Administration, PSLM Begin Discussions

In an unexpected move, University administrators opened discussions with the protesters inside Mass. Hall yesterday.

Although careful to stress that the conversations were not "negotiations," administrators said yesterday's talks were aimed at getting the protesters out of the building and ending the "harmful" and "disruptive" week-long protest by members of the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM), according to administrators.

After a regularly scheduled morning meeting of University deans, the group decided to allow Lowell House Co-Master Dorothy A. Austin and J. Bryan Hehir, the acting dean of the Harvard Divinity School, to enter Mass. Hall and talk with protesters.

University Vice President Paul S. Grogan explained that yesterday's discussions aimed to figure out what could move the debate over the living wage out of Mass. Hall.

"We're discussing the readiness-both literally and figuratively-of an exit strategy," he said. "There will not be any 'negotiations' while they're in the building."

Austin and Hehir arrived yesterday at 11 a.m., to the surprise of protesters who asked that they return at 2 p.m. PSLM then decided on the four protesters who would represent PSLM.

Austin, Hehir and four PSLM members sat down in Mass. Hall's second-floor conference room shortly after 2 p.m., exactly 7 days and 35 minutes after the occupation began.

They talked for a little over an hour, and Austin characterized the discussion as a "transformative moment" in the protest, and said that the two sides had "substantive conversations" and that talks would continue in the coming days.

Hehir called the talks "an encouraging beginning."

Meanwhile, inside the building, protesters are doing their best to remain up on their class work, working on one of several laptops within the building and attending one of half-a-dozen classes or sections held outside Mass. Hall by sympathetic faculty.

The University is still allowing food into the building, and the protesters are receiving steady deliveries of food from supporters-including pizza and boxes of fresh fruit. Protesters inside have taken to using their empty juice and soda bottles as unorthodox noisemakers.

Earlier this week, the University delivered wash-basins, towels and deodorant to the protesters since they do not have access to a shower.

-Staff writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.