RUS Elections Mark Shift in Role

Last Friday's Radcliffe Union of Students election marks a final step in the organization's shift from a representative voice for campus women to an "open forum" with no specific ideology or mandate.

The transition leaves a vacuum for smaller, more specifically issue-oriented groups to fill, students say, and many campus women's groups applaud the move.

Newly-elected RUS Co-president Anne Guiney '95 says that the need for a single, representative women's group on campus has passed. She says RUS will now seek to foster "as much activism [as possible] through grants."

As part of its effort to move away from endorsing any specific view-point, RUS will distance itself from formerly internal project such as Take Back The Night and Women's Expo. Both projects may have to go through an official grant process in order to receive funding, RUS Secretary Courtney R. Baker '96 says.

RUS will focus on serving as a support body, rather than actively pressing its stand on women's issues, members says.

"It would be unfair for RUS to claim to speak for all women. RUS cannot take on that role, and have only one particular agenda," Guiney says. "It's very important for RUS to be an umbrella organization, and encouragedifferent groups with various agendas."

"[By doing so] we hope RUS will be moreinclusive," co-president Megan Lewis '95 says.

Although many organizations endorse the RUSshift in policy, some students say there is a needfor a groups specifically promoting feminism oncampus.

Recently-elected AAA co-president JenniferChing '96 says RUS should still maintain aparticular feminist agenda.

"I don't see why the RUS can't be both afunding organizations as well as an activemovement for women," Ching says. "Personally, Ithink women's right s issues are still hanging inresponsibility to uphold a strong [feminist]presence on campus."

Political stands or no, RUS has a considerablefinancial base to support student groups.

Every female undergraduate at Harvard isterm-billed the sum of $5 annually to fund thegroup. All undergraduate women are officially RUSmembers.

Presently, RUS obtains a total of about $14,000a year and provides more than $10,000 in grants,according to RUS treasurer Anna L. Gibb '96.

For the maximum number of undergraduate womento benefit from these resources, RUS must focusfunding rather than on project creation, Lewissays.

Although the organization's role is shifting,RUS members say it will continue to championwomen's issues through its financial and politicalsupport. The support will simply become morebroad-based.

"Acting as a grant-giving organization does notdestroy our role as an advocate for women," Guineysays.

Members of several campus women's organizationsagree the RUS's new primary role as a fundinghousebest serves women's interests.

"RUS cannot stand for all women all the time,"says Lisan L. Goines '95, a former member ofCalling It Rape, a small performance group whichuses theater to stimulate thought on the subjector rape.

"If [RUS] attempted to stand for all women, itwould not to a voice worth hearing," Goines says."It's more important for them to support than torepresent."

Others not that RUS's policy of supporting awide spectrum of organizations concerned withwomen's issues leaves the future of women's rightsactivism on campus unsettled.

Rather than attempting to create a single,unified front representing all women, RUS isgiving smaller organizations a chance to voicetheir concerns, says RUS member Ashwini Sukthankar'95, who ran for president against Lewis andGuiney.

Campus groups which have received funding fromRUS in the past include Women Appealing For Change(WAC), Lighthouse Magazine, HQ Magazine, BlackC.A.S.T., the Asian American Association (AAA) andCalling it Rape, Guiney says.

RUS has been criticized by campus conservativesas a liberal, feminist group, rather than as anopen forum dealing with women's issues.

Karen E. Boyle, president of the RepublicanClub, says she shared this view, but adds that shehas not attended any RUS meetings.

"It's a vicious cycle. I don't thinkconservatives have a place in the RUS, so I don'tattend meetings. I don't know how I got theimpression Boyle said.

Kelly A. Bowdren '94, a council member ofPeninsula magazine, says she is skepticalabout RUS's' promise to be less confrontational.

"RUS is patronized by leftists," Bowdren says."They should not present themselves as aclearinghouse for women's issues, because they'vealways supported only feminist-type programs."

Bowdren says her skepticism was informed bypast experience.

While RUS has claimed to support the AllianceFor Life, a pro-life organization, they neveractually funded the group, Bowdren says.

Boyle says Lighthouse magazine hasplayed a greater role than RUS in representingwomen on campus through its discussions of women'sissues.

"Lighthouse magazine has made a greateffort of represent both conservative as wellliberal points of view on women's issues," Boylesays.

Lighthouse coordinator Jennifer L.Soriano '95 says RUS has not been inclusive. Butshe adds that she has never attended any RUSmeetings.

"I don't see the RUS as a big force on campus,"Soriano says.

The new RUS presidents say they will publicizeRUS heavily and will produce a newsletter sometimethis semester to distributed to all women oncampus.

"We want to spread the word," Guiney says. "RUSwill be more discussion-oriented and more open, aforum for ideas."

The shift in RUS policy, from an activist groupto an umbrella organization, will not detract fromits responsibility to take a stand on importantissues, members of several RUS-fundedorganizations say.

"Being an open forum does not means RUS willnot take a stand," says Taniya N. deSilva '96, amember of the Lighthouse Magazine staff andofficial liasion between Lighthouse and RUS.

"I think RUS has made a smart move," saysRebecca A. Murray '95, director of Calling ItRape.

"It's an effective way of working, becausecollective groups of individuals can best targetproblems and deal with them, more so than a largeorganization,' she says.

WAC Co-chair Sarah E. Winters '95 says RUScould best represent women by "funding all groupsin an objective manner" rather than by striving tobe an active voice for all women on campus.

