Unwarranted

To the Editors of the Crimson:

This letter is intended for all the clear-minded, rational and objective Harvard-Radcliffe undergraduates. Therefore, those of you who belong to the Radcliffe Union of Students, the Undergraduate Council or the Crimson need not read any further. The recent attack against the Pi Eta has been the most unwarranted vigilante crusade that I have ever experienced in my life. NONE of the people who are attacking the Pi Eta have any firsthand knowledge of the club whatsoever. They are simply jumping on one of the many bandwagons that exist here at Harvard. Had they made any effort to find out what the club is really all about, they might have been surprised.

The Pi Eta is a group of Harvard undergraduates (believe it or not, they are just like you) who are utilizing one of Harvard's many extra-curricular activities. These men are not alcoholics, they do not have sick minds, and they do not, above all, condone rape. These charges are totally unjustified. Still, it was very difficult for me to write this letter because of the futility of the situation. The Crimson, the Radcliffe Union of students, and the Undergraduate Council have blown this event so far out of proportion that I cannot see how any Harvard-Radcliffe student or administrator could form an objective opinion. This letter, however, is intended for those of you who do not base your judgements on hearsay, rumor, or excessive exaggeration. If you want some information about the club, talk to one of its members (we don't bite, honest). If not, please refrain from drawing conclusions based on the extensively one-sided, anti-Pi Eta portrayed that you have witnessed in the Crimson this past week.

Finally, the Pi Eta is wrongly being accused of harassment. In fact, I call the treatment that the Pi has received harassment. The members and their guests had to tolerate the heckling of the protestors on Saturday night, and the club has been publicly embarrassed in both regional and national news publications. One undergraduate suggested that the Pi Eta be "razed to the ground and burnt." (And we are the ones with sick minds?) This is totally unacceptable and must be stopped. If The Crimson is only interested in news, as one editor told me, they should have made it a point to ascertain the total story before they printed a small fraction of it. The National Enquirer can be interested in selling copies; The Crimson should be interested in the truth.

The shame of all this controversy is that the Pi Eta can only lose. As a result of a private parody intended solely for club members, we have suffered extensive and irreparable defamation of character. Still, I felt an obligation to write this letter in defense of an organization which I continue, along with countless other undergraduates and alumni, to be proud of. Maybe if these other organizations could step down from their soap boxes long enough, they would be able to discern reality from an unwarranted crusade. Thank you. Michael Travaglini '85