Students Will Solicit at Today's Game To Help Relief Work in Bangladesh

Harvard and Yale students will solicit funds for famine relief in Bangladesh at today's football game.

As a follow-up to Thursday's nationwide World Harvest Fast, members of the Harvard-Radcliffe South Asian Society and a Yale group led by the Rev. William Sloane Coffin will man booths at gates one and six of the stadium where they will accept donations.

"These are really special circumstances," Praveen Manjunath '76, spokesman for the South Asian Society, said. "Between 500 and 1000 people die in Bangladesh every day and it costs $400 a ton to ship wheat from Canada to the country." Manjunath said the group hopes to raise $2000.

The athletics committee has agreed to announce the drive over the public address system during half-time. But Manjunath said that both the athletics department and Archie Epps, dean of students, gave him "the run around" when they were first approached. Manjunath said the administration originally refused to allow solicitations at the game, saving it would set a "bad precedent" and that the "security aspect" posed a risk.

Chase N. Peterson '52, vice-president of alumni and development, said last night that solicitation at the game was acceptable, "if it's well-organized and the money gets to the good cause." However, Peterson added, "there is a problem. If you have one charity do it, how do you ever draw the line?"