Council Endorses Aid for Student Event Tickets

Last night, the Undergraduate Council unanimously passed its "Financial Aid for Student Tickets Resolution," designed to help low-income students pay for College and House events.

The next step, say council members, is to find a way to finance the bill.

The bill calls for the College to offer eight $5 vouchers to all students whose parents contribute $2,000 or less to their educational expenses-approximately 500 College students.

According to Todd E. Plants `01, chair of the council's Student Affairs Committee, the vouchers will help students attend events such as House formals and performances.

"Everyone has had the experience where they've asked their friend to a dance and they've said no because money is tight," Plants said. "No one should be priced out of being a Harvard student."

The idea for event vouchers was presented before members of the College administration on April 20 at a meeting of the Committee on College Life (CCL).

Plants said CCL was receptive to the idea of event vouchers but was concerned about how to pay for them.

Council President Paul A. Gusmorino `02 said the most likely option is securing donations from alumni and parents.

He said he and other council members will be working in coming months with the College and the Office of Financial Aid to figure out how to finance the vouchers.

"We'll try to figure it out for the fall," Gusmorino said. "I'll be here this summer, and so will others."

In last night's only other bill, the council's spring semester grants package for student groups also passed unanimously.

Presented by Finance Committee Chair Trisha S. Dasgupta `03 and other members of the Finance Committee, the package totaled $16,950.41, with the average grant falling just under $300 per group.

The Catholic Students Association received the highest grant at $550. Other large allocations went to the Harvard College Prefect Program ($500), the Harvard College Democrats ($475) and the Harvard Republican Club ($450).

Among other student groups who will receive money are the Harvard Mallet Association ($170) and the Harvard Society for the Exploration and Development of Space ($250).

The Harvard Vietnamese Association was granted $312.41 in funds.

Council member David C. Rennard then tried to introduce a bill to denounce the University for its actions relating to the ongoing living wage protest.

The bill cited the administration's "refusal to meet seriously with the PSLM to end the sit-in."

The bill, however, never came to the floor and, instead, was not recognized as "new business."

A two-thirds majority is required to consider a bill during the period of the meeting allotted for new business, and Rennard's bill received fewer than half of the council's votes.

--Staff Writer Alexander B. Ginsberg can be reached at ginsberg@fas.harvard.edu