Lowell Bells Memorialize Slain U. Wyoming Student

At the masters' request, the Great Bell in the Lowell House Tower tolled 22 times at 6 p.m. yesterday in memory of Matthew Shepard.

Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, died yesterday morning, the victim of an apparent hate crime.

Lowell House Co-Master Dorothy A. Austin said she knew the incident had been on residents' minds since the attack five days ago. When she heard the news of Shepard's death, she worked with her partner, Master Diana L. Eck, to think quickly of a way to honor the student.

"This was a simple thing, a simple but powerful statement of our concern" because he was a student at another university, said Austin, a professor of psychology and religion at Drew University in New Jersey.

Austin and Eck, a professor of comparative religion and Indian studies, presented their statement about Shepard's passing in the dining hall just before 6 p.m.

Some Lowell residents stood up and observed a moment of silence as the bell tolled even though they were not asked.

According to Lowell House resident Douglas S. Smith '99-'00, students in the dining hall were surprised when they heard the news and silence slowly fell over the room. "People were respectful," he said. "Everyone took it seriously."

Jonathan M. Urbach, the Lowell tutor for gay issues, said "we are very fortunate" to be at Harvard where there is basically an open environment for gay students.

Urbach said he was pleased that the masters took such swift action to honor Shepard.

"It's wonderful to have masters who care about this," he said.

Urbach said both he and the masters hoped the memorial bell-ringing would raise student and community awareness of hate crimes.

Harvard students, he said, should be aware that they are in a diverse environment and can refuse to accept bigotry of any kind.

"When students hear terms like `faggot' or other bigoted terms, they should respond to that and say, `I don't accept that,'" he said.

Urbach said students should be informed about these issues and might want to read "A Community of Equals," a recent pamphlet published and distributed by the Office of the Dean of Harvard College which discusses issues of sexual diversity.

Urbach said that though the murder of Matthew Shepard is just the most recent in along history of hate crimes, Harvard studentsshould be particularly concerned.

"He must have been like any other undergraduatethat you'd encounter at Harvard, like any one ofus. That's what makes it hit home," Urbach said

"He must have been like any other undergraduatethat you'd encounter at Harvard, like any one ofus. That's what makes it hit home," Urbach said