Ellie Park, Multimedia Managing Editor

In an attempt to manage underutilized resources at Yale, the Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee plans to reopen the Capital Equipment program.

According to the proposal, prior to the pandemic, the Yale College Council organized the project to allow student organizations to rent out audiovisual equipment such as mixers, lights, microphones and subwoofers. Since the pandemic, though, much of the resources have sat unused, and the program has been neglected.

The Capital Equipment Rejuvenation Project Proposal, written by UOFC Director Andrey Sokolov ’27, aims to give new life to the rentable amenities and promote collaboration between the YCC and the Office of Student Affairs.

“Back in the summer of 2024, I did historical research into the operations of the funding committee,” Sokolov said. “And following my conversation with the Yale College Dean’s Office, I realized that, as a director, it would be under my purview to ensure that this equipment does not get forgotten about again.”

Sokolov said that previous directors had forgotten about the equipment during UofC’s recovery and revitalization efforts after the pandemic. Since then, most students and student organizations have been relying on other equipment renting programs through Yale College Arts and the Bass Media Library.

YCC President Mimi Papathanasopoulos ’26 believes that the creation of the restorative project is imperative to address Yale’s resource accessibility issues.

“We are really excited about bringing back the Capital Equipment Program because it directly addresses a common challenge for student organizations: access to essential equipment for events,” Papathanasopoulos said. “While some resources are available for rent through Bass Library, they are often limited and not always sufficient to meet the needs of all student groups.”

YCC Vice President Esha Garg ’26 hopes that the program can assist student organizations in saving money and promoting more collaborative planning approaches.

Sokolov said that the program’s implementation timeline began as early as winter recess and aims, by the middle of the spring semester, to hold several two-hour “clean-up days” to itemize and test equipment. Additionally, he hopes to assign a dedicated manager to oversee the equipment’s distribution.

“I think that the reason why this project has started is because of the fact that I am someone who really values sustainability,” Sokolov said. “Also, because of the fact that we want to make sure we’re utilizing all the resources that this university provides us to the fullest.”

The Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee distributes over $370,000 to over 65 percent of the student groups on campus.