Thirty Debate ROTC Program

The group of nearly 30 student, faculty, staff and community members gathered in Server Hall last night for an open forum on ROTC. While few raised their voices, many gave impassioned and sometimes emotional statements of their perspectives on the program.

It was a dramatically different scene than three years ago when the Undergraduate Council met to debate whether Harvard should reinstate ROTC on campus. At that meeting vocal demonstration cut forced the council chair to cut the meeting short.

Last night's meeting, sponsored by the Faculty Council's ROTC committee, provided a chance for committee members "to listen...to hear what people have to say," said Pforzheimer University Professor Sidney Verba '53, the committee's chair.

In nearly two hours of discussion, many of those at the meeting shared personal stories about anti-gay discrimination, difficulties in choosing whether to participate in the ROTC program and the financial choices that middle class students face when considering Harvard.

A 1990 Faculty Council resolution called for the University to cut ties with ROTC in May of this year if the military has not made progress toward changing its policy banning gays.

But the Faculty Council this year appointed a committee to reexamine the ROTC issue in depth. That committee requested an extension last month. Its report, and possibly a recommendation, are now expected in the fall.

Currently, the 40 Harvard students who participate in ROTC travel to MIT for the program. Harvard compensates MIT with an annual fee.

Ross Bergman, a first-year student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, said he considered a military scholarship when he was a high school senior, but decided against it because he was uncertain at the time whether he was gay.

"Can I take all possibility that I might be, God forbid, a homosexual and hide it from the military and go that route and have my ticket paid for?" Bergman said. "I can't properly relate to you the kinds of feelings that I had and the decision I was trying to make."

Associate Register Thurston A. Smith discussed his own experiences as a gay man who joined the military in the early 1960s. When the army discovered hewas gay, Smith said, he was placed under basearrest, held and interrogated daily for threemonths.

"I don't believe the army has changed muchsince then," Smith said. "I believe that peopleunderestimate the cruelty, inhumanity and sadismthat goes on in the military every day.

Smith suggested that Harvard base its decisionnot on the ultimate effectiveness of Harvard'sactions, but on the ethical issues involved.

"I see it more as a purely moral is sue," hesaid.

Smith's remarks characterized a debate thatevolved to focus on the question of principleversus expediency.

While some participants said Harvard shouldtake a principled stand against discrimination,others questioned whether Harvard's actions wouldhave any effect on the military's policies. Otherswarned of the negative consequences if Harvardwere to server ties with ROTC.

Navy ROTC midshipman Kedron V. McDonald '93,who said that her views did not reflect those ofthe military or of her ROTC unit, told the forumthat the diversity Harvard students would add tothe military might help bring about changes inDepartment of Defense policy.

"The military is going to benefit from studentscoming from an institution like Harvard, to make[changes] happen more effectively and moreefficiently," she said.

McDonald said the ROTC program was crucial inher choice to attend Harvard.

"If my scholarship is cut, I wouldn't be here,"McDonald said.

Koma B. Gandy '95 said that she, too struggledwith a difficult decision when considering whetherto come to Harvard on a Navy ROTC scholarship orto attend the U.S. Naval Academy.

Gandy, who also stressed that her views do notreflect those of her ROTC unit, said her decisionwas not based entirely on financialconsiderations. But she said Harvard's financialaid system forces families to make difficulteconomic choices when considering paying theirchildren's tuition bills.

In his closing remarks, Verba noted thatcommittee members who attended the forum had heardarguments that were new to them.

In an interview after the forum, Verba said thenew perspectives included "the nature of thefinancial pressure on students [and] some of theexamples of pressure on people who are in themilitary who are homosexual."

"It's going to help in our thinking about [theissues]," committee member James Engell said afterthe meeting.

Engell, who is professor of English andcomparative literature, said he was pleased thatthe forum participants were thoughtful and wererespectful of opposing viewpoints.

"This issue is not only an abstract issue,"Engell said. "It's an issue about people. So youneed to hear what people have to say.

"I don't believe the army has changed muchsince then," Smith said. "I believe that peopleunderestimate the cruelty, inhumanity and sadismthat goes on in the military every day.

Smith suggested that Harvard base its decisionnot on the ultimate effectiveness of Harvard'sactions, but on the ethical issues involved.

"I see it more as a purely moral is sue," hesaid.

Smith's remarks characterized a debate thatevolved to focus on the question of principleversus expediency.

While some participants said Harvard shouldtake a principled stand against discrimination,others questioned whether Harvard's actions wouldhave any effect on the military's policies. Otherswarned of the negative consequences if Harvardwere to server ties with ROTC.

Navy ROTC midshipman Kedron V. McDonald '93,who said that her views did not reflect those ofthe military or of her ROTC unit, told the forumthat the diversity Harvard students would add tothe military might help bring about changes inDepartment of Defense policy.

"The military is going to benefit from studentscoming from an institution like Harvard, to make[changes] happen more effectively and moreefficiently," she said.

McDonald said the ROTC program was crucial inher choice to attend Harvard.

"If my scholarship is cut, I wouldn't be here,"McDonald said.

Koma B. Gandy '95 said that she, too struggledwith a difficult decision when considering whetherto come to Harvard on a Navy ROTC scholarship orto attend the U.S. Naval Academy.

Gandy, who also stressed that her views do notreflect those of her ROTC unit, said her decisionwas not based entirely on financialconsiderations. But she said Harvard's financialaid system forces families to make difficulteconomic choices when considering paying theirchildren's tuition bills.

In his closing remarks, Verba noted thatcommittee members who attended the forum had heardarguments that were new to them.

In an interview after the forum, Verba said thenew perspectives included "the nature of thefinancial pressure on students [and] some of theexamples of pressure on people who are in themilitary who are homosexual."

"It's going to help in our thinking about [theissues]," committee member James Engell said afterthe meeting.

Engell, who is professor of English andcomparative literature, said he was pleased thatthe forum participants were thoughtful and wererespectful of opposing viewpoints.

"This issue is not only an abstract issue,"Engell said. "It's an issue about people. So youneed to hear what people have to say.