Council Approves Spring Grants

The Undergraduate Council passed a grants package last night that allocates more money to student groups than the council has ever given out in a single semester.

The council approved $41,273 for 74 student groups. The jump in funds comes as a result of an increase in the council budget this year, council leaders said.

“If we have the money, we should spend it,” said Finance Committee chair Gregory R. Friedman ’04.

“It’s an affirmation of support to let students have a good time,” said Council President Sujean S. Lee ’03.

In other funding-related business, the council allocated $20,000 for this year’s Springfest, which will be co-sponsored for the first time by the office of President Lawrence H. Summers.

The council funding, together with money from the president’s office, will allow Springfest to host a “big band of a very high caliber,” said Jessica R. Stannard-Friel ’03, co-chair of the Campus Life Committee.

Springfest will also host four or five student bands to open for the professional group, she said. Last night, the council also passed a bill to hold a “Battle of the Bands” event that would serve to audition student bands for the Springfest slots.

The council also approved a bill to provide spring break shuttles to Logan Airport this Friday. But a bill to provide shuttles to New York City that day failed because, under the proposed measure, the council would have lost money and because council members said they were not sure how many students would take advantage of the service.

In other business, the council took a preliminary vote on an amendment to its constitution that would remove “Radcliffe” from the council’s name. Currently the council is officially known as the Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Council. Despite contentious debate in years past over changing the council’s name, it appears likely that “Radcliffe” will be struck from the official name this year.

Although council members have one week to finalize their votes by e-mail, a preliminary vote count last night showed only one member—Zachary L. Bercu ’04—opposed to the bill.

Bercu said he voted to keep the name to make a statement about women’s role at the University past and present.

“It is so important and so essential to suggest that we will not forget the history at this University of the separation of men and women,” he said.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Jeffrey Wolcowitz also appeared before the council last night, addressing a number of issues, including the Freshman Seminar Program, the Core Curriculum, grade inflation and study abroad.

Responding to students’ questions about grade inflation, he said media reports have failed to recognize that higher grades may be due to more talented students at Harvard.

“It doesn’t say enough about how incredible the students we bring to Harvard College are,” he said.

—Staff writer Claire A. Pasternack can be reached at cpastern@fas.harvard.edu.