Racist Graffiti Stuns Mather

For the second time this year, racially offensive graffiti has appeared on a Mather Tower elevator door, triggering an advisory from the house masters and an open discussion scheduled for tomorrow night.

At around 5 a.m. last Saturday, Jeffrey Moran, a Mather House resident tutor, discovered the graffiti on his way to the office.

According to Moran, the letters "KKK" were scratched into the elevator door with a key, about two inches high and three inches wide. Moran said he looked for a piece of paper to tape over the offensive letters.

"I resisted the initial impulse to scratch it out because I knew it had to be investigated," Moran said.

He then went to the office, worked on his dissertation until 7 a.m. and called Mather House Master Sandra Naddaff, who according to Moran, was "quite displeased".

Nadaff said she called a meeting with the race relations tutors to discuss ways to respond to the incident.

"We had a similar incident in January where the same thing happened," Naddaff said. "We had addressed it in an entryway meeting and asked people to be vigilant about graffiti."

This time, Naddaff, Co-master Leigh Hafrey and Allston Burr Senior Tutor Mary Peckham issued an advisory to all Mather House residents that has been distributed in the mail.

"The message [in January] is the message now," the letter said. "Graffiti is not acceptable at Mather and graffiti with intent to intimidate violates all community standards."

After reporting the episode to the Harvard police, Naddaff had the graffiti removed.

Harvard Police Chief Francis D. "Bud" Riley said yesterday that, to his knowledge, the offender was still at large.

"We're hoping that through the letter and discussions we can raise the level of awareness of how destructive these instances are," Naddaff said, adding that the house's weekly DuBois discussion table, named after the famous black scholar and to be held tomorrow night, will devote its time to discuss the matter.

Although Mather House was the site for other racist graffiti this January and throughout last year, Mather students said this incident is not representative of their House.

"I was shocked," said John D. Nichols '98. "But I think it's the same person doing it. I think it's one bad apple."

Tina L. Lu, a race relations tutor in the house, said students and tutors have a similar opinion of the incident.

"The students feel as the tutors do--disappointed and angry," she said.

Moran said that given the frequency of the occurrences, it is likely that a Mather student or a frequent Mather visitor is responsible for the graffiti.

"If somebody from outside of Mather did this, it would seem conspicuous," Moran said.

Moran said that at a time when first-year students are about to receive their house assignments, it is unfortunate that Mather, which is supportive of all students, has been tarred with a brush of racism.

Such a negative preconception of Mather on part of first-years would not be accurate, Lu said.

"It's tremendously friendly here and different groups are well represented," Lu said. "This is a random occurrence by an individual who for some reason knows he can be tremendously disruptive.

"I was shocked," said John D. Nichols '98. "But I think it's the same person doing it. I think it's one bad apple."

Tina L. Lu, a race relations tutor in the house, said students and tutors have a similar opinion of the incident.

"The students feel as the tutors do--disappointed and angry," she said.

Moran said that given the frequency of the occurrences, it is likely that a Mather student or a frequent Mather visitor is responsible for the graffiti.

"If somebody from outside of Mather did this, it would seem conspicuous," Moran said.

Moran said that at a time when first-year students are about to receive their house assignments, it is unfortunate that Mather, which is supportive of all students, has been tarred with a brush of racism.

Such a negative preconception of Mather on part of first-years would not be accurate, Lu said.

"It's tremendously friendly here and different groups are well represented," Lu said. "This is a random occurrence by an individual who for some reason knows he can be tremendously disruptive.