Students and faculty members participated in a lively and sometimes heated discussion on political correctness yesterday during one of the final events of Junior Parents Weekend.

The panel, moderated by Professor of English Marjorie Garber, discussed a number of issues, including affirmative action, diversity mass media and free speech.

Garber, who is also the associate dean for affirmative action, was joined by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, Winthrop Professor of History Stephen J. Thernstrom, Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Alice Jardine, "Salient Editor Diane Reeder '93 and Perspective Managing Editor David J. Kennedy '93.

Garber opened the discussion, saying the even was meant to explore "Whether there is or can be pressure for political correctness from the right as well as the left" and how the p.c. debate has effected the Harvard community.

Garber said right wing group and the mass media have changed the definition of political correctness from a gentle self-mocking label applied by liberals to other liberals to an accusatory label that signals an oppression of free speech.

Thernstrom, who was the third panelist to speak, devoted much of his time to critiquing ideas of campus "diversity" and attacking affirmative action policies.

Thernstrom, a member of the conservative National Association of Scholars, was critical of policies that value diversity over merit as an admission standard. Thernstrom said if diversity were the highest goal, it would mean that fewer Asian and Jewish students would be admitted.

Although Asians make up 3 percent of the population, they make up about 20 percent of the class of 1995, he said. Similarly, Jewish students only make up 2.5 percent of the nation but may well be over a third of the students body, he said.

"If the Harvard Admissions Office tookdiversity to be the highest goal, the big changewould not be the appearance of more Black orHispanic students but the disappearance of thenine out of ten Jewish and Asian students," hesaid.

Thernstrom said Harvard "pays lip service toaffirmative action," but because it can attractsuch a strong pool of applicants, the Universityis not forced to institute a quota system.

Thernstrom, who has appeared on severaltelevision news programs as a vigorous opponent of"political correctness" described himself as a"New Republic Democrat."

"That is to say its been a while since we votedfor a Democrat for president, but we feel badlyabout it," he said.

The scholar, whose speech was interrupted byhissing from the audience on several occasions,also attacked the Office for Affirmative Actionand said that the number of minorities givenfaculty positions at the University should not beoverseen by that division.

"I believe the best man, who these days isoften a woman, should win," he said.

Thernstrom said that in the entire debate overpolitical correctness the true aims of diversityhave been obscured. "What we want in terms ofdiversity is diversity of opinion," he said.

The Perspective's Kennedy, who spokelast on the panel, drew the most applause from theaudience. Kennedy said that the kind of politicalcorrectness that has affected Harvard is the"tyranny of the Majority opinion."