Brandeis Students Urge South African Divestiture

Members of two student organizations met yesterday with the president and five trustees of Brandeis University, to discuss the possibility of divesting stock held in companies with operations in South Africa.

Members of the newly formed Committee For Divestment From South Africa and the African Circle reported that the meeting was "lighthearted" and that Marver Bernstein, president of Brandeis, appeared open to suggestions about proposals to proceed with divestiture of the nearly three million dollars worth of stock Brandeis University owns.

During the meeting, 20 students presented Bernstein with an 11-page fact sheet illustrating the means by which the companies that Brandeis owns stock in have helped support apartheid in South Africa.

After the presentation, students expressed views on why they felt divestiture of the stock was necessary, citing the morally reprehensive stand of the Vorster regime, Shelley Pitterman, a member of the committee said yesterday.

Although Bernstein seems cooperative, he does not appear eager to sell the stocks several students said yesterday.

"Bernstein has fluctuated. He has led some people to believe one thing and others another thing. But he is definite about not making a decision before November 22--the day the investment committee of the Brandeis Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet," Pitterman said.

When Brandeis students formed the Committee For Divestment From South Africa last week and announced their goal of moving the University to sell its stock holdings, Bernstein appointed a faculty committee to investigate the issue in response, David Alderstein, news editor of "The Justice", said yesterday.

The Brandeis student senate immediately recognized the committee after it was formed and passed a resolution praising its goals, Alderstein said.

The committee is planning a demonstration next Thursday at Brandeis, Pitterman said, adding that he expects 400 to 500 students to attend.

The demonstrators plan to march around the campus and then gather in front of the administrative offices to present Bernstein with a petition signed by 1200 students, a petition with over 150 signatures of parents of Brandeis students, and a faculty petition.

The divestiture committee at Brandeis is also attempting to coordinate activities with similar committees on other Boston-area campuses, including Harvard, Pitterman said.

Pitterman added that "As one university we can do little, but if all the universities and colleges in the Boston area worked as a group, we could exercise a lot of pressure on these companies which are propping up the racist government of South Africa." their job performance, the Mellon study shows. Advanced study especially aids corporate managers' capacities for critical thinking, perseverance, self-discipline and writing.

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