College Denies Official Status to 'New Student'

The New Student will not be granted recognition as an official Harvard undergraduate publication, Dean Bender, chairman of the Faculty Committee on Student Activities, told the editors of the magazine yesterday afternoon.

The decision ended the Harvard Youth for Democracy's 90-day wait for a definite faculty ruling and drew an immediate statement from Geoffrey W. White '48, editor of the magazine, to the effect that an appeal, presumably to Provost Buck as Dean of the Faculty, would be made within the next week.

Using the first issue of the New Student, and facts submitted by the HYD, as a basis, the faculty committee found that the magazine was "not a bona fide Harvard undergraduate publication and therefore not entitled to recognition as a Harvard publication."

When it became apparent that there would be a delay in the decision, the first issue was sponsored by the American Youth for Democracy.

Brief Statement

In a 217-word statement outlining its decision, the Faculty cited the 70 percent preponderance of non-Harvard contributions and the fact that two-thirds or more of the subscriptions to the magazine would be outside the University as the major reasons for denying recognition to The New Student.

The committee said "It should be made absolutely clear that the point of view of the publication and its sponsors is not at issue." The ruling in no way prohibits College men from editing writing, or distributing the magazine.

Rebutting the faculty position in a counter-statement released after yesterday's conference with Dean Bender, Harry A. Mendelssohn '48, HYD chairman, delared that "the publication of such a magazine with outside circulation and contributions is a legitimate activity of a Harvard organization, and one which has ample precedent in earlier Harvard publications.

"We feel that the refusal of the University to recognize The New Student is a clear violation of academic freedom and the NSA bill of rights," the statement continued. "We shall appeal this decision which we regard as a subversion of the liberal tradition of the University and a threat to the rights of Harvard students. We hope that the (next) issue of The New Student will be published in name as well as in fact by the HYD."