Tying Up Loose Ends

Life With Archie

Three freshmen who had raised the issue of racial discrimination in Susan L. Craig's Expository Writing class were somehow persuaded this week to settle the matter informally. Archie C. Epps, dean of students, who was apparently instrumental in bringing the matter to a quiet close, declined comment, and no one else was much more informative.

But Epps's hands are full again, this time with a potentially less explosive conflict. William F. Hartnett '78, a recently defeated candidate for the presidency of the Harvard Republican Club, filed a letter of complaint with Epps last week protesting what he calls the "peculiar campaign practices" in the club's recent elections.

Although it isn't clear that those 12 will actually put Hartnett over the top even if they're counted. Epps--who is charged with investigating conflicts in undergraduate organizations--will look into the matter.

In an unrelated nondevelopment, Epps is still looking into the Harvard Radcliffe Black Student Association's charges that the Lampoon's sense of humor tends to be racially insensitive.

So far nothing has emerged from Epps's office on this complaint, which has raised issues ranging from racism (intentional or otherwise) to freedom of the press.

Women's Studies

The Divinity School has found a way to save its women's studies program for at least another year, although it has not yet announced where the money for the program coordinator's salary will come from.

The position--which program spokesmen have declared essential to the program--will be reduced from full-time to half-time, but M. Brinton Lykes, the current coordinator, said last week the more will save the program from complete, disintegration.

Appendix

Mary E. Munch '80 and her family announced this week that they will sue the University Health Services for malpractise because an unidentified UHS doctor diagnosed her appendicitis as "stomach flu."

Six days after her UHS visit, Munch underwent emergency surgery in Denver for a burst appendix and peritionitis.

Dr. Warren E.C. Wacker, director of UHS, said this week that although he does not dispute the facts in the case, he feels "comfortable" about UHS's legal position, largely because doctors generally accept that it is difficult to detect appendicitis in its early stages.

Elitism

Alan E. Heimert '49, Cabot Professor of American Literature, released a dissenting opinion to the report of the task force on concentration, which had recommended opening limited concentrations it resources can be reallocated.

But Paul C. Martin, dean of the Division of Applied Sciences and the task force chairman, said last week the dissent contains no surprises, as Heimert, a task force member, made the same arguments before the task force reached its conclusions last fall.

Ding Dong

Thayer Hall residents who complained last month that the Memorial Church bells signaling the 8:45 a.m. prayer service interrupted their slumber will no doubt be pleased by the Rev. Peter J. Gomes's announcement this week that the bells will only ring two minutes in the future, a 60 per cent reduction of the traditional five-minute peal. Ask not, of course, for whom the bells toll.

Law School

The student governing body at the Law School released a long awaited report last week criticizing the school's administration for insensitivity in dealing with the student complaints about job placement procedures and problems of student faculty communication.

Albert Sacks, dean of the Law School, said in response: "If the machinery for complaints is not working well, I think we shall take another look at it."