RUS

To the Editors of The Crimson:

As current President of the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) and an active member of the women's community at Harvard, I would like to respond to an article in The Crimson of 2/14/83.

An unfortunate misquote attributed to myself was used to dismiss the leadership potential of two strong, caring women who have been very active in the Harvard-Radcliffe Community for the past two years.

This reflected the tone of the entire article which served to trivialize the vital role of an organization such as RUS. The Union is charged with lobbying Harvard on behalf of the interests of Radcliffe students and with supporting the community of women at Harvard.

These dual roles are closely interrelated. Devaluing the mutual support and empowerment which a strong community of women can provide by referring to social events as "tea parties" is offensive. Dismissing legitimate issues of concern to women as the bitching of radical feminists is dangerous.

All students, female and male alike, require quality health care, adequate security services, and responsive procedures for dealing with sexual harassment. Issues like these are only consistently addressed by RUS. The community benefits in a different fashion from our sponsorship of events such as the annual women's student faculty dinner, an all women's band or a feminist play.

The extreme and unreal stereotypes which were the focus of Monday's article focus on differences in approach and serve to divide and weaken the women's community at Harvard.

RUS has acted and will continue to act as a special interest group--that of the women enrolled in Radcliffe College. Sharon J. Orr '83

The Crimson stands by the accuracy of the story and the quotation in question.