Students to Wear Armbands In Graduation Weapons Protest

The Harvard Council of Student Leaders (HCSL)--a recently formed coalition of students government representatives from throughout the University--will coordinate an effort to convince graduating students University-wide to wear green armbands at Commencement to protest the nuclear arms race, HCSL, members said this week.

At its third-ever meeting Monday night. HCSL members agreed to back the plan of the Divinity School Peace Group and organize the armband drive in their respective schools. Divinity School students will provide the armbands for Commencement exercises at each of the schools. A1 J. Saix, a member of Div School Student Association and the peace group, said yesterday.

Protests of this nature have taken place in previous years, but never campus-wide. Last year, an informal group of about two dozen undergraduates urged seniors to wear white armbands in support of a nuclear freeze.

And, in 1981, between 300 and 400 seniors pledged to wear green-and-white sashes to protest the United States government's involvement in El Salvador.

Also at that Commencement, gay students distributed 10,000 copies of a letter protesting the Faculty Council's rejection of a motion to forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Blooming

"This is something that will blossom." John Chittick, an HCSL member and president of the Education School's Student Association Cabinet said yesterday, adding. "The last time [this type of protest] was done by a large majority of students was during the Vietnam War.""

Student leaders interviewed this week said cems, but added that student concern about the arms race and nuclear war overrides all other issues.

Nine schools were represented at Monday's meeting. Sesha Pratap '84, chairman of the Undergraduate Council and the College's representative to the HCSL, was not present and could not be reached for comment yesterday.