Pankaj Tiwari '95, president of the South Asian Association, said he drafted an application but than decided he "didn't see a point to the whole thing."

Tiwari said he couldn't conceive of many concrete situations which would necessitate the intervention of an outside mediator.

"I couldn't see when student groups would turn to this over in house mediation," he said. "They have no authority, only a supposed monopoly on mediation skills."

Tiwari added that he thinks the training will help those involved but will have no practical application.

"I can't decide if [the service] is just a superficial effort by the Dean of Students' office now that [Students at Harvard and Radcliffe Against Racism and Ethnocentrism] is gone," he said.

But Ellen Fox, director of the Office of Student and Residential Life in the Graduate School of Arts and sciences, said she applied because she is "extremely committed to the goals of the service."

Fox said the service will prove an important resource within the Harvard Community "by helping to promote communication, understanding and problem solving."

"I would be interested in being of assistance in whatever area it would be helpful," she added.