Council Will Consider Donation to ROTC Fund

The Undergraduate Council may donate $1000 to an independent fund proposed by President Neil L. Rudenstine last week to finance students in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), council President David L. Hanselman '94-'95 said yesterday.

Hanselman said he will make a motion at Monday's meeting of the council's student affairs committee to recognize Rudenstine's proposal as a good compromise and to offer financial support to the ROTC program.

"President Rudenstine, with his compromise, has transformed this issue from a gay rights issue to a student rights issue." Hanselman said. "It's incumbent upon the council to stand up for student rights, and that's why I'm pursuing this issue in the first place."

According to Rudenstine's decision, the University will no longer directly pays for Harvard's participation in the ROTC program. Instead, the annual contribution of approximately $35,000 will come from unsolicited alumni contributions.

"I don't know if there's sufficient outside funds to pay for the administrative fee," Hanselman said. "And what I don't want to happen is Harvard students not get to participate in this worthwhile program because of a funding shortage."

Justin C. Label '97, chair of the committee, said discussion of this "controversial" motion would benefit Harvard students.

"Regardless of how the council or committee feels as a whole, it's a good thing that this issue will come to the council," Label said.

But committee member N. Van Taylor '96-'95 questioned the wisdom of discussing a "divisive" issue.

"I still don't think it's the place of the council to take an active participatory role, especially given so many other pressing issues where we have a huge student mandate," Taylor said. "Taking a stand on ROTC will reduce the effectiveness of the council on other issues."

Marco B. Simmons '97, a member of the finance committee, said Hanselman's proposal raises both ethical and practical questions.

"It would be contributing funds to allow Harvard students to participate in an organization which does discriminate," Simons said. "There's no precedent for the Undergraduate Council giving funds to a group without specifying line items."

Students who oppose Rudenstine's decision to allow Harvard undergraduates to participate in ROTC do so on the grounds that the military discriminates against homosexuals. They expressed their disappointment yesterday with Hanselman's motion.

Thomas A. Gerace '93, chair of the Committee to End Discrimination at Harvard, said Hanselman's proposal spends student funds questionably.

"It would be inappropriate to use student funds to support an organization that discriminates against lesbian, bisexual and gay Harvard students," Gerace said.

Royce C. Lin '96, co-chair of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association, said he is "troubled somewhat" by Hanselman's proposal.

"That proposal does bother me in that I'm afraid of the kind of message this might send out," Lin said. "Any financial ties with ROTC is discriminatory."

But Hanselman said students who oppose funding ROTC, do not have to pay their Undergraduate Council fee, by not checking the box option on their term bills.

Hanselman said he expects to hear from those groups opposed to spending council funds on ROTC at tomorrow's town meeting

Royce C. Lin '96, co-chair of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association, said he is "troubled somewhat" by Hanselman's proposal.

"That proposal does bother me in that I'm afraid of the kind of message this might send out," Lin said. "Any financial ties with ROTC is discriminatory."

But Hanselman said students who oppose funding ROTC, do not have to pay their Undergraduate Council fee, by not checking the box option on their term bills.

Hanselman said he expects to hear from those groups opposed to spending council funds on ROTC at tomorrow's town meeting