But Wexler points out that RUS meetings occurat 7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights, and often run forover an hour. Thus, many knowledgeableundergraduate women may have been excluded fromthe polling base.

And Wexler says the attention a protest drawswas a factor in RUS's decision not to respondofficially to this year's feminism issue.

"Someone suggested having a rally," she says."but we thought that would emphasize the issueeven more."

Bowdren also acknowledges thatopposition to a publication's ideas is often whatelevates them to prominence.

When the conservative tab first came out threeyears ago, few thought it would have muchinfluence on campus debate.

"I don't think that too many people on thiscampus would find their invocations oftraditionalism to be at all believable in this dayand age," said Jarrett T. Barrios '91 in a Crimsonarticle about the publication's first release.Barrios was co-chair of the BGLSA in 1990-91.

Attitudes toward the magazine quickly changed,however, when Peninsula released a 56-page doubleissue on homosexuality in November 1991.

The issue contained a host of articles coveringevery facet of the homosexual debate. It featuredan exploding pink triangle, an emblem of gayidentity, on its cover.

"We do believe that homosexuality is bad forsociety, that it can harm even those who might nototherwise seem affected by it," the issue'sintroduction read. "More importantly, we think itis bad for individuals; submitting to thehomosexual 'lifestyle' can destroy individualsemotionally, physically, and spiritually."

Over the next week, the BGLSA arranged eat-insat the Freshman Union and Lowell House and a Yardrally. At the rally. Plummer Professor ofChristian Morals and minister of Memorial ChurchRev. Peter J. Gomes declared his homosexuality forthe first time.

Gomes, in a guest commentary for The Crimsonthat November, said he thought the issue was wellpresented.

"I am surprised," he wrote, "that it is sowell-written: I found not a single splitinfinitive..it has a comprehensive attention-spanfor the subject."

The campus furor over Peninsula's homosexualityissue put the journal in the spotlight, provokednewspaper coverage and gave the magazine anotorious reputation as "the" conservative andcontroversial campus publication.

"Peter Gomes, along with the BGLSA, made our[November 1991] issue, without a doubt," Bowdrensays. "It forced people to read the issue, to keepabreast of the topic."

But without the protests, Peninsula seems tohave recently faded into the myriad of campusjournals.