"i.e." AND ADVOCATE

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

The Cambridge community has been treated with a book composed of sensationalist scandal (resembling a Cambridge Confidential). with the pained, painful cries of an upset individual, and with a series of brilliant insights into the sins and omissions of a group of human beings. Whether it was Mr. Raditsa's intention or not (and Mr. Raditsa's intentions will fill the air of tutors' discussions for days)the sixth issue of i.e. has appeared following the publication of the last Advocate for this college year. Unable to reply at length until next fall, we nonetheless ask the CRIMSON, relying on its "realistic" regularity of appearance, as well as (we feel) its "courage," to publish our acceptance of Mr. Raditsa's challenge, and our denial of the blatant misrepresentation of fact and irresponsible purveying of slander. (Yes, we say, irresponsible; we understand the "clubbie" who is "out to get Raditsa," and expect the reaction of an Eliot House tutor: "Poor Leo. I wonder what we did wrong.") Perhaps, Mr. Raditsa asks for this reaction in his introduction (as much as any individual can); we say that it is irrelevant, that the book has to be read in spite of this, that the insights should be considered seriously though the style of presentation begs for the reader to throw it aside with a satiric comment on the author, or on the syntax of sentences that do not even ask to be read. The stupidity of the suggestions on "what is to be done," the embarrassment caused by the deliberate misrepresentations have immeasurably reduced the book's communication to the level (using one of Mr. Raditsa's own examples) of the Harvard Times-Republican, or better, playboy. Mr. Raditsa quit the Advocate in order to produce this magazine; in spite of our alleged indifference to literature we accept his creative insights into the relations of human beings on and off our publication.

We do not accept it, however, under the guise of a "timely" study of the individuals who come and go and create this university; we do not accept his confusion, his failure to conclude what to do with the banished "good scholar" students and professors; we do not accept the inhuman (and it is Mr. Raditsa's term) hate, fear and isolation which is the basis of this "humanist's" book. The Editors,   The Harvard Advocate