Seniors Decide to Allow Gifts to Special Biko Fund

The senior class committee voted yesterday to give seniors contributing to the annual senior gift fund the option of earmarking their money for a Steven Biko memorial fund.

The Biko fund would probably provide financial aid for black students from South Africa, Aaron J. Alter '79, first marshall of the senior class, said yesterday.

Brian S. Petrovek '77, co-director of the Harvard-Radcliffe Fund, said yesterday he would meet with class committee members today to work out details of such a fund--including how to meet the requirement that a scholarship fund must have $5000 already raised in its name before it can become official.

"We're giving an option to those who felt uneasy about giving money to Harvard because they were unhappy about what the University was doing about South Africa," Alter said.

Katherine P. Evans '79, a senior class marshall, said yesterday the Biko fund would "allow students to assist the University in its academic mission but show their disapproval of its South Africa policies."

The committee did not adopt a series of proposals from Michael R. Eastman '79, a senior class marshall, to call for a boycott on all contributions to the class gift.

Eastman said last night the Biko fund idea was a compromise. "It's not the total ballgame, but it's a piece of it," he added.

Seniors in each house began soliciting contributions last Thursday. All money donated to the senior gift goes to support undergraduate education, Petrovek said.

In past years the fund has collected $45,000 in four-year pledges, but this year it is seeking only one-year pledges, so as not to interfere with the University's upcoming $250 million capital fund drive.

Daniel A. Lashof '81, a member of the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee (SASC), said yesterday SASC was considering several courses of action, but would probably support the proposed Biko fund.

Steven Biko was a leader of the South African black consciousness movement who died of wounds inflicted while he was in prison.