After intensive lobbying efforts by the Undergraduate Council, the College is increasingly showing students the money, in the form of a $25,000 student activities grants budget offered by the College for the first time this year.

But as two dozen lucky student groups who received grants this semester bound off to tournaments and conferences, some students say the fund is not enough to meet student need.

The recipients--from the Mozart Society Orchestra to the Funk Appreciation Society--were selected from a pool of 88 applications for their "impact" on the College community. About $17,000 of the fund has been distributed thus far.

"We reviewed each of the grants with an eye toward large events or significant purchases that would impact the campus," says Undergraduate Council President Beth A. Stewart '00.

Stewart and Council Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00 served on this semester's committee, which also included Student Activities Coordinator Susan T. Cooke, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III and Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68. Next semester the remaining funds, about $8,000, will be distributed.

Performance groups and publications received 11 of the grants, while others got funding because they bring glory to the Harvard name through intercollegiate competitions.

"The chess team, for example, is bringing Harvard's talent in competition with others of our colleague institutions," Cooke says. "We want to allow Harvard to participate in competitions."

Averaging from $500 to $1,000, the impact grants are bigger than those offered by the Undergraduate Council, which has been the primary source of funding for most groups.

"We have recognized that the U.C. has been able to give only small, democratic grants of about $250," Cooke says.

Student group leaders have often complained that the smaller Undergraduate Council grants do not meet their needs. The new fund was established in response to student demand, and according to Cooke, is intended to "complement" council grants.

"Our grants from the Undergraduate Council, although they help out, we couldn't depend on them as our only source of funding," says South Asian Association (SAA) President Amit N. Doshi '00. "There are a lot of students who apply for the council grants so its understandable that it's tough for them to spend a good amount on everyone.

The $1,000 that SAA received from the student activities fund will sponsor a literature discussion series featuring speakers on South Asian issues.

Money form the College's fund is also paying for a coach for the Harvard Cheerleading Team.

"We couldn't really have a coach without [the funds] and we couldn't stunt without a coach," says Cheerleading President Virginia S. Fuller '00. "This year, we're going to be competing for the first time ever."

The $500 grant will cover half the coach's salary; the athletic department is chipping in the other half.