Harvard Foreign Students Plan An International Student Union

Foreign students at Harvard, who have been without a students' group for two years since the International Student Center closed, are attempting to organize an International Students' Union.

One of the organizers, Eriko Ishikawa '77, said yesterday there is a definite need for such a union because the University no longer has an official international students' group. The International Student Center, once located at 33 Garden Street, sold its property two years ago to the International Meditation Society.

The only existing organization is the International Friendship Group, one of the "discipleships" of the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship, which was created to fill the void after the student center closing.

The Friendship Group, however, is not University-recognized, and is Christian oriented; non-Christians have no place to go.

Students have complained that International Friendship has tried to convert foreign students to Christianity. Ishikawa said, "The University will not recognize the International Friendship Group because you cannot have a religious group that is oriented towards proselytizing another specific group."

Martha E. Li '75, leader of the International Friendship discipleship, agreed with Ishikawa that another international student organization should be formed, and stressed that she had no fear of rivalry between such a group and the International Friendship Group.