Students Form Feminist Group, New Coalition

Students at a Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS)-sponsored meeting last night said they plan to form two groups to help coordinate activities of women's organizations at Harvard-Radcliffe.

Gail M. Pendleton '81, an organizer of the meeting, said one of the two groups will be called the Feminist Alliance, and will seek University recognition in order to "raise the awareness of the Harvard-Radcliffe population to women's issues through events and actions."

Alison Dundes '81, president of RUS, said last night the second group would be affiliated with RUS and would serve as a clearing house and coalition of groups concerned about women's issues, including the Feminist Alliance. This clearing house group would be established by the membership of RUS and would not require University recognition, she added.

"There tend to be issues of general concern to groups involved with women's issues." Dundes said, adding that the RUS group plans to identify these shared issues and help coordinate activity around them.

Pendleton said the Feminist Alliance will attempt to attract a larger group of students involved in relevant campus organizations than the 18 students present at last night's meeting before defining the group's purpose more specifically.

She added that the group will probably sponsor educational films and study groups in addition to serving as a central information center for students interested in feminist issues.

Some students expressed concern over the name adopted by the group. "I think the phrase 'feminism' has very negative connotations for many students here," Pendleton said, adding that the Feminist Alliance will not be limited to people considering themselves feminists