The University justly refuses to recognize any organization that discriminates on the basis of race, sex, color, sexual orientation or national origin. It is unfortunate that the young and idealistic students of this institution cannot follow the same enlightened policy.

ONE reason that at least two of these groups claim that they cannot accept members of the opposite sex is that the national organization will not allow it. Fraternities are traditionally all-male, explains Sigma Alpha Mu member Richard M. Geyser '90-'91.

But this explanation begs the question, then why try to join a national fraternity? Why not simply form your own group on campus and accept women if you are so eager to do so? Opportunities for social networking and help from a national office may be attractive, but they cannot be the reason for subverting the interests of the campus or the group's members.

Harvard also refuses to recognize groups that are affiliated with national organizations, and we support this policy. Not only do the students who run these groups have no control over the larger direction of the organization--such as whether to admit women--but Harvard has much less control over the groups in question. Harvard's policy may be against discrimination, but if the national organization's is not, the group must be loyal to the latter or risk losing its affiliation.

ONE of Harvard's most attractive features for many perspective students is its lack of selective social clubs. Although the final clubs are still a bane to the Harvard community, so we can at least take comfort that their members make up only about 5 percent of the student population.

As the make-up of the student body increasingly reflects the diversity of the country as a whole, it is disturbing that these students should want to separate themselves from the whole. As Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III correctly points out, it is ironic that "while many colleges are trying to get rid of [fraternities], Harvard students are interested in joining them."