Fonda, Turner Visit IOP

Movie star Jane Fonda and media entrepreneur Ted Turner approached the Harvard campus from all angles yesterday--speaking at an Institute of Politics (IOP) forum, addressing an undergraduate class and eating breakfast in the Union.

Turner, who is the founder of Cable News Network, and Fonda, who has won two Oscars, addressed an overflow crowd of 700 after spending the day visiting with students in smaller groups.

Fonda and Turner, who are recently married, took up the subject of the environment at the IOP. "We don't need to repeat the litany [of statistics] any more," Fonda said. "The problem is that we've gotten numb to it."

Unless people address environmental problemsthrough public policy, industrial modification and"profound spiritual change," our society willself-destruct, said Fonda.

"We can't help but think that history islittered with civilizations and people that neverdid make it to the next stage," she said.

Fonda, whose passion sometimes ranged intocliche, stood as a sharp contrast to her husbandwho peppered his more pragmatic speech with humor.

"If I were a young person getting out of schooltoday, I would go into the environmentalentrepreneurial business," Turner said in a thicksouthern drawl.

Fluorescent light bulbs, water-efficientplumbing, solar water heaters, returnable beveragecontainers and contraception are the stuff of anew economic wave, he said.

Turner also stressed the personal benefits.

"Doing something to help your fellow humansmakes you feel good," he explained. "It's likebeing a minister or a teacher.

"But if you go to be a minister or a teacher,you have to make financial sacrifices. If you gointo the environment, you can make a killing. Soyou win every which way."

Relaxing, Turner began thinking locally.

"There are a lot more lights on here than weneed," he said, gesturing at the Kennedy Schoolrafters. "And if my network is so important to theworld, why the hell haven't the Harvard dorms beenallowed to put it in...I'm not coming back untilyou change it."

Asked whether he would endow a professorship atthe Kennedy School, Turner delivered anotherattack on Harvard.

"I tried to get into Harvard. If they wanted mymoney, they should have seen then that I was goingto be a success," he said.

Earlier in the day, Turner and Fonda surprisedfirst-years with a break fast appearance in theUnion.

Bypassing the usual stop at the checker's desk,the celebrities carried their own trays throughthe Union serving line.

Turner sampled the Pancake Extravaganza, whileFonda, the star of numerous exercise videos,virtuously stuck with yogurt, wheat germ andherbal tea.

When it came to the all-important question ofUnion food, Turner had a left-handed complimentfor the Harvard Dinning Services.

"It's pretty hard to screw up eggs andpancakes," he said.

Alice S. Chen and David B. Lat contributedto this report.

Unless people address environmental problemsthrough public policy, industrial modification and"profound spiritual change," our society willself-destruct, said Fonda.

"We can't help but think that history islittered with civilizations and people that neverdid make it to the next stage," she said.

Fonda, whose passion sometimes ranged intocliche, stood as a sharp contrast to her husbandwho peppered his more pragmatic speech with humor.

"If I were a young person getting out of schooltoday, I would go into the environmentalentrepreneurial business," Turner said in a thicksouthern drawl.

Fluorescent light bulbs, water-efficientplumbing, solar water heaters, returnable beveragecontainers and contraception are the stuff of anew economic wave, he said.

Turner also stressed the personal benefits.

"Doing something to help your fellow humansmakes you feel good," he explained. "It's likebeing a minister or a teacher.

"But if you go to be a minister or a teacher,you have to make financial sacrifices. If you gointo the environment, you can make a killing. Soyou win every which way."

Relaxing, Turner began thinking locally.

"There are a lot more lights on here than weneed," he said, gesturing at the Kennedy Schoolrafters. "And if my network is so important to theworld, why the hell haven't the Harvard dorms beenallowed to put it in...I'm not coming back untilyou change it."

Asked whether he would endow a professorship atthe Kennedy School, Turner delivered anotherattack on Harvard.

"I tried to get into Harvard. If they wanted mymoney, they should have seen then that I was goingto be a success," he said.

Earlier in the day, Turner and Fonda surprisedfirst-years with a break fast appearance in theUnion.

Bypassing the usual stop at the checker's desk,the celebrities carried their own trays throughthe Union serving line.

Turner sampled the Pancake Extravaganza, whileFonda, the star of numerous exercise videos,virtuously stuck with yogurt, wheat germ andherbal tea.

When it came to the all-important question ofUnion food, Turner had a left-handed complimentfor the Harvard Dinning Services.

"It's pretty hard to screw up eggs andpancakes," he said.

Alice S. Chen and David B. Lat contributedto this report.