Days and Days of Dialogue

In a council year typified by the scandal of "Button-Gate" and the floundering failure of Harvard Census 2000, last week's "Days of Dialogue" was a welcome breath of fresh air. The events--which included panel discussions about rape and sexual violence and religion and race as well as a town hall meeting with President Neil L. Rudenstine and Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71--offered a rare opportunity for students and administrators to engage in an open discourse about many of the most charged and pressing issues facing the University today.

Lauded both by panelists and participants alike, the discussions dispelled many myths about student and administrative apathy, proving that members of the Harvard community are more than willing to exchange ideas when given a forum in which to do so. Now, however, it is up to both parties to act on the proposals they so enthusiastically discussed. We urge both students and administrators to continue the dialogue that has begun and to work together to bring fledgling ideas--such as an impartial student advocate for rape and sexual assault and improvements to the college advising system--to fruition.

Moreover, we urge the council to pursue actively an expansion of the "Days of Dialogue" programs. Discussions like the ones that occurred last week should occur not once, but several times annually, and the range of topics brought to the table should be broadened to include such important issues as advising (both academic and psychological), health services, faculty diversity and space constraints. We regret that this success came so late in the term of Fentrice D. Driskell '01, for, in many ways, it demonstrated the largely untapped potential of her administration. We do, however, hope that this year's "Days of Dialogue" are the beginning of a long council tradition.