Musicians Damage Own Office

Four members of the Harvard band and one non-Harvard student were dispersed from the Harvard Band Headquarters early yesterday morning after university police found the room filled with smoke and debris.

University police arrived at the band's Freshman Union headquarters at approximately 2:30 a.m. Monday and found the room damaged. There was "orange smoke" from a flare that had been exploded, broken glass on the floor, and graffiti on the walls, Deputy Chief of Police Jack W. Morse said.

"It looked like the remains of a party or something," he said.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III said none of the band members has been charged with any university violations, although the case will be presented to the Administrative Board as a report.

Police and band members refused to release the names of the students involved in the incident.

No band equipment was damaged, according to Band Director Thomas G. Everett.

"I don't believe it was necessarily a statement against the band," he said, "It was not related to anything against the band."

"In the past there have been parties there, but nothing like this," Everett said. The gathering was not a band-organized event, he said, adding, "Sometimes students just stay late."

But Everett said, "There was more than the remains of a party. There was vandalism in the sense that objects had been thrown around the room and broken."

A flare of some sort had been lit, and its orange smoke filled the room, Everett said. There was glass on the floor that appeared to be from broken bottles, and a large potted plant had been "thrown against the wall," its soil and broken pot adding to the "mess on the floor," he said.

Morse said that no further police action is being taken.