Some people may be under the impression that Harvard University students study a lot and do not party, but the college’s Undergraduate Council may soon change that.
The student government is starting a trial program to promote and fund campus house parties.
The recently launched program funds students who host shindigs in their houses. The council, which also hosts tailgating parties and offers shuttles to Yale University, decides who gets funding on a first-come, first-serve basis, according to its website. Each week, the first 12 people to sign up online 10 days in advance of their party get funding.
There are party guidelines, though. Students must comply with Harvard College and Cambridge regulations hosts ‘must serve both food and beverages’ and have to have at least 50 people in attendance throughout the evening. They also are required to keep all of their receipts in order to be reimbursed for up to $100, according to the council’s website. The host cannot deny admittance to any guest who is a Harvard student and must post an invitation on their house’s website at the beginning of the week.
The council kicked off its program last weekend, and four students took advantage of the stipend.
‘From what I heard, everyone had a lot of fun and things went smoothly,’ Council President Rohit Chopra, a Harvard senior, said in an article in Harvard’s Crimson Monday. ‘We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback. People realize that throwing a party is expensive.’
‘Remember, be a responsible host,’ the website says.
Some ‘tips’ it offers are to assign someone to control capacity and admission and another person to keep an eye on the beverages. The host should let their neighbors know they are having a party and clean up party areas, including hallways and stairways, the site says.
‘Just like all other UC Grants, by submitting, you acknowledge that you, as the host, are responsible for the event,’ the website says. ‘The UC is not a host, and therefore not responsible for enforcing any of the regulations governing private parties in student suites.
‘We’re hoping this will give some incentive for more people to throw parties, relieve financial burdens of those who already do and enhance life in the houses in general,’ according to a statement from the council’s website.
Student Union Senate Student Affairs Committee Chair Deon Provost, a College of Arts and Science sophomore, said Harvard’s funding sounds like a good idea, but would probably not work well at BU.
‘We have a lot bigger dorms. Logistically, it might be a problem,’ he said. ‘At a place like Myles, it might be more feasible.’
Provost said he was planning to bring the idea up at a committee meeting Wednesday.
Boston University sophomore Katharine Richman said the Harvard program may be an attempt to make the school as fun as BU.
‘Harvard just wants to be like us,’ Richman said. ‘We throw good parties.’
But it may not be such a great way to use the student government’s money, she said.
‘I think there are better ways to use their money,’ Richman said. ‘I think there are a lot more creative ways to go about it, like have a casino night or something along those lines.’
‘Harvard’s money is buying booze,’ she added.
Other students said they doubt such a program could happen at BU.
‘I doubt that BU would fund parties at Ashford,’ CAS freshman Michael Vascak said. ‘Harvard’s got a closer community, so it works. BU’s just so big.’
But CAS freshman Brent Randol said it’s less logistics and more that the policy does not seem to jive with administrators’ past policies.
‘Look at the guest policy,’ said CAS freshman Brent Randol. ‘I don’t think BU would ever do anything like that.’
All of the students said that the funding, if not practical at BU, is a fun idea.
‘Everyone needs a break now and then,’ Randol said.
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