In the end, non-disruptiveness carried the day.

After more than two months of debate, speculation and deliberation over the selection of Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin L. Powell as Harvard's primary Commencement speaker, Harvard's 342nd Commencement Day ceremonies were marked by some protest, but also by loud support for the speaker.

Scattered protesters around the yard called out "Lift the Ban" while Powell was speaking. But for the most part, protest was visual rat her than vocal.

A few people stood up and turned their backs while Powell was speaking in the afternoon. Some graduating students held up mortarboards with "Lift the Ban" stickers on them, distributed by the Commencement Pride Coalition, a group of students, faculty and alumni who planned Commencement Day protest activities.

Others carried signs reading. "If Harvard honors war, who will teach us to honor peace?" "Military Homophobia Kills" and "Even Goldwater Sees the Point."

But a few carried signs supporting Powell, and several people held up American flags when Powell's name was announced as honorary degree recipient during the morning ceremonies. One person pasted "I Like Powell" in white letters on his mortaboard.

The announcement and Powell's speech during the afternoon ceremonies were greeted with some vocal protest, but also with loud cheering. Brad B. Sears, a member of the Harvard Law School Lambda and the Commencement Pride Coalition, said he was satisfied with the response to Powell.

"I think it went well--we succeeded at getting the 30,000 people attending the Harvard Commencement to think about this for a day," said Sears. "I think we succeeded in introducing a message that was [absent] for a long time about lifting the ban."

Andrew J. Greenspan, a member of the Kinsey 2-to-6ers, the Medical Schools gay, lesbian and bisexual student group, and of the Commencement Pride Coalition, said all 7,000 balloons were handed out to those streaming into the Yard.

Greenspan also said that President Neil L. Rudenstine said at a dinner for gay, lesbian and bisexual alumni and students that a proposed administrative center for gay, lesbian and bisexual matters would go forward.

Rudenstine also said that, in the future, the gay and lesbian community will be carefully considered when the administration makes major decisions, Greenspan said.

Greenspan expressed disappointment at the enthusiastic reaction Powell received. "Some of it may have been in response to us," said Greenspan, who said he thought many graduating students wanted a smoothly-running Commencement. "I think some of it was anti-gay cheering. I was a little saddened by the uproar."

Greenspan said he had some disturbing encounters. "As Powell's honorary degree was being awarded, I shouted 'Lift the ban, Colin. A couple of marshals... started hitting me in the stomach with an umbrella," he said.

He added that he had not attempted to discover the names of the marshals and moved to another seat to avoid them.

Powell's reference to the issues of gays in the military, as well as his promise that a policy would be announced soon, brought applause from protesters and other audience members.