Student Rally to Display Support for Radcliffe College

Radcliffe College supporters will gather today at 1 p.m. in Radcliffe Yard amid a sea of the institution's black and white colors to prove that students care strongly about the support Radcliffe provides.

The student organizers said yesterday they want to assert Radcliffe's importance in the midst of the recent threat to its life as a college.

Top officials from Radcliffe and Harvard are currently discussing Radcliffe's future status and are considering transforming Radcliffe from a separate college into a research institution "allied" with Harvard.

Many women's groups on campus, including the Radcliffe Union of Students, Radcliffe Crew and other Radcliffe affiliates, are participating in the rally, which will take place at Fay House.

President of Radcliffe College Linda S. Wilson and Dean of Radcliffe Educational Programs Tamar March may address students in front of Fay House.

Emma C. Cheuse '98, a member of the Undergraduate Council, said the students will then march from Radcliffe to Harvard to "symbolize their partnership."

"The people who really care about Radcliffe want to come together and celebrate the different meanings Radcliffe has for undergraduates," Cheuse said. "We want to show our support."

Maggie L. Schmitt '99 said the idea for the march and rally was born from a late night conversation between herself and Cheuse at the end of last week.

"A lot of people were very unhappy with this hubbub around Radcliffe's future without any hard factual evidence about what was going to happen to Radcliffe," Schmitt said.

"We were concerned about the negative tenor of the press' coverage of Radcliffe's future and wanted to make sure Radcliffe's students' voices were heard and presences were felt," she added.

Cheuse said she anticipates that students will flock to the grassy quadrangle between Agassiz Hall and Fay House to voice their support for Radcliffe.

"I think that we're expecting a large number of people to come for a variety of reasons," Cheuse said.

"There are people who may not know much aboutwhat Radcliffe does for undergraduates but whowant to be connected to the Radcliffe communityand its history," she added.

Schmitt and Cheuse said many undergraduatesbelieve the 119-year-old institution is aninvaluable resource for women on campus and wantto prevent it from becoming simply a researchorganization.

The rally will serve as a melting pot of manydifferent perspectives on Radcliffe and opinionsfor its future, according to Cheuse.

"The goal of this is not to put forth anyparticular person's perspective but to have avariety of views," Cheuse said.

Both women said they hope the rally willinfluence the administrations in theirnegotiations and generally promote dialogue aboutRadcliffe.

"We're going to come together as a community tofind out why Radcliffe is important and to showthe many ways to look at Radcliffe," Cheuse said.

Radcliffe has always been an important part ofthe campus and should continue to have aninfluential role in student life, Schmitt said.

"The idea is that we feel very strongly aboutRadcliffe as an historical institution, as asupport center for women and as a potentialorganizational center for women," Schmitt added

"There are people who may not know much aboutwhat Radcliffe does for undergraduates but whowant to be connected to the Radcliffe communityand its history," she added.

Schmitt and Cheuse said many undergraduatesbelieve the 119-year-old institution is aninvaluable resource for women on campus and wantto prevent it from becoming simply a researchorganization.

The rally will serve as a melting pot of manydifferent perspectives on Radcliffe and opinionsfor its future, according to Cheuse.

"The goal of this is not to put forth anyparticular person's perspective but to have avariety of views," Cheuse said.

Both women said they hope the rally willinfluence the administrations in theirnegotiations and generally promote dialogue aboutRadcliffe.

"We're going to come together as a community tofind out why Radcliffe is important and to showthe many ways to look at Radcliffe," Cheuse said.

Radcliffe has always been an important part ofthe campus and should continue to have aninfluential role in student life, Schmitt said.

"The idea is that we feel very strongly aboutRadcliffe as an historical institution, as asupport center for women and as a potentialorganizational center for women," Schmitt added