Rosenberg Promises Strong Pro-Bow Voice on Coop Board

L. Stuart Rosenberg, a Kennedy School of Government (KSG) student who founded the Save the Bow campaign, won, along with nine other students, a Harvard Cooperative Society board position last Friday.

Rosenberg, who added his name to the ballot at the last minute by getting a petition signed by KSG students, is spearheading efforts to keep the Bow and Arrow Pub in Harvard Square.

The Bow and the neighboring Dunkin' Donuts franchise reside at 1 Bow Street. Both are owned by the Coop and are undergoing internal renovations that will soon extend to the entire building.

Coop President Jeremiah P. Murphy '73 has said in interviews that the renovations will force the Bow and the Donut shop to vacate the premises. The concern is whether the two will return after renovations are completed this fall, Murphy has told the Crimson.

Murphy said IDM Inc., the development company in charge of the reconstruction, is currently looking for tenants but isn't ruling out anyone, including its current occupants.

However, according to Murphy and other sources close to the deal, IDM is hoping to find a single, large retail store to occupy the entire building, although they have not yet secured such a tenant.

Rosenberg, along with fellow KSG students and campaign supporters Jane Aceintuno and Daniel Braga, said they intend to show the Coop board that many Coop members, himself included, do not support this action.

The Coop asserts they no longer have any control over who rents the property, as they have ceded all responsibility for recruiting and signing tenants to IDM.

Rosenberg's efforts culminated in a "Save the Bow Night" at the pub itself on February 17, which netted over 600 signatures for a petition that Rosenberg intended to present to the Coop Board of Directors.

He got his chance at the April 6 board meeting, when Rosenberg and Braga attended and delivered the signatures.

According to Rosenberg, their demands included an examination of the IDM contract and a four-way meeting, with the Coop, IDM, the Bow owners and Save the Bow campaign members all attending.

"At [an April 6] meeting, [the Coop directors] certainly were not receptive to our plan," Rosenberg said. "The students were unnaturally silent, even after I had given them three opportunities to talk; I don't know if they didn't care about the Bow or the voice of the students or they were too intimidated to talk."

"But that is all irrelevant as of June 1st. That is my whole point about turnover--this is going to be a whole new board, with only one of the same student members," Rosenberg continued.

Murphy had a different view on the student board members' participation at the April 6 meeting.

"Both students and non-students are very vocal about their opinions. They were less talkative during [Rosenberg's] presentation because it was not a discussion, but primarily him talking to us," Murphy said yesterday.

If a final deal has not been reached by the fall, Rosenberg said he intends to keep the issue of the Bow at the forefront of the board's business.

But he said he also does not want to limit himself to this one issue and hopes to work on increasing the clout of the student members' voices inside the board and in the University at large.

"One of the first things I will do once on the board is get a copy of the bylaws to understand why the board meetings are closed," Rosenberg said.

"I understand they don't want unruly meetings where anyone can show up at any time, but I want a situation where Coop members can come to meetings, as long as they have given appropriate notice," he added.

Rosenberg said he wants to meet with the new board at the May meeting, to understand the issues that are important to them, and make sure the students voice is strong.

"I'm somewhat disheartened that most students don't know [the Coop board] exists, and the students on the board don't show that we exist," Rosenberg said. "I want to get to talk to them and learn what issues are important to them. I hope that they're on the board for more than just their resume."

At least one new board member expressed similar feelings, saying he ran for the position to improve accessibility for students and the lives of employees.

"I worked at the Cafe in the Coop during the summer, and had an unbelievable time, but I knew some dissatisfied workers," said Oliver J. Bell '03.

"I definitely ran because I wanted to change the Coop. People don't know or care as much about the Coop board, but I learned about it through working there, and this is going to be a way for me to continue that experience," he added.

In addition to Bell, three Harvard undergraduates were elected, including returning member, Elena S. Schoenberger '02,who is a Crimson editor, and new members, Radim Rimanek '01 and Jenny E. Heller '01, who is a Crimson executive.

In addition to Rosenberg, there were also three new Harvard graduate student members: Robert V. Murdocca, Keith White and Yael S. Hadass.

Also elected were two MIT undergraduates, Fred Fagerstrom and Andrew M. Starr, and one MIT graduate student, Steven Keller.