III: Sticks and Stones

(This is the third in a series of editorials discussing Dean's Office and Council proposals for rules relating to undergraduate activities. Tuesday's editorial described the tremendous increase that has taken place since the thirties in Dean's Office regulation of student activities and found four major causes for this increase: 1) the cold war and consequent political tensions, discussed in yesterday's editorial, 2) growing concern over organizational bad debts, and 3) Increased sensitiveness about public relations, discussed today, 4) a trend towards closer Harvard-Radcliffe relations which the Dean's Office considers extremely unfortunate, to be taken up in tomorrow's editorial.)

The spring before last the Dramatic Club decided that Cambridge theaters were not satisfactory and hired the Plymouth Theater in Boston for its production. Because the HDC failed to draw a large enough audience, to fill up even a few rows of the theater, it soon found itself thousands of dollars in debt. Worried creditors, instead of badgering HDC members to ante up the money, hounded University Hall for payment, despite the fact that the University had absolutely no legal or moral responsibility for the HDC's debts.

Because creditors of bankrupt organizations turn to the University for payment, the Dean's Office feels that it must do what it can to prevent student groups from getting into financial difficulties. Hence it has built up a network of financial supervision. For instance, there is a rule, new since the war, that no student group may carry on any activity outside the city limits of Cambridge without Dean's Office permission. And as a check against bankruptcy nearer home, the Dean's Office requires that an annual financial statement be submitted to it by every undergraduate organization.

Dean's Office Intervention

An even more interesting case study of how Dean's Office intervention occurs can be found in the field of public relations. When the Hasty Pudding Theatricals was offered the opportunity to appear on a television show, the Dean's Office turned thumbs down. The reason: officials feared the possible unfavorable inferences about Harvard the public might draw as a result of seeing Harvard men playing girls' roles.

This particular incident is only a symptom of the University's current public relations consciousness. This sensitivity to public opinion has intensified the Dean's Office concern over organizational bad debts mentioned above, and over the problems created by post-war political tensions, which were considered yesterday. In each case the fact that people blame Harvard rather than the specific undergraduate group involved has led the Dean's Office to try to prevent ahead of time actions which could lead to an unfavorable public reaction.

Unfortunately, the protection of the good name of the University is being achieved at the expense of the freedom of action of student groups.