Panelists Say Neither College Serves Women

Co-presidents of the Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) told alums at Friday's "Celebrate Radcliffe '98" that neither Harvard nor Radcliffe is actively advocating for the needs of female undergraduates.

Part of a discussion addressing the creation of a "strong women's movement at Harvard-Radcliffe," the four undergraduate panelists told about 25 alums in the Lyman Common Room (LCR) that female students are still not treated equally by Harvard.

"Harvard has a responsibility to undergraduate women that it's not living up to," Bagneris said.

The panel members, RUS members from the sophomore, junior and senior classes, particularly cited their experiences of being ignored or even dismissed by teaching fellows in sections as an indication that playing field is not yet equal.

"[This is] not something Harvard is ready to admit or deal with," said panel member Rosslyn Wuchinich '99. "We have much, much farther to go."

And, panelists said gender discrimination still dominates outside the classroom.

"Everyone has those nasty experiences," said Brina Milikowsky '00. "This is not the stranger on the street--it's at parties with Harvard men."

The panelists also critiqued Radcliffe for failing to fill the gaps in women's experiences Harvard.

"Radcliffe had done a lot to disown itself from undergraduates," said RUS Co-President Mia Bagneris '99.

And Alexis B. Karteron '01 said she "think[s] Radcliffe could take a more active role in terms of their advocacy."

Panel members agreed that success as a woman at Harvard is harder to achieve than as a man, in part because, they said, women have been socialized to be less assertive and forward with their views from birth.

"This is not a place for the type of person who is in need of constant encouragement. It's antifeminist," Bagneris said.

Alums responded that Harvard's problem is not only an anti-feminist attitude, but also one that is "anti-undergraduate" and "anti-human".

Bagneris said what female undergraduates need is "not special treatment but treatment that responds to our needs."

Among these needs, panel members said, are mandatory sexual harassment and rape education for first-year students, a woman's center, better support for the program on women's studies and an administration with a pro-active attitude towards women's issues.

Panelists complained that they shouldn't have to lobby administrators for what they feel are basic needs.

"We're supposed to be in classes being brilliant," Bagneris said. "I'm not supposed to be designing peer relations programs. I'm perfectly willing to do them, but we want to be taken seriously."

Karteron said RUS is specifically urging a hybrid of the University Health Services and the LCR. The center would be a "safe space" for rape survivors to spend the night, in addition to a general forum for the discussion of women's issues.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said such women's center would violate College against self-segrega- tion.

"Our stance on a women's center is like ourstance on a minority students or multiculturalstudents' center," he wrote in an e-mail messageyesterday. "The Houses are the focus of studentlife here, and we do not support the creation ofseparate gathering spaces for the exclusive use ofspecial sub-populations of the College."

Assistant Dean of the College Karen E. Avery'87 said she was "saddened" to hear theseundergraduates felt Harvard was unresponsive totheir needs.

"We have really been listening," she said."There was a lot more Harvard bashing than wasreally necessary. There are women [at the College]who have found the nourishing and the nurturingthey need."

Lewis, who attended only part of the panel,said he didn't feel any new issues were raised.

"Most of what I heard in the student panel onFriday had been said already in [an] open letterin The Crimson last year," he wrote.

Alums who attended the panel said they weregreatly concerned by the student's condemnation ofHarvard's treatment of women.

"It's very hard to keep this kind of movementgoing, but it's so obvious that there's still aneed." said one alum. "What you're saying aboutclass and section is exactly what we felt in the'60s."

Students said hearing that alum experiencedsimilar struggles as undergraduates wasmeaningful.

"It's reassuring in a terrible but alsocamaraderie-instilling way to hear that the powersthat be at Harvard and Radcliffe have pulled someof the same unsettling and unacceptable moves onthem," wrote Milikowsky in an e-mail message.

And alums said they were particularly concernedto hear that Radcliffe is rapidly losingprominence in the lives of undergraduates.

"Most undergraduates don't know who LindaWilson is and don't know that Radcliffe has apresident," Milikowsky told the audience.

President of Radcliffe Linda S. Wilson said shecould not respond to the student's concernsbecause she was not present at Friday's panel, anabsence for which she was criticized during herappearance the next day.

"I was dismayed that you didn't feel that theundergraduate committee was the most important[panel]," said Eleanor W. William '58-'83.

"They are angry, and they are very smart,"Williams said of the panelists.

But Dean of Educational Programs Tamar Marchsaid that Radcliffe's present role as a resourceto female undergraduates is aiding Harvard inachieving true equality.

"Harvard has taken the posture that they wantto do the right thing for women" she said. "Wewant to help make that happen. What we want isincreased responsibility on the part of Harvard."

March said Radcliffe lobbies Harvard for women"collegially and discreetly."

But March acknowledged that only a smallportion of campus women become involved withRadcliffe and RUS.

"The message from Harvard is thunderouslystrong. To be involved with Radcliffe is at the riskof your identity as a Harvard student," she said."We only get a few of them. We only get theradical Radcliffe people."

--Andrew K. Mandel contributed to thereporting of this story.

"Our stance on a women's center is like ourstance on a minority students or multiculturalstudents' center," he wrote in an e-mail messageyesterday. "The Houses are the focus of studentlife here, and we do not support the creation ofseparate gathering spaces for the exclusive use ofspecial sub-populations of the College."

Assistant Dean of the College Karen E. Avery'87 said she was "saddened" to hear theseundergraduates felt Harvard was unresponsive totheir needs.

"We have really been listening," she said."There was a lot more Harvard bashing than wasreally necessary. There are women [at the College]who have found the nourishing and the nurturingthey need."

Lewis, who attended only part of the panel,said he didn't feel any new issues were raised.

"Most of what I heard in the student panel onFriday had been said already in [an] open letterin The Crimson last year," he wrote.

Alums who attended the panel said they weregreatly concerned by the student's condemnation ofHarvard's treatment of women.

"It's very hard to keep this kind of movementgoing, but it's so obvious that there's still aneed." said one alum. "What you're saying aboutclass and section is exactly what we felt in the'60s."

Students said hearing that alum experiencedsimilar struggles as undergraduates wasmeaningful.

"It's reassuring in a terrible but alsocamaraderie-instilling way to hear that the powersthat be at Harvard and Radcliffe have pulled someof the same unsettling and unacceptable moves onthem," wrote Milikowsky in an e-mail message.

And alums said they were particularly concernedto hear that Radcliffe is rapidly losingprominence in the lives of undergraduates.

"Most undergraduates don't know who LindaWilson is and don't know that Radcliffe has apresident," Milikowsky told the audience.

President of Radcliffe Linda S. Wilson said shecould not respond to the student's concernsbecause she was not present at Friday's panel, anabsence for which she was criticized during herappearance the next day.

"I was dismayed that you didn't feel that theundergraduate committee was the most important[panel]," said Eleanor W. William '58-'83.

"They are angry, and they are very smart,"Williams said of the panelists.

But Dean of Educational Programs Tamar Marchsaid that Radcliffe's present role as a resourceto female undergraduates is aiding Harvard inachieving true equality.

"Harvard has taken the posture that they wantto do the right thing for women" she said. "Wewant to help make that happen. What we want isincreased responsibility on the part of Harvard."

March said Radcliffe lobbies Harvard for women"collegially and discreetly."

But March acknowledged that only a smallportion of campus women become involved withRadcliffe and RUS.

"The message from Harvard is thunderouslystrong. To be involved with Radcliffe is at the riskof your identity as a Harvard student," she said."We only get a few of them. We only get theradical Radcliffe people."

--Andrew K. Mandel contributed to thereporting of this story.