Students to Submit Plans for Center

Representatives of Third World undergraduate and graduate organizations will meet with President Bok this afternoon to present a formal proposal for a centrally located, student-run, Third World Center on campus.

The proposal lists as possible locations the Varsity Club, 8 Prescott St., the Hasty Pudding Club, University-owned property on Mass Ave, the old Institute of Politics building on Mt. Auburn St., Massachusetts Hall, Harvard Hall, 5-7 Linden Street, the Radcliffe Gym, Aggasiz House and 54 Dunster St.

The organizations' statement presents guidelines and a timetable demanding that the University "begin establishment of the Third World Center immediately."

Keith E. Almon '79-4, a board member of the Black Students Association, said yesterday the organizations would press for an entire building to house the center, which would be completed by September 1980.

Free and Easy

"Anything less would take away from our autonomy," Almon said, adding, "Depending on who else is there, we might feel uncomfortable or interrupted."

Because of the extensive renovations needed to house the center's "minimum space needs"--which include a library, a kitchen, eating space, a large multipurpose room, a band room, a lounge, and ten offices--Almon said the University should select a location by the end of the school year.

Bok was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Although representatives of the organizations said Bok told them last week he did not object "in principle" to a Third World Center, they don't expect Bok to accept the demands immediately.

"It's not very likely he'll say yes right away. He'll probably put the proposal under consideration," Maria L. Seda '83, a steering committee member of La Organization, said yesterday.

Heard It Before

Almon said Bok had not followed up on similar demands in 1972 and 1975. Seda added that "he just buried them under papers."

In addition to the renovation expenses, the proposal asks for $45,000 in annual operating costs, and a University-paid staff of four for the center.

The proposal notes the growth since 1965 of Harvard's Third World community from 1 per cent to 20 per cent of the College's students and deplores the University's continuing treatment of Third World students as "an insignificant minority without legislative needs, history, and culture.