Radcliffe Pool Ban

The Radcliffe pool will close its doors to any non-Harvard students following a student petition protesting this use, a spokesman said yesterday.

Mary G. Paget, coordinator of sports, dance and recreation at Radcliffe, said yesterday the controversy arose when a group of seventh and eighth grade students from Buckingham, Brown and Nichols School, a local private school, were allowed to use the Radcliffe pool from noon to 1 p.m. This time is usually the busiest hour of pool use, she said.

Paget said the Athletic Department tried to help both groups concerned, but found it wasn't "the practical thing for this time period" to have the non-Harvard students swim at the pool.

Mary Ann Pearce, a GSAS student, said yesterday she started the petition since the conditions were "just barely comfortable" before the 19 extra students made the conditions "abominable."

Jack H. Etter, athletic director for Buckingham, Brown and Nichols said the students may still use the Radcliffe gym as they have in the past, "since this will not interfere with other students' use."