The Report on PBH: Garbage Giftwrapped or Challenge in a Bag?

THE Committee on Students and Community Relations (CSCR) has squandered many man-hours investigating PBH's purpose, finances, and need for a $20,000 Faculty subsidy. After months of delegating responsibility and scheduling subcommittee hearings, the CSCR finally recommended a temporary $10,000 grant and reconsideration of the subsidy issue "an other year." If "another year" means 1973 or later, it will be too late.

The harm of the CSCR report is hard to measure. The committee's procedures, which called for closed committee and subcommittee meetings, caused one PBH stalwart, Barry F. O'Connell '65, to submit his resignation as graduate secretary, and the damage list is still not complete. The CSCR recommendations to Dean Dunlop could provide him with a protective umbrella to phase out the Faculty subsidy by June 1973. In addition, the Corporation might point to the CSCR report as a major reason for upholding the decision to shut down the PBH building in the evenings and on weekends, a move that will eliminate many of PBH's social service programs and possibly kill the organization.

The CSCR criticized PBH for not having a precise Wall Street type accounting system and pointed out the plunge in the number of PBH volunteers during the past three years. PBH responded by stating that this year the number of volunteers increased so sharply that the organization could not integrate 200 students into existing programs. This statistic was then spun around as further ammunition aimed at PBH, which the CSCR criticized as being too professional. PBH admitted all its problems and the CSCR seems to be punishing PBH for its frankness.

The question in the minds of most students is why the Administration would want to undercut "a nice organization like PBH." The reluctance of Administration officials to discuss the PBH funding issues leaves further questions unanswered. When asked about PBH, Dean May referred the matter to Dean Dunlop, who said "give Ernic May a call." May then referred the issue to Dean Barbara Solomon, chairman of the CSCR subcommittee, who said she could not really discuss PBH funding because financial decisions ultimately rest with Dunlop.

In a January 11 letter to Dunlop, the student leaders of PBH stated, "We do not feel that we have been given an adequate chance to plead our case. Not only were we denied a hearing before the full committee, but also the subcommittee which we understood would act as our advocate, seriously distorted our request and our situation in its report and recommendations to the full committee." Dunlop agreed to meet with the PBH student leaders and some members of the PBH Faculty Committee on January 29.

One member of the PBH Faculty Committee who won't be pleading to Dunlop for additional funds is Dean May, also a member of the CSCR, took part in that committee's unanimous PBH decision. However, every month since May joined the PBH Faculty Committee (when he became Dean of the College), he has said that he would be unable to attend the PBH Faculty Committee's monthly meetings. Ironically, the CSCR during its closed deliberations lambasted the PBH Faculty Committee for not holding the reins tightly enough.

PBH alone will not solve the problems plaguing Cambridge. Massive revenue-sharing programs will be a start for urban centers in the United States and a strong world organization is the ultimate solution. But for the moment, the University's firm financial support of PBH is a small solid step well worth the investment.