Undergraduate Council to Provide Beer at Springfest

Sister Hazel won't be at Springfest next weekend, but free beer will.

The Undergraduate Council passed a bill last night to allocate $1641.20 to providing eight kegs of beer at Springfest to students over 21. The money will pay for the beer, a liquor license, extra police security and a Beverage Authorization Team (BAT).

"It's about beer; it's about fun," said Samuel C. Cohen '00, vice president of the council and a sponsor of the bill. "It's about Springfest. It's about all the ways you can have fun."

Cohen added that beer will attract students who would not be lured by the games and non-alcoholic refreshments. "There are a large quantity of students on this campus that would show up," Cohen said.

This is the first time since 1995 that beer has been served at Springfest.

Three students dissented to the bill, citing concerns about crowd control and unlawful behavior.

"It's not a good idea to take a risk that someone will drink too much and have to go to the hospital," said Rachel E. Barber '99. "We shouldn't serve people alcohol in the middle of the afternoon. [We might have] drunk hooligans going around Cambridge."

Most council members disagreed.

"I don't feel that there is a major moral issue in providing alcohol to students who want to drink in moderation," said C. Thomas Brown '98.

A BAT team will enforce the legal drinking age. Students will probably have to present ID to gain access to an enclosed area where they will remain with their drinks.

In other business, the council also approved $21,355.50 in spring grants for student groups.

"The requests were very reasonable which makes it pleasant to do finance work," said Robert S. Schwartz '00, chair of the Finance Committee. "We were able to some-what fulfill the requests."

Each group has an advocate from the committee who works with them to prioritize their financial needs and lower their requests.

Schwartz said most groups got less money than they applied for because the Council does not have the budget to give every group the amount of money it needs.

The Environmental Action Com- mittee asked for $2000 but only received agrant of $350. The group requested money toalleviate the expenses of Earth Day.

Council members debated the $650 allocation forAIDS Education Outreach and the $200 allocationfor the Parade of Stars.

The AIDS Education Outreach asked for the grantto install a condom vending machine that woulddispense condoms for free in each house. Somecouncil members questioned the necessity of havingexpensive vending machines instead of baskets.Despite the dissent, the council decided toapprove the grant.

The Parade of Stars is a first-time eventnominally sponsored by the council to honorexcellence in student groups. Council membersrefused to give money for it, many members sayingit is poorly publicized and incitescompetitiveness among campus groups.

The biggest grant winners last night were theHarvard Science Review, which received $800 forprinting costs, and the Hippocratic Society, whichreceived $700 for publicity, programs and itsjournal.

The council is also giving a $500 grant to theBossert Appreciation Committee which will host aparty for William H. Bossert and Mary L. Bossert,the Lowell House Masters who will retire afterthis year.

Take Back the Night received an ad hoc grant of$180 for food during its events this week.

In addition, the Council unanimously passed abill calling on the Committee on UndergraduateEducation (CUE) to continue listing the names ofhighly rated Teaching Fellows in the CUE guide.CUE is considering abandoning this listing for thecollective, course-wide ratings of TF's

Council members debated the $650 allocation forAIDS Education Outreach and the $200 allocationfor the Parade of Stars.

The AIDS Education Outreach asked for the grantto install a condom vending machine that woulddispense condoms for free in each house. Somecouncil members questioned the necessity of havingexpensive vending machines instead of baskets.Despite the dissent, the council decided toapprove the grant.

The Parade of Stars is a first-time eventnominally sponsored by the council to honorexcellence in student groups. Council membersrefused to give money for it, many members sayingit is poorly publicized and incitescompetitiveness among campus groups.

The biggest grant winners last night were theHarvard Science Review, which received $800 forprinting costs, and the Hippocratic Society, whichreceived $700 for publicity, programs and itsjournal.

The council is also giving a $500 grant to theBossert Appreciation Committee which will host aparty for William H. Bossert and Mary L. Bossert,the Lowell House Masters who will retire afterthis year.

Take Back the Night received an ad hoc grant of$180 for food during its events this week.

In addition, the Council unanimously passed abill calling on the Committee on UndergraduateEducation (CUE) to continue listing the names ofhighly rated Teaching Fellows in the CUE guide.CUE is considering abandoning this listing for thecollective, course-wide ratings of TF's