Since the late 1980s, the Radcliffe Union of students has championed the cause of women protesting against sex discrimination by the all-male final clubs at Harvard. It rallied outside the Fly Club, postered campus with signs emblazoned "Stop Withholding Access Today (SWAT)" and distributed "FCS" or "Final Clubs Suck" baseball caps.

But this year, RUS has decided to pursue less controversial projects in an effort to broaden their base of support among women on campus. At the same time, however, a critical mass of women have decided to form their own group called Women Appealing for Change to boycott the clubs.

WAC does not challenge RUS's leadership, but adds "a really strong angle of another women's group," according to RUS and WAC are now presenting a cooperative front after RUS conditionally endorsed WAC's campaign just as the boycott was gathering steam. The two groups co-sponsored an open forum last week to discuss women's attitudes towards final clubs.

WAC has tried to mobilized popular support of significant numbers of women on the issue of final clubs. It has emerged as the most popular women's movement on campus boasting a membership of almost 250.

RUS' partnership with WAC signals a shift in the group's campus role, away from confrontational activism and towards being a supportive umbrella group for other organizations.

Perhaps in an effort to avoid being seen as a fringe, political group, RUS has chosen to downplay its disapproval of the final clubs, leaving leadership in that area to WAC. RUS leaders have made a deliberate effort to tone down some of the group's activities in line with the Radcliffe College administration's less confrontational philosophy. "I think it's possible to be both collaborative and take stands and discuss disagreements openly," says Dean of Radcliffe College Philippa A. Bovet.

The majority of WAC's supporters have signed a letter identifying themselves as "friends of final club members," and WAC organizer Francie B. Walton '94 says the boycott is not a hostile effort to force the clubs to go coed, but is an effort to encourage club members to see that their clubs would be better with women as members.

Official stance aside, there is more diversity of goals behind the scenes of WAC. Organizers have tried to formulate a stance that will be both acceptable to a broad spectrum of women on campus and palatable to final club members.

Walton stresses that WAC's movement may be seen as a first step by women with concerns about other types of elitism in the final club selection process. "I don't think this is about us wanting to play in beer pong tournaments. It's about wanting the choice to join," Walton said.

Though they have put their picket signs and FCS caps aside, RUS hasn't abandoned its stance against all forms of elitism espoused by the clubs. RUS' conditional support of WAC is an attempt to support WAC's efforts while still adhering to the group's more radical stance on the clubs.

RUS member Megan E. Lewis '95 said she "would feel more comfortable" with WAC's platform "if it was a more comprehensive action."

WAC's approach is pragmatic rather than idealistic. "The problem is that we are appealing to the members of the clubs, and publicly stating that your goal is to end elitism would kill the movement before it begins," WAC organizer Megan E. Colligan '95 said.

Changes in RUS leadership and the presence of WAC are changing the functions of the voices on campus. "RUS doesn't have to be the only show in town as far as making women's voices heard," says Bovet.

And since WAC has garnered such strong support, now RUS is clearly not the only show in town. Some feel that WAC's one-issue constitution and RUS' broader mandate has made WAC capable of accomplishing something that RUS was not able to do.

"I think the level of energy and the very tight focus are inappropriate for a farther reaching organization like RUS," says Dean of Coeducation Virginia L. MacKay-Smith '78 "[RUS] is not structured in a way that it could bring this kind of pressure to bear in this time-frame. RUS can't afford to have the very tight focus."