South House Resident Calls SDS Charges of Racism False

Aileen Olden, Barnard Hall house resident, yesterday denied recent charges by SDS that a racist administrative decision blocked black women from giving a dorm party last October. She said the charges involved a minor incident that was satisfactorily settled last semester.

Carol E. Long '75, who asked permission for the party, said yesterday that she had no knowledge of the SDS leaflet and added that "the incident was cleared up a long time ago."

But when contacted last night about the leaflet. SDS member Bonnie E. Blustein '72 said. "The leaflet was read by the girls involved, and with a few corrections, they approved it." Blustein also indicated that the other charges of discrimination contained in the flier were equally valid.

The SDS leaflet--which has been circulating since Sunday--alleges that Long announced the party at a dorm meeting four weeks in advance, and was not told until the day before the party that she could not have it because certain students objected. According to the leaflet. "This kind of thing seems to be a Radcliffe tradition," and it lists several other incidents of alleged racism.

5 a.m.

Olden, herself black, said that Long planned a floor party in Barnard last October to be held from midnight to 5 a.m. the morning before mid-term examinations.

"There are many freshmen in this dorm who were taking their first mid-term exams," Olden said. "When they heard about the party, they came to us and objected, and of course we couldn't let it go on."

Radcliffe president and Master of South House Mary I. Bunting and Dean Epps said that they had never heard of the incident.

SDS has called for a University-wide meeting tonight in William James to discuss the problem of racism. The meeting is also to be an organizational meeting for a national convention against racism that will be held this spring in Boston.