The Greening of Harvard Stadium

Although the Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles starting July 27, a short walk down John F. Kennedy St. will take you far enough to see a piece of the action this summer.

Sellout crowds are expected for the preliminary rounds of Olympic soccer at Harvard Stadium, from July 14 to August 3. Sixty percent of the tickets, which range in price from $3 50 to $16 50, have already been claimed by eager fans.

Tickets are available from the Harvard ticket office in Harvard Hall, by mail from the Olympic Committee in Los Angeles, or from local participating Sears stores (The Sears closest to Harvard is in Porter Square on Mass. Ave.,)

While tickets for all games are still available, the best seats are going fast, and tickets for the opening ceremonies have been sold out at all locations except some Sears stores, Olympic officials say.

The Harvard Games popularity is no exception on the national Olympic fervor, says Louis Gay, Olympic Sports Manager for Football. The last tickets for the final soccer games in the medal rounds--to be played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.--were sold in December. The crowd of over 100,000 expected to see the Harvard winners play off in the needed rounds for this last game "will be the largest to watch a soccer came in the history of the nation," he adds.

Over 100 athletes from Canada, Camaroon, Norway, and lraq will live under Supertight security Quincy House from July 14 until the teams departure on August 3.

Czechoslovakia's team, the 1980 Olympic gold medalists Cambridge for the scheduled to bring their squad Cambridge for the first round, but their nation's decision to join the Soviet-led Olympic boycott opened a slot for Norway, even though they had not qualified earlier

Despite the absence of the defending champions Olympic officials assert that Norway's team will be competitive and a good drawing card

"It'll be a more interesting tournament. The Czechs are successful, but more people are interested in seeing Norway and Italy," Gay says.

"As far as the fan is concerned, it's more interesting and appealing," be adds

Those hoping to rub elbows with the athletes are likely to be disappointed, as Harvard, Cambridge, and Olympic security are cooperating in a massive effort to guard the players. Harvard's athletic department will fence a path from Dillon Field House to Harvard Stadium to shield players' comings and goings.

Only athletes and Quincy tutors with special identification will be permitted to enter the House.

Despite publicized threats by Iran against the Iraqui team, no squad will receive extra protection, officials said.

Quincy

The housing arrangements will not affect the Summer School, as no students are being housed in Quincy House this year.

Harvard's athletic department chose Quincy House to host the players because it is close to the playing fields and has its own kitchen. Many of the other Houses were not considered because they are under renovation.

The Olympic National Committee chose the four teams who will play at Harvard Stadium by a draw, and the 12 other teams will be play their opening rounds at Annapolis, Stanford, or the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Although they will live in Annapolis, France's and Qatar's teams will commute to Cambridge to compete.

The winners in the preliminary rounds will advance to the medal rounds at the Rose Bowl in August.

Light

In preparation for the event, lights have been temporarily installed in the 80-year-old Harvard stadium for six evening games in late July.

The Olympic committee has agreed to pay Harvard a percentage of the ticket sales to cover costs of the improvements.

"The purpose was not to make money. The purpose was to bring the games here," said Director of Athletics John P. Reardon '60.

Although Harvard had planned to lay grass over its stadium track will make Harvard had planned to lay grass over its stadium track, the Olympic Committee agreed to finance the job.

Removing the track will make Harvard, stadium one of the few all-grass Olympic sized stadiums in the country, according to Scott Le Tellier, U.S. Olympic Committee soccer director.

The Olympic Committee had three criteria for a summer games stadium, Le Tellier explained. The stadium of choice had to be all grass, it had to be large enough, and it had to be available. Harvard's stadium was one of the few to pass the Olympic test on all three counts.