Undergraduate Council
Ten Stories That Shaped 2022
In 2022, Harvard saw a multitude of transitions. The school finally lifted most of its last Covid-19 mandates and held in-person Commencement ceremonies for not one, not two, but three Harvard College classes. Across the top ranks of Harvard’s leadership, familiar faces exited the stage, including University President Lawrence S. Bacow, who will be succeeded by Claudine Gay, the first person of color and second woman to be named to Harvard’s top post. Here, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped 2022 at Harvard.
‘Growing Pains’: Harvard Undergraduate Association’s First Semester Draws Mixed Reviews
With the HUA’s inaugural semester drawing to a close, students are split on whether the new government is more of the same, or the start of a new chapter in Harvard’s historically acrimonious student government.
Harvard Undergraduate Association Reflects on Declaration Day, New Mascot Project at General Meeting
During its weekly meeting Sunday, the Harvard Undergraduate Association reflected on several recently completed projects, including a Declaration Day event and the debut of a turkey mascot at Saturday’s Harvard-Yale game.
Declaration Day Event
Themed placards were available for use in photo ops at Friday's windy Declaration Day Event.
Declaration Day Event Banners
Banners celebrated each of Harvard's academic concentrations at the Declaration Day event.
Harvard Undergraduate Association Discusses Campus Accessibility and Security at General Meeting
The Harvard Undergraduate Association discussed ongoing initiatives and reviewed funding for a campus-wide laundry accessibility project at its general meeting Sunday.
Harvard Undergraduate Association Receives $550k from Dean of Students Office
The Dean of Students Office allocated $550,000 to the Harvard Undergraduate Association Monday — a 10 percent increase from the usual yearly budget of its predecessor, the Harvard Undergraduate Council.
Harvard Undergraduate Association Convenes for Quiet Inaugural Meeting
The Harvard Undergraduate Association convened for its first-ever general meeting Saturday to inaugurate its officers, including co-presidents LyLena D. Estabine ’24 and Travis Allen Johnson ’24.
HUA Wraps Up Summer Storage Program Amid Confusion, Frustration
The Harvard Undergraduate Association undertook its first major task since its formation in May by organizing the summer storage program, but some participants said the program was marked by confusion and disorganization.
Why Does Harvard’s Student Government Keep Failing?
Harvard undergraduates voted overwhelmingly to dissolve their student government. It was a long time in the making.
UC Logos Over Time
Many variations of Harvard College student governments lived and died on the order of years.
Chaos Engulfs UC
A multi-day election fraud scandal engulfed the UC in 2009, prompting a failed impeachment of the Council’s then-vice president, Kia J. McLeod ’10, the resignation of three members of the election commission, and a full investigation by Harvard IT services.
UC Elects Gabay
The Undergraduate Council selected Carey W. Gabay ’94 as its first Black leader in 1993.
UC Vote Tampering
In 1992, then-Vice Chair of the Undergraduate Council Maya G. Prabhu ’94 was accused of tampering with ballots for an internal social committee chair election.
Dissolve UC
More than 75 percent of voters cast their ballot to scrap the UC, sounding the death knell for the body and ringing in the reign of the Harvard Undergraduate Association.
Michael Cheng HUA
Michael Y. Cheng '22 was elected president of the Undergraduate Council on a promise to abolish the body.
Estabine and Johnson Elected as First Co-Presidents of the Harvard Undergraduate Association
LyLena D. Estabine ’24 and Travis Allen Johnson ’24 will serve as the first co-presidents of the newly-formed Harvard Undergraduate Association, the body’s election commission announced Saturday.
In Virtual Debate, Co-Presidential Candidates Outline Visions for HUA’s Inaugural Year
On the eve of the Harvard Undergraduate Association’s inaugural officer elections, six co-presidential tickets outlined their visions for the new student government in a virtual debate hosted by the Harvard Political Union Tuesday.
Six Tickets Campaign to Head New Student Government — Including Four Featuring Ex-UC’ers
Six pairs of candidates are running to lead Harvard College’s newly-adopted student government, the Harvard Undergraduate Association, in its first year.
College Appoints Election Commission for New Student Government, Drawing Criticism from Former UC Leaders
The Dean of Students Office has appointed an interim election commission to conduct the first elections of the Harvard Undergraduate Association in a selection process some former UC members have called unconstitutional.
Dean of Students Office Affirms Support for Newly-Adopted Student Government, Continuity of Club Funding
Harvard College Dean Students Katherine G. O’Dair affirmed her office’s support for the newly-ratified Harvard Undergraduate Association in an interview Wednesday — one week after students voted overwhelmingly to dissolve the 40-year-old Undergraduate Council in favor of the new student government.
Cheng Resigns as UC President Amid Transition to New Student Government
Michael Y. Cheng ’22, who successfully led the charge to dissolve Harvard’s Undergraduate Council in favor of a new student government, resigned as president of the UC on Tuesday, leaving the transition to the new system in the hands of others.
At First Meeting Since the Fall of the UC, Former Members Grapple with What's Next for its Programs
After students voted overwhelmingly to dissolve the Undergraduate Council last week, some former members of the now-defunct body met on Sunday to discuss the fate of the UC summer storage program and establish funding protocols for the transition period.