Students Support Council Decision In Vote on NSA

After two weeks of debate, the student body voted yesterday to support the Student Council's withdrawal from the National Student Association. The total vote was 1032 against and 839 for Harvard's membership in the NSA.

Commenting on the results of the referendum, Marc E. Leland '59, president of the Council, said he was "quite pleased," both with the number of students voting and with the outcome itself. He called the turnout "a rather large vote" which, he said, "followed the great majority of the Council's feeling."

However, Derek T. Winans '60, one of the leaders of the opposition to the Council's withdrawal, viewed the outcome as "disappointing." "There should have been a greater number of people voting," Winans claimed. He added his surprise at the results, noting that he did not expect his side to lose.

Speaking on behalf of the NSA International Commission, Clive S. Gray 1G, former vice-President in International Affairs of NSA, disagreed with Leland's interception of the referendum's results.

"The discussion of NSA and the referendum have shown that a large number of students and organizations at Harvard are actively interested in NSA despite the Council's failure to publicize its activities," he stated.

Debate on the NSA Gray said, "has shown that the seeds of future leadership which looks beyond the narrow confines of the Yard and the Ivy League are still very much present at Harvard."

Winans stated that he was "going to inquire" into what could be done to regain Harvard's membership in the NSA. However, Leland explained that "the Council is bound by the students' decision until another referendum is taken." This could not be done, he added, until next year, as no referendum may consider the same issue in the same year.