"How can you come up with a cohesive policy forthe [almost] 3,000 female undergraduates oncampus?" Winters says.

Outgoing RUS secretary Ashwini Sukthankar saysthere is still a need for more feministorganizations on campus, in order for feminism asa movement to develop and move in new directions.

"There is no general feminist activist group oncampus," RUS member Ashwini Sukthankar says. "RUSis less ideologically motivated, and we need tomove beyond white bourgeois heterosexual feminism.Feminism has to become more specific."

Todd F. Braunstein contributed to thereporting this article.

"[By doing so] we hope RUS will be moreinclusive," co-president Megan Lewis '95 says.

Although many organizations endorse the RUSshift in policy, some students say there is a needfor a groups specifically promoting feminism oncampus.

Recently-elected AAA co-president JenniferChing '96 says RUS should still maintain aparticular feminist agenda.

"I don't see why the RUS can't be both afunding organizations as well as an activemovement for women," Ching says. "Personally, Ithink women's right s issues are still hanging inresponsibility to uphold a strong [feminist]presence on campus."

Political stands or no, RUS has a considerablefinancial base to support student groups.

Every female undergraduate at Harvard isterm-billed the sum of $5 annually to fund thegroup. All undergraduate women are officially RUSmembers.

Presently, RUS obtains a total of about $14,000a year and provides more than $10,000 in grants,according to RUS treasurer Anna L. Gibb '96.

For the maximum number of undergraduate womento benefit from these resources, RUS must focusfunding rather than on project creation, Lewissays.

Although the organization's role is shifting,RUS members say it will continue to championwomen's issues through its financial and politicalsupport. The support will simply become morebroad-based.

"Acting as a grant-giving organization does notdestroy our role as an advocate for women," Guineysays.

Members of several campus women's organizationsagree the RUS's new primary role as a fundinghousebest serves women's interests.

"RUS cannot stand for all women all the time,"says Lisan L. Goines '95, a former member ofCalling It Rape, a small performance group whichuses theater to stimulate thought on the subjector rape.

"If [RUS] attempted to stand for all women, itwould not to a voice worth hearing," Goines says."It's more important for them to support than torepresent."

Others not that RUS's policy of supporting awide spectrum of organizations concerned withwomen's issues leaves the future of women's rightsactivism on campus unsettled.

Rather than attempting to create a single,unified front representing all women, RUS isgiving smaller organizations a chance to voicetheir concerns, says RUS member Ashwini Sukthankar'95, who ran for president against Lewis andGuiney.

Campus groups which have received funding fromRUS in the past include Women Appealing For Change(WAC), Lighthouse Magazine, HQ Magazine, BlackC.A.S.T., the Asian American Association (AAA) andCalling it Rape, Guiney says.

RUS has been criticized by campus conservativesas a liberal, feminist group, rather than as anopen forum dealing with women's issues.

Karen E. Boyle, president of the RepublicanClub, says she shared this view, but adds that shehas not attended any RUS meetings.

"It's a vicious cycle. I don't thinkconservatives have a place in the RUS, so I don'tattend meetings. I don't know how I got theimpression Boyle said.

Kelly A. Bowdren '94, a council member ofPeninsula magazine, says she is skepticalabout RUS's' promise to be less confrontational.

"RUS is patronized by leftists," Bowdren says."They should not present themselves as aclearinghouse for women's issues, because they'vealways supported only feminist-type programs."

Bowdren says her skepticism was informed bypast experience.

While RUS has claimed to support the AllianceFor Life, a pro-life organization, they neveractually funded the group, Bowdren says.

Boyle says Lighthouse magazine hasplayed a greater role than RUS in representingwomen on campus through its discussions of women'sissues.

"Lighthouse magazine has made a greateffort of represent both conservative as wellliberal points of view on women's issues," Boylesays.

Lighthouse coordinator Jennifer L.Soriano '95 says RUS has not been inclusive. Butshe adds that she has never attended any RUSmeetings.

"I don't see the RUS as a big force on campus,"Soriano says.

The new RUS presidents say they will publicizeRUS heavily and will produce a newsletter sometimethis semester to distributed to all women oncampus.

"We want to spread the word," Guiney says. "RUSwill be more discussion-oriented and more open, aforum for ideas."

The shift in RUS policy, from an activist groupto an umbrella organization, will not detract fromits responsibility to take a stand on importantissues, members of several RUS-fundedorganizations say.

"Being an open forum does not means RUS willnot take a stand," says Taniya N. deSilva '96, amember of the Lighthouse Magazine staff andofficial liasion between Lighthouse and RUS.

"I think RUS has made a smart move," saysRebecca A. Murray '95, director of Calling ItRape.

"It's an effective way of working, becausecollective groups of individuals can best targetproblems and deal with them, more so than a largeorganization,' she says.

WAC Co-chair Sarah E. Winters '95 says RUScould best represent women by "funding all groupsin an objective manner" rather than by striving tobe an active voice for all women on campus.

"How can you come up with a cohesive policy forthe [almost] 3,000 female undergraduates oncampus?" Winters says.

Outgoing RUS secretary Ashwini Sukthankar saysthere is still a need for more feministorganizations on campus, in order for feminism asa movement to develop and move in new directions.

"There is no general feminist activist group oncampus," RUS member Ashwini Sukthankar says. "RUSis less ideologically motivated, and we need tomove beyond white bourgeois heterosexual feminism.Feminism has to become more specific."

Todd F. Braunstein contributed to thereporting this article.