Foundation Officer May Resign

A Peninsula council member has been asked to resign his position on the student advisory committee of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations amid charges that he violated Foundation rules in an article he wrote in the conservative magazine's April issue.

Robert K. Wasinger '94, who occupies the permanent seat designated to the group Native Americans at Harvard, drew criticism for his article, which detailed the proceedings of a Foundation grant meeting.

"We've asked him to resign because he does not represent Native Americans at Harvard," said outgoing Native Americans president Ellen I. Smith '92, adding that she expects Wasinger to submit a letter of resignation next week.

"The article is a culmination of a lot of things," Smith said.

But Wasinger said yesterday he had not decided whether he would resing. "I haven't made up my mind about resignation yet," he said.

The article, entitled "Ity-ological Exclusion-ism--The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations: To Diminish the Quality of Our Common Life?" is part of Peninsula's issue on race at Harvard which was distributed this week.

The article accuses the committee of applying a political litmus test in making grants decisions.

Smith and student advisory committee co-chair Natosha O. Reid '93, who was quoted in the article, said Wasinger had violated Foundation rules by revealing details of an advisory committee grants meeting in the magazine.

"The grants meetings are strictly confidential," Reid said.

Wasinger denied he had violated Foundation rules, saying that FoundationDirector S. Allen Counter had seen the articlebefore it was published and had expressed noobjection.

"The fact of the matter is that I didn'tviolate any confidentiality," said Wasinger. "Ifthey are complaining about me quoting them, theyare irresponsible and they should not be afraid ofspeaking for themselves."

It is unclear what will happen if Wasinger doesnot step down voluntarily. The Native Americansseat is not a directly elected position since thegroup selects its occupant. And if Wasingerrefuses to step down, leaders of Native Americansat Harvard could seek other action.

"If the Native Americans had a problem with Robrepresenting them, they could go to Dr. Counter orthe [student advisory committee]," Reid said.

Out of Context

In the article, Wasinger quotes Reid as saying,"I have always felt the Harvard Foundation doeshave a liberal ideology." Immediately after thequote. Wasinger writes, in parentheses, "Perhapsrealizing her mistake, she immediately commandedthat nobody quote her . Oh well! Sorry, Ms. Reid."

Reid said yesterday that while the quote wasaccurate, it had been taken out of context.

"I was not trying to define the Foundation butpointing out a distinction between what seems tobe the Peninsula's ideals and theFoundation's" Reid said

"The fact of the matter is that I didn'tviolate any confidentiality," said Wasinger. "Ifthey are complaining about me quoting them, theyare irresponsible and they should not be afraid ofspeaking for themselves."

It is unclear what will happen if Wasinger doesnot step down voluntarily. The Native Americansseat is not a directly elected position since thegroup selects its occupant. And if Wasingerrefuses to step down, leaders of Native Americansat Harvard could seek other action.

"If the Native Americans had a problem with Robrepresenting them, they could go to Dr. Counter orthe [student advisory committee]," Reid said.

Out of Context

In the article, Wasinger quotes Reid as saying,"I have always felt the Harvard Foundation doeshave a liberal ideology." Immediately after thequote. Wasinger writes, in parentheses, "Perhapsrealizing her mistake, she immediately commandedthat nobody quote her . Oh well! Sorry, Ms. Reid."

Reid said yesterday that while the quote wasaccurate, it had been taken out of context.

"I was not trying to define the Foundation butpointing out a distinction between what seems tobe the Peninsula's ideals and theFoundation's" Reid said