Happy Birthday?

AT LONG LAST, it's here.

Harvard is 350 years old and is throwing itself a party. And, oh what a party. Derek Bok's on Time magazine, John Harvard's on his own postage stamp, chrysanthemums are on the steps of Widener, and the special 350th seal is on just about everything else.

And don't forget last night's riverside gala, Prince Charles today, the Secretary of State tomorrow, or the fireworks extravaganza Saturday. Or, what crimson-faced Harvard officials continue to bill--for they must--as the heart of the event, the 106 academic symposia.

What to make of it all, this five days of partying, after five years of planning? Has Harvard brought a well-deserved Spring Break north to Cambridge, or is it merely an infectious case of Spring Fever gone wild?

Not seeking to match the weeks of conferences and the international gathering of scholars that marked the University's 300th birthday in 1936, Harvard officials sought to create a comparatively low-key "family affair" this time around. Maybe it's the domino effect, or the Statue of Liberty syndrome, or the glitz-it-up promotionalism of the Yuppie Era. Call it what you will. But my God, Dr. Frankenstein, Harvard's created a monster. And it's alive.

Over the past few months, Harvard's 350th anniversary machine has matched the success of the best public relations firms. Its dozens of press releases promote a sanitized version of history and take little note of controversy over 350 years of Harvard past. The University Archives has refused to release photographs of student protests. And, to provide the perfect backdrop for alumni snapshots this week, Harvard has scrubbed its walls, trimmed its lawns, and even planted several new, fully grown trees to fill in bare spots in the Yard.

It's all a pretty picture, a pleasing panorama for the alumni benevolent or prominent enough to have merited an invitation to the anniversary events. The returns for Harvard are likely to be numerous, at least in terms of birthday donations and receipts from the licensing of commemorative merchandise. But for all the planning, the repainting of buildings and history alike, the most visible return thus far has been the attention. Cover stories, documentaries, and special publications abound, and 900 journalists from around the world are here to record this week of revelry.

Is all the press coverage deserved? Has Harvard earned the spotlight? It's tough to say, in part because the University has made no effort to use its birthday as an opportunity for introspection. Around campus these days, people seem more concerned about where they're sitting at the Stadium gala than whether Harvard's succeeded in its educational mission. And maybe that's understandable. Why? Because what's happening this week is a party. Hardly plain and simple, but a party nonetheless.

There have been other big parties, and royalty and celebrity have mixed before. What's unique about this celebration is that it's taking place here at Harvard, the oldest and most talked-about college in America.

Even the highest-ranking of University officials acknowledge surprise at the intensity of the media blitz, but not without wondering at the focus on all the glamor and glitz. Maybe they don't realize it, but they're partly responsible. They held a press conference in August to plug the fireworks and other festivities, but the academic symposia, arguably the week's most significant activities, are proceeding with no such promotion.

So there have been mistakes, things may have gotten out of control, and it may be easy this week to forget that Harvard's prime business is education, not entertainment. And when all the chocolate 350th shields have been eaten, and the officially sanctioned pens have been drained of their ink, Harvard will be left in relative peace once again--a bit prettier, a bit richer, and a year older, but probably none the wiser. Despite recalling its birth as the beginning of higher education in America, the University sadly missed this opportunity to re-examine either itself or education in general. Both are replete with problems, and a serious review might have been a perfect birthday gift--from Harvard to its students, faculty, alumni and staff, and to the educators worldwide who view this university as a model for excellence.

Enjoy your party, Harvard. But forgive us, if you will, for thinking beyond the celebration. Classes, thankfully, begin in a few weeks.