UC Aims For Square Meal

Three days after the Undergraduate Council (UC) presented a report to the Committee on House Life (CHL) calling for extended dining hall hours, food was again on the UC’s agenda at last night’s weekly meeting.

The UC passed a bill that will allow for a “Take Over the Square” food night at the beginning of reading period, allowing undergraduates to receive discounts at various Harvard Square eateries.

Christina L. Adams ’06 said that the beginning of spring reading period is an ideal time to push Harvard Square establishments for discounted food.

“During reading period there is often more free time than there is other times during the year, and the weather is nice enough that students can go out,” said Adams, who co-sponsored the bill.

The bill calls for UC Campus Life Committee members to contact area restaurants and ask them to grant student discounts in return for free publicity.

The UC also passed legislation to help fund social events for first-years in the common rooms of freshman dormitories.

Previously, only House residents could receive funding for social events from the UC’s party fund. But this bill will allow freshmen to receive $50 for events in freshman dorms from a separate $1250 fund.

The fund has already been operating on a trial basis for the past month, and according to UC Secretary Matthew R. Greenfield ’08—who co-sponsored the bill—it has been successful in promoting social events for freshman.

“The UC gives out $800 a week for parties and freshmen just didn’t have a crack at it,” Greenfield said. “This is a huge step in giving freshmen a funding resource through the UC.”

Similar to House parties that receive UC money, these first-year events must be advertised on dorm open lists. Additionally the money can only be used for the purchase of food and non-alcoholic beverages. The legislation passed 43-1-0.

The two pieces of legislation, both geared at improving student social life, come on the heals of a report revealing low levels of social satisfaction at Harvard.

In the 2002 senior surveys, students gave their overall experience at Harvard an average rating of 3.95 on a five-point scale compared to a 4.16 average rating for the 30 other schools surveyed, The Boston Globe reported March 29.

At the beginning of the meeting, UC President Matthew J. Glazer ’06 noted the positive reception the CHL gave to two UC proposals presented Thursday, one on extended dining hall hours and the other regarding the addition of Senior Tutors and House Masters to the annual tutor evaluations.

“The CHL meeting this past week was huge,” Glazer said. “The administration is now working with us instead of against us.”

The UC also approved its seventh grants package of the semester last night, with the Finance Committee awarding $6,680.77 to students groups including the last $100 out of the $5,000 prefect fund.

—Staff writer Evan M. Vittor can be reached at evittor@fas.harvard.edu.