According to Clarke, the problem isn't so muchthat the BSA is radical, but that media coverageof the organization's events have cast it as such.

"The media and other institutions have reallypainted a picture of the organization that's notaccurate," Clarke says. "It's sad that everybodywho could have taken advantage [of the BSA'sresources] didn't...There's a little stereotypethat's floating around out there."

"People make a mistake when they assume the BSAis a political organization when it's not," saysTiffany C. Graham '96, the BSA's generalorganization representative. "Students are turnedaway because of the perception that it's a radicalorganization."

Graham, who is also a member of the PBH's boardof directors, says the BSA's new push towardcommunity service is the beginning of "a goodtrend."

"It's extremely important for minorities to beinvolved in service," Graham says.

This year, the BSA has recruited its membersfor Mission Hill and Academy Homes afterschoolprograms, as well as for a variety of one-dayservice projects that serve the Black community inthe Boston area.

Kim M. Nichols '97, co-director of the MissionHill Afterschool Program, says the BSA'srecruitment has dramatically increased the numberof counselors involved in the program.

"As far as the BSA is concerned, a lot morefreshmen are involved, which is really positive,"Nichols says. "A lot of Black men are involved,which is really good because a lot of kids do nothave positive male role models."

But Nichols says these communityaccomplishments are often eclipsed by "bad pressor ridiculous messages" about the BSA's radicalpolