Harvard Administrators Join Youth Health Conference

What does it take to bring three mayors, eight deans, 16 presidents, the head of the Centers for Disease Control, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the President of Harvard together in one room?

A conference on the higher education and the health of youth, that's what.

The one-and-one-half day conference, chaired by Dean of the Harvard School of Public Harvey V. Fineberg '67, focuses on ways of improving the health of young people in higher education.

Participants will discuss the health effects of alcohol, tobacco and drugs as well as issues of infant care for the children of student-parents, welfare programs and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

At the opening session yesterday, Harvard University President Neil L. Rudenstine outlined the opportunities and demands for the group's goal of improving the health of young people. He also cited some of the difficulties in achieving and maintaining it.

"We are stuck in ourselves--stuck in our ideas, stuck in our attitudes, stuck in our thinking that we have open-mindedness," Rudenstine said. "The capacity to do some thinking [on the subject of the health of young people] is hard. And intervention is thoughover time."

But Rudenstine assured the group of more than90 that Harvard was already forging a new path inseveral areas relating to the conference,including children's issues, negotiation andconflict resolution and improving theirenvironment.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E.Shalala presented some of her experience as auniversity administrator at the University ofWisconsin in relation to the theme of the meeting.

"The facilities of the University [ofWisconsin] were designed for adults, not forkids," Shalala said. "The kids' lives just beganat 10 p.m."

To get a feel for "the kids' life," Shalalasaid she rode shotgun in a university police car,starting at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night.

Shalala said she takes that experience with hertoday as a top administration official in settingpolicy for the nation's youth. She even has aboard of teenagers to review policy before it isimplemented.

"Young people think adults send mixed messages.They want a clear message," Shalala said. "We mustbe bold and visible. We as a country mustrecognize that part of the future has to do withour own [adults] behavior. Those who see light atthe end of the tunnel may be headed in the wrongdirection."

To students who rationalize the use ofmarijuana on the grounds that they think it is noworse for them than alcohol or tobacco, Shalalasays, "It is harmful to their health, and it isillegal. This represents a risk to their futureand present...The problem is that youth is allabout risk. We ask them to restrain parts when wewant the rest to open and grow up."

After Shalala's talk, a panel offered somestatistics. David H. Mulligan, the MassachusettsCommissioner of Public Health, cited reports thatBlack males are 50 times more likely to havesexually transmitted diseases than white males,Latinos are 25 times more likely than whites.

But Mulligan praised the State's tobaccocontrol advertisements during prime timetelevision viewing, with a 17 percent drop incigarette purchases since the ads first aired.

T. Willard Fair, President and CEO of the UrbanLeague of Greater Miami, told the group thatdifferent groups of kids are facing differentchallenges, and programs should be designed notuniversally, but to meet their individual needs.

Ernest L. Boyer, President of the CarnegieFoundation for the Advancement of Teaching,provoked the audience at the close of theevening's talks.

"We have no future unless our country realizesthat our children are our future. Higher educationhas an obligation to be involved in the issues ofthe day," Boyer said.

The conference is being held at the AmericanAcademy for the Arts and Sciences

But Rudenstine assured the group of more than90 that Harvard was already forging a new path inseveral areas relating to the conference,including children's issues, negotiation andconflict resolution and improving theirenvironment.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E.Shalala presented some of her experience as auniversity administrator at the University ofWisconsin in relation to the theme of the meeting.

"The facilities of the University [ofWisconsin] were designed for adults, not forkids," Shalala said. "The kids' lives just beganat 10 p.m."

To get a feel for "the kids' life," Shalalasaid she rode shotgun in a university police car,starting at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night.

Shalala said she takes that experience with hertoday as a top administration official in settingpolicy for the nation's youth. She even has aboard of teenagers to review policy before it isimplemented.

"Young people think adults send mixed messages.They want a clear message," Shalala said. "We mustbe bold and visible. We as a country mustrecognize that part of the future has to do withour own [adults] behavior. Those who see light atthe end of the tunnel may be headed in the wrongdirection."

To students who rationalize the use ofmarijuana on the grounds that they think it is noworse for them than alcohol or tobacco, Shalalasays, "It is harmful to their health, and it isillegal. This represents a risk to their futureand present...The problem is that youth is allabout risk. We ask them to restrain parts when wewant the rest to open and grow up."

After Shalala's talk, a panel offered somestatistics. David H. Mulligan, the MassachusettsCommissioner of Public Health, cited reports thatBlack males are 50 times more likely to havesexually transmitted diseases than white males,Latinos are 25 times more likely than whites.

But Mulligan praised the State's tobaccocontrol advertisements during prime timetelevision viewing, with a 17 percent drop incigarette purchases since the ads first aired.

T. Willard Fair, President and CEO of the UrbanLeague of Greater Miami, told the group thatdifferent groups of kids are facing differentchallenges, and programs should be designed notuniversally, but to meet their individual needs.

Ernest L. Boyer, President of the CarnegieFoundation for the Advancement of Teaching,provoked the audience at the close of theevening's talks.

"We have no future unless our country realizesthat our children are our future. Higher educationhas an obligation to be involved in the issues ofthe day," Boyer said.

The conference is being held at the AmericanAcademy for the Arts and Sciences