he thought Coffey was too pessimistic in his view of the bill and that committees should be given discretion in how they spend the funds.

"Let's keep the money as close to the people as possible," McFadden said. "Let's not give the Campus Life Committee the chance to say no."

As the bill was finally passed, house committees will not have to get approval from the Campus Life Committee and will not be forced to spend the money on durable goods.

Also on the council's agenda was a bill sponsored by Campus Life Committee Co-chair Phillip R. Kaufman '98 and Tom Cotton '99 to provide shuttle busses for students who wish to attend the Harvard-Yale football game in November.

Three buses are to leave Harvard for New Haven on the Friday before The Game, seven will make the round-trip on Saturday and three will return from New Haven on Sunday.

Tickets will cost $18 round-trip. The council anticipates around 500 students will use the buses, but the Campus Life Committee has some discretion to expand or contract the number of buses depending on demand.

The shuttle bus bill passed unanimously.

The council next passed a bill to call on college administrators to firmly commit to a policy of need-blind admissions.

Sponsor Justin C. Label '97, former vice-president of the council, also included provisions in the bill saying that the council believes it speaks for most students in placing the maintenance of this policy among the highest priorities in the University's upcoming financial decisions.

The bill was amended by Progressive Undergraduate Council Coalition [PUCC] member Garance Franke-Ruta '96 to make provisions to further promote a rally in support of maintaining federal financial aid which will take place on the Boston Common on Tuesday, October 31.

As one of the measures in the amendment, the council will mail drop flyers advertising the rally to most students on campus. The efforts to support the financial aid rally are a part of PUCC's platform of increasing the political activity of the council.

The next bill passed, also sponsored by Label, will allow student groups to use the high-volume copier located in the council's office for three cents per copy. The bill makes the council's treasurer responsible for providing access to the copier and charging the groups.

In his opening remarks before the meeting, Hyman announced the administration has granted universal card-key access to all houses and first-year dormitories between the hours of 12 and 8 p.m.

In response to this concession, Rehling sponsored a bill calling for the council to pressure administrators to implement this new access as soon as possible.

The council also changed its rules so that first-year council members will now be allowed to serve on the College's Committee on House Life

Campus Life Committee Co-chair and declared candidate for the council's presidential elections next semester Rudd W. Coffey '97 said he disagreed with the bill as a whole because it would take too much money away from the Campus Life Committee.

"We're spending almost half of our budget on a blank check to the house committees," Coffey said.

Hyman said he disagreed with Coffey's appraisal of the effect the allocation would have on the Campus Life Committee.

"Rudd said this would be half of the budget. I don't know where these numbers are coming from. Maybe he's using the new math I haven't read about. If this passes, it's $8,000 out of a $40,000 budget," Hyman said.

Coffey said the bill was not fair because it allocated money equally to all houses whether or not they pursue fundraising on their own. He also said forcing the house committees to get Campus Life Committee approval would not be an undue burden on them.

"We're not the people who make people beg," Coffey said. "That's the Finance Committee."

McFadden said he thought Coffey was too pessimistic in his view of the bill and that committees should be given discretion in how they spend the funds.

"Let's keep the money as close to the people as possible," McFadden said. "Let's not give the Campus Life Committee the chance to say no."

As the bill was finally passed, house committees will not have to get approval from the Campus Life Committee and will not be forced to spend the money on durable goods.

Also on the council's agenda was a bill sponsored by Campus Life Committee Co-chair Phillip R. Kaufman '98 and Tom Cotton '99 to provide shuttle busses for students who wish to attend the Harvard-Yale football game in November.

Three buses are to leave Harvard for New Haven on the Friday before The Game, seven will make the round-trip on Saturday and three will return from New Haven on Sunday.

Tickets will cost $18 round-trip. The council anticipates around 500 students will use the buses, but the Campus Life Committee has some discretion to expand or contract the number of buses depending on demand.

The shuttle bus bill passed unanimously.

The council next passed a bill to call on college administrators to firmly commit to a policy of need-blind admissions.

Sponsor Justin C. Label '97, former vice-president of the council, also included provisions in the bill saying that the council believes it speaks for most students in placing the maintenance of this policy among the highest priorities in the University's upcoming financial decisions.

The bill was amended by Progressive Undergraduate Council Coalition [PUCC] member Garance Franke-Ruta '96 to make provisions to further promote a rally in support of maintaining federal financial aid which will take place on the Boston Common on Tuesday, October 31.

As one of the measures in the amendment, the council will mail drop flyers advertising the rally to most students on campus. The efforts to support the financial aid rally are a part of PUCC's platform of increasing the political activity of the council.

The next bill passed, also sponsored by Label, will allow student groups to use the high-volume copier located in the council's office for three cents per copy. The bill makes the council's treasurer responsible for providing access to the copier and charging the groups.

In his opening remarks before the meeting, Hyman announced the administration has granted universal card-key access to all houses and first-year dormitories between the hours of 12 and 8 p.m.

In response to this concession, Rehling sponsored a bill calling for the council to pressure administrators to implement this new access as soon as possible.

The council also changed its rules so that first-year council members will now be allowed to serve on the College's Committee on House Life