University Hall Doors Locked

Last Friday at about 4 p.m. an unidentified student reportedly entered University Hall 4, asked a secretary for a piece of paper, and left an anonymous note on the desk of Dean of Students Archie C Epps III.

The half-page note told administrators that divestment activists planned to take over University Hall by force that evening.

Five days after the anonymous threat, the College's nerve center--administrators with offices in the building include Epps, Dean of the College John B Fox Jr. '59 and Dean of the Faculty A. Michael Spence--is still conducting business as usual.

It's business as usual, that is, except that four of the building's five doors are chained shut and anyone wanting to enter must answer to a Harvard policeman stationed at the unchained, but locked, northeast door.

While administrators deny any parallel between 1969, when Vietnam War protesters engaged in a days-long takeover of the building, and 1985, when anti-apartheid protesters have already occupied the University's Corporation headquarters, they are certainly not taking the recent surge in activism lightly.

"Many of us have lived through the occupation of this building." Epps said earlier this week. He added that although divestment activists have assured him they plan no takeover, "We would have to assume it's a real possibility."

Fox said, however, that he "accepts as ordinary" the lightened security. "We've protected the building frequently over the years," the dean said.

He added, however, that the does not remember the last time--before divestment activism began escalating this spring--that the doors were chained shut.

The dean said he does not know how much longer the 24-hour guard will remain. Police have monitored University Hall and Massachusetts Hall doors periodically since the 17 Quincy St, sit-in two weeks ago.

But administrators say they're looking forward to the end of the threat. "It's difficult to work under these circumstances," Epps said Monday.

Life's a lot simpler if people don't take over buildings," Fox added.