Harvard Scientists Might Cancel Classes in Sympathy With Strike

The Science Action Coordinating Committee may call for a one-day cancellation of some classes at Harvard as part of the national March 4 demonstration against the "diversion of American Science to military means."

The SACC, a national group of university scientists, is planning a one-day research stoppage at 28 colleges and universities across the United States. The halt will be a symbolic protest against classified research at several of the colleges, including M.I.T., Harvard does not permit its professors to conduct classified research.

The demonstration will also try to make scientists more aware of their potential role in society and of the ends to which their research is applied.

William Haseltine, a graduate student in Biophysics, and a member of SACC said that the demonstration has four goals:

* A research stoppage for one day to protest the use of science for military purposes,

* A department-by-department analysis at Harvard of what should be done to stop misuse of science,

* Circulation of a petition among professors, graduate students, and undergraduates asking for courses similar to Social Relations 149, to discuss what role science should play in today's society,

* A possible class cancellation for one day to demonstrate Harvard support of the research stoppage.

"We plan to send out letters to various professors here who sympathize strongly with us asking them to cancel classes during the week of March 4," Haseltine said. "We will ask other professors to hold discussions in their classes about the issues," he added.

On Thursday night the SACC held a meeting of approximately 75 people to discuss their plans. "We think this was a good indication of the growing support for the movement," Haseltine said. "Today we have professors actively working for petitions which they wouldn't even have signed a year ago."