Committee May Pen New Fight Song

"10,000 Men of Harvard," that venerable hymn which has long been Harvard's premier fight song, may soon be challenged by a more modern melody planned by the Harvard Spirit Committee.

The Spirit Committee, formed last year by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, has created a subcommittee to pen a song with a more innovative style and rhythmic beat to match the musical tastes of the '90s sports fan.

"The committee is talking about the feasibility of coming up with something a little more contemporary," said Band Director Thomas G. Everett.

The new tune is part of an effort to revive a sense of campus-wide enthusiasm that observers say Harvard lost sometime in the '70s.

Comprised of students and staff members concerned with spirit issues, the group met for the second time last Friday. Its plans include developing a new system of football ticket distribution, initiating block seating of houses at the games, and providing proctors with cassettes of Harvard songs.

Members of the Spirit Committee include Epps, Athletic Director William J. Cleary Jr. '54-'56, Band Director Thomas G. Everett, representatives of the Freshman Dean's Office as well as alumni and students.

This year the band also created the Coalition for Harvard Spirit to aid Epps' committee and unite campus groups. The coalition is planning a number of spirit-building projects, including a midnight pep rally before the Harvard-Yale game.

Members of both spirit groups say they see a definite need for campus-wide enthusiasm.

"People really identified with Harvard during the '60s," said Band Manager Victor W. Hwang '93. "The tough part is to get a big movement going."

First-year students interviewed during dinner last night say there have been some sightings of spirit on campus, but it tends to be localized rather than campus-wide.

"It's got a school identity but because it's such a massive mix of people there isn't one big coherent school spirit," said David L. Collins '96.

Harvard is "too big and scattered" to harbor any school-wide spirit, said Amnon A. Bar-Ilan '96.

Enthusiasm tends to exist on dif- ferent levels, they say: dorms, sports teamsand intramurals all create a certain camaraderieand enthusiasm, but it is not a College-widephenomenon