'Insensitive Inactions'

To the Editors of The Crimson:

The University's position on the Commencement conflict should not come as a surprise to anyone at all familiar with minority concerns at Harvard. Harvard's failure to recognize the importance of the Jewish holiday Shavuos is yet another in a long list of insensitive inactions perpetrated by the administration.

As in 1975 when the University scheduled freshman registration on Yom Kippur, 1980 when the University refused minority students a Third World Center, and last year when the Freshman Dean's Office denied minority organizations access to the Freshman Calendar, the Commencement date contradicted the University's self-espoused treatises on diversity. Although the Administration claims to embrace pluralistic, ideals, many of its actions put minority groups on the defensive.

By scheduling Commencement on a sanctioned Jewish holiday, the University forces a Jewish student to choose between competing constituencies; either he is a member of the Harvard community of an Orthodox Jew. Decisions like these should not have to be made by Jewish students or any other student. Harvard should rejoice in its diversity and make genuine efforts to promote a general appreciation of each group's contribution to the University community.

Of course the, University did not internationally schedule Commencement during the holiday. But this ignorance in itself issue the larger issue which is its insensitivity to the diverse concerns of its student population.

The Administration could take a great step in cultivating a more enlightened attitude among the member of the Harvard community by rescheduling the Commencement date. Although this may change some people's plans, precedent set by such an action would more than justify any inconvenience. We are confident that when informed of the reasons behind the rescheduling, most people will concur with and applaud the University.

We commend the members of Hillel, the Editorial Board of The Crimson, and the Undergraduate Council for bringing this issue to the fore. Hopefully, as more students become aware of the University's initiatives, ignorant actions as such will cease to occur.

Harvard-Radcliffe Third World Students Alliance