BLACK ADMISSIONS

To the Editors of The Crimson:

In your March 22 article on the decline in black applications an administration spokesman listed two perfunctory reasons for this particular state of affairs. It should be the task of The Crimson to further investigate the Admissions situation and to provide more substantive explanations on this most important issue.

Fred Jewett '57, dean of Admissions and Financial Aid told The Crimson the following: first, that there has been less energetic recruiting on the part of black undergrads of late and second, that most Harvard blacks come from eastern urban centers and that recent teacher strikes in the areas stifled recruiting and placement efforts.

To begin with, while it is true that students can and do play some role in the recruiting process, I don't believe that inactivity on the part of Black undergrads has caused the 25 per cent (Harvard) and 20 per cent (Radcliffe) drops in applicants. (Keep in mind that there has been an overall increase in applicants.)

In addition, just where in the recruiting process does the job of the student end and that of the Admissions office begin? The statement that the decline in black applications can be attributed to "less recruiting of perspective applicants by Harvard blacks" seems to me to imply that black undergraduates must surpass the norm insofar as recruiting obligations are concerned.

The second reason given, teacher strikes in Eastern urban centers, simply has little bearing on the question. The only eastern urban center troubled by teacher strikes was Philadelphia and there are few black students from that city at Harvard, strike or no strike. For example, in the class of '75, where there are 101 black students, none from Philadelphia. Furthermore, investigation will show that most Harvard blacks come from prep schools and private schools, insulated from teacher strikes.

While some have stopped the inquiry at this juncture, others have pursued it further. The most common alternative analysis of the problem is an economic one. Simply, that tight money means fewer applications from black students, even 20 to 25 per cent less. Well, it is first necessary to remind those who hold this economic view, that Chicano and Puerto Rican applications have increased despite tight money. In addition, I think that the percentage of black students on financial aid at Harvard is lower than what might be commonly surmised.

Another alternative analysis questions the validity of the federal affirmative action program; certain segments of the university community argue that individuality, the trademark of a rigorous college, is jeopardized by legislation that assures proportinate representation from various ethnicities.

I won't speculate about the true reasons for the decline in applicants. However, the prescription at this time most certainly calls for documentation of more substantive answers than the two already presented. The university community stands in need of more precise explanations. The Crimson would do the University community a vital service if it were to investigate the admissions process thoroughly and provide answers to questions presently begging. Keith Butler '75