A Ridiculous Excuse

WELL, IT'S OFFICIAL. President Ronald W. Reagan will not be attending Harvard's 350th anniversary Celebration. While sighs of relief might be heard from some quarters of the Harvard community, his absence will cast a deplorable shadow on the festivities.

Reagan's handlers claimed that our habitually hardworking President was just too busy to make an appearance. What important matter of state will our leader be executing from the Executive Building? "It's too far in advance to say what he would be doing," said a White House spokesman.

Reagan has addressed veterans, farmers, astronauts, high schools and more backwater fundamentalist meetings than Rev. Ernest Angely. But will he talk to America's oldest center of higher education? Is it really impossible for Reagan to schedule a day for us in between visits to Camp David and Rancho Cielo?

Reagan might have known that Harvard was one of the few universities not to succumb to his charisma in the 1984 election. Or maybe he was miffed that Derek Bok had decided to end the tradition of handing out honorary degrees to the anniversary speakers due to faculty grumbling. When the K-school is giving Ed Meese and Cap Weinberger specially minted commemorative medals for the Kennedy School's 50th, it's not unreasonable that their boss might expect a little piece of sheepskin from the University.

So after five years of preparation, the 350th anniversary celebration is suddenly without one-third of its star lineup. And Derek Bok is the man holding the embarrassingly large bag. If Reagan felt slighted, it's because Mass Hall either stepped on sensitive toes, or simply took the President's appearance for granted. While it might seem strange that the President of the United States needs to be lured here with academic kudos, the Reagans are known to take protocol and good manners very seriously.

Whatever the reason behind this presidential no-show, Harvard has reason to be disappointed. The University has lost the opportunity to see the Great Communicator in action. We have been deprived of a chance to see Reagan's legendary veneration for education in action. Groups like the Sparts have been deprived of their finest opportunity ever for attention-seeking protest. Derek Bok won't get his picture taken with the President. And Reagan would have been the finishing touch to Harvard Yard; they're almost the same age.

On the other hand, perhaps our indignation over this snub is another example of Harvard arrogance. Sure, other presidents have made it here for anniversary celebrations. Harvard has had luminaries like King Juan Carlos, Alexander Solzhynitsin, Olaf Palme, Giscard d'Estaing, and even Burt Ward visit recently. But it took four years for Reagan to find the time to meet with any Soviet leader, and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachov still gets put on hold when he calls to wish Ron a happy birthday. So who are we to complain?

Dissenting Opinion

THE MAJORITY POSITION wants to have its 350th birthday cake and eat it too. If Reagan's "absence will cast a deplorable shadow on the festivities," then give him an honorary degree. It is a simple sign of respect when someone--especially the President--comes to speak at a Harvard ceremony. If Reagan does not deserve the University's respect, then we should not ask him to come here to speak.

Harvard snubbed Reagan. Reagan snubbed Harvard. And Harvard has been left with icing on its face.