Keeping Track...

Two months ago when the Corporation decided to reconsider the University's blanket ban on investments in blanks that lend directly to the South African government, many students wondered why. President Bok and the Fellows had no response.

But last week Bok said a personal plea to the University Treasurer from a Black South African leader played a role in the Corporation's decision. According to Bok, a man identified only as Dr. Motlana, a member of the Soweto Committee of 10, urged George Putnam '49 to approve a controversial 1979 Citibank loan.

Putnam told Motlana that he "would be glad to speak up on behalf" of the $250-million loan, part of which was earmarked for construction of a private hospital in Soweto.

The loan was eventually approved, but because it violated the blanket ban imposed after student protest in 1978, the University sold its more than $50 million in Citibank notes and certificates.

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Last week, 17 months after they first voted against Proposition 2 1/2. Cambridge voters did it again--by an over-whelming margin. The 68-percent majority supporting Question 2 in the special referendum was enough to save the city--through a full override of Prop 2 1/2 in the upcoming fiscal year--about $10.2 million and hundreds of jobs that would have had to be slashed from the budget.

The vote makes Cambridge the first major city to take up the state legislature's concession to local municipalities of allowing individual, one-year overrides of the controversial property-tax cutting measure.

"We do everything but clean windows," said Assistant City Clerk Joseph Connarton Tuesday night while carrying ballot boxes to the Cambridge Election Commission headquarters, where results of the special referendum on the Prop 2 1/2 override were being tabulated. "If this doesn't pass," he joked--at about 10p.m. when it was beginning to become clear that the override had won--"we may be doing that, too. "Connarton and most of his fellow city employees have been saved-at least for one year.

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The "Lampy Out Today" banner continued to fly above the portals of the Harvard Lampoon late this week, but nine undisturbed. A 4 a.m. foray by nine unidentified Crimson editors fell narrowly short of removing the offensive banner Friday morning, stopped only by the chance arrival of the Harvard police. But the Crimeds pledged to continue with unflagging effort, promising to be better prepared for their next assault Stay tuned.

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Former Vice President and prospective presidential candidate Walter Mondale last week criticized what he called "social Darwinism" in Reagan Administration policies, telling 100 listeners at the Kennedy School forum that American leaders 'cannot compromise our sense of compassion."

"This Administration is going to do for social justice what Mr. Nixon did for the constitution." Mondale said.

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The suspect--a 25-year-old white male with brown hair and a beard-has been accused of four thefts last month and three this. Reported incidents in Winthrop and South House have prompted concern among proctors and students and warnings in the Yard Bulletin and the South House newsletter.

No, the suspect is neither a local vagrant breaking in to steal stereos nor your customary late night prowler. This thief steals laundry--and women's particular. One student claims to have lost more than $200 worth of clothes in a theft from the Holworthy laundry room last month.

Another study on admissions criteria, this one co-sponsored by the College Board and Educational Testing Service (ETS), was released last week, and, as with the February report by the National Research Council (NRC) on standardized testing, admissions officers and testing experts here indicated the studies have little or nothing to do with Harvard's practices.

The College Board ETS study found that "personal qualities" and extracurricular activities receive far less emphasis than grades and scores in admissions decisions: the NRC, while finding no societal or racial bias in standardized tests, urged colleges to "reconsider" emphasizing or even requiring them for admissions.

"There's always a little line in these studies' saying the case is different for the most selective colleges," explained acting admissions director William R. Fitzsimmons this week.

Keeping Track is a regular feature of the News in Review.