Groups Ponder Name Change, Post-Radcliffe

THE MERGER

Radcliffe agreed to cut all its ties to undergraduate education last week, but a glance at the roster of undergraduate groups--many of which contain Radcliffe's name--would suggest otherwise.

While some organizations have not yet considered changing their names, many group leaders said they would keep Radcliffe in their groups' names despite the merger.

120 years of carefully crafted acronyms are at stake.

If they changed their names, Harvard and Radcliffe Musical Outreach to Neighborhood Youth (HARMONY) would become HMONY, and Student Astronomers at Harvard-Radcliffe (STAHR) would become STAH.

Rather than update their acronyms, many group leaders said their organization's names would remain unchanged.

"It would be sort of hard for us to come up with an `A' and `R,'" said HARMONY Executive Director Jeffrey H. Chung '00.

And Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) President Alexander S. Caram '00 said if his group did remove Radcliffe from its name, it would find something to fill the gap left by `R'.

"I don't think there are any plans to change it, but if we do it won't be the `HO,'" Caram said.

Some group leaders said they are tied to the `R' in their group's title for reasons other than just phonics, despite many administrators' claims that Radcliffe has not been very involved in undergraduate's lives over the past 20 years.

"Most board members expressed interest in keeping it because Radcliffe was indispensable to a lot of things we've done in the past," said Elizabeth D. Chao '00, president of Women in Science at Harvard and Radcliffe (WISHR).

Chao said some members of the board found the pun prospects of `WISH' alluring nonetheless.

"If we call it WISH, there would be a lot of fun ways to publicize things," Chao said. "The newer generation wants WISH and the old generation is more attached to the `R.'"

Even if the Radcliffe ties will be largely ceremonial in the future, some students said their names connect them to their organizations' pasts.

"I don't think we'll change our name because it reflects where we came from," Chungsaid. "It describes how we were formed."

Members of Radcliffe Crew and Radcliffe Rugbysaid, they, too, still feel connected to theRadcliffe name.

"When we go to the NCAA we're officiallyrecognized as Harvard, but all our competitorsstill recognize us as Radcliffe and our colors areblack and red, not crimson," heavyweight crewcaptain Katherine Tomford '99 said.

Some groups have benefited from more than justthe Radcliffe tradition, such as the Associationof Black Radcliffe Women (ABRW), which has anoffice in Radcliffe Yard. While ABRW PresidentEdidiong N. Ikpe '00 said the organization mightconsider a name change in the future, it decidedagainst one earlier this year.

Some group leaders also said changing theirnames could alienate their alums.

"We have 180 alumnae who wouldn't stand for itand frankly, neither would I," said RadcliffePitches President Gwen Y. Shen '00.

But Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Councilrepresentative Kyle D. Hawkins '02, who isbringing a bill before the council to remove theRadcliffe from its name, said keeping the title isinaccurate.

"I think most people will recognize that sincethere's no longer a Radcliffe College, we cannotmaintain the word Radcliffe in our name eventhough some UC members may not approve of themerger," Hawkins said

Members of Radcliffe Crew and Radcliffe Rugbysaid, they, too, still feel connected to theRadcliffe name.

"When we go to the NCAA we're officiallyrecognized as Harvard, but all our competitorsstill recognize us as Radcliffe and our colors areblack and red, not crimson," heavyweight crewcaptain Katherine Tomford '99 said.

Some groups have benefited from more than justthe Radcliffe tradition, such as the Associationof Black Radcliffe Women (ABRW), which has anoffice in Radcliffe Yard. While ABRW PresidentEdidiong N. Ikpe '00 said the organization mightconsider a name change in the future, it decidedagainst one earlier this year.

Some group leaders also said changing theirnames could alienate their alums.

"We have 180 alumnae who wouldn't stand for itand frankly, neither would I," said RadcliffePitches President Gwen Y. Shen '00.

But Harvard-Radcliffe Undergraduate Councilrepresentative Kyle D. Hawkins '02, who isbringing a bill before the council to remove theRadcliffe from its name, said keeping the title isinaccurate.

"I think most people will recognize that sincethere's no longer a Radcliffe College, we cannotmaintain the word Radcliffe in our name eventhough some UC members may not approve of themerger," Hawkins said