TABULA RASA

Unbeknownst to most students, there is battle going on in the basement of Lamont Library. It's a battle between good intentions and immaturity. There, on a wall near the Xerox machines there is a posterboard that asks passers-by to put down their thoughts on disabled persons. Specifically, "what are common misperceptions about disabled people?"

Now this is just asking for trouble, Anyone who's seen the inane guest commentaries written on desks at Lamont will know that giving students such a forum will only play to their sophomoric instincts. Who knows what students wearied by hours of sticking their noses in books will unleash given such an opportunity?

And true to form, the Harvard student body has filled the posterboard with such comments as "They get good parking spaces." Other notable entries: "They always want to be called something-something challenged." And then there are the less tame entries that will not be repeated on this, an editorial page of a family newspaper.

Sum it up to say that there's not a serious response in view. And this is the second time (by our count) that a fresh posterboard has been put up.

Which brings up the question of why the very well-intentioned students who put up the board continue to do so. Do they really expect serious answers? Maybe they consider themselves crusaders in the fight against students immaturity.

Maybe they should also consider the old aphorism: "ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer."

Many students returned home from recruiting sessions with bruises rather than jobs.