A Worthy Example

THOUGH LARGELY OVERLOOKED in the midst of the procedural tumult surrounding last week's balloting, a group of students deserves credit for accomplishing real chance.

The Corporation's decision last Monday to scrap its proposal to abandon Harvard's automatic ban on investments in banks that make loans to South Africa stemmed directly from a month of organized and loud protest. Members and supporters of the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee (SASC) rallied several times in support of the absolute ban; their efforts culminated in a rousing open meeting that helped persuade the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility to oppose unanimously the Corporation's recommendation.

In engineering the Corporation's unexpected reversal, SASC and its adherents provided the most dramatic show of students influence in several years. All students concerned with Harvard policies--on and off campus--should take note of their triumph. It suggests that, despite the present impotence of student government and the frequent intransigence of the administration, students can still wield influence on real issues by daring to go outside the system.