Bacchus Lands in Hot Water Over UC Funds

After trying to bring “sexy bacch” to Harvard during an otherwise tame reading period, the Sexy Bacchus Society has been accused of taking advantage of a loophole in the Undergraduate Council’s (UC) party-funding process.

The society, which is not recognized by the College as an official student organization, received a $301.34 student group grant earlier this week from the UC to pay for what the group called a “game night/study break” in its grant application. Society members, however, admit it was “a huge party” that took place on Jan. 6.

Since Monday’s meeting, when the UC awarded the money, a debate has broken out on the UC open list regarding the precedent the move could set for the Council’s future funding.

The UC awards a total of 13 party fund grants each week after evaluating submission forms. Nine $100 and four $200 grants are awarded to parties in suites unaffiliated with student groups.

The party fund is separate from the UC’s grants reserved for student groups, which require the approval of both the Finance Committee (FiCom) and the general Council.

While student group grants can be used to fund groups’ social events, they are not meant to be used for parties in private suites, according to UC members.

Michael R. Ragalie ’09, who introduced a failed amendment at Monday’s UC meeting to withhold the group’s funding, raised concerns that the society was created for the sole purpose of obtaining student group grants for a personal party.

“It appeared that the student group was just a facade to get money outside of the normal party fund process,” Ragalie said yesterday afternoon.

According to FiCom member Vivien G. Wu ’08, who describes herself as an “unofficial member” of the Bacchus Society, the group applied for a student group grant because the UC party fund had not been instituted for that particular weekend.

“The society did not want to go out of the [party fund] system,” said Wu. “They wanted to stick with the system, but the party fund was not working.”

Former UC president John S. Haddock ’07 said that at the time, the UC had not been aware that certain houses, including Cabot, would allow parties during reading period.

“By the time that we learned that maybe one house was allowing parties, it was well beyond the time that the party fund could be established,” said Haddock.

UC Vice President Matthew L. Sundquist ’09 said last night that he did not think any changes were necessary to the party fund or student group grants.

“I generally trust FiCom and I think they do a fine job, so I don’t think we’ll be reforming FiCom,” said Sundquist.

But Finance chair Alexander “Zander” N. Li ’08 said he worried about future funding by the Council.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t say this concerned me a little, the precedent we are setting here,” said Li. “We have to draw a very careful line to say that we allowed, on this specific occasion, a group to skirt around the party funds.”

Bacchus Society members maintain that their party was worthy of UC funding.

“The party we threw was absolutely essential,” Bacchus Society President Patti L. Zadnik ’08 wrote in an e-mail to the UC open list. “We were literally the only party that welcomed everyone with open arms that evening and most likely that weekend in general.”

—Staff writer Madeline W. Lissner can be reached at mlissner@fas.harvard.edu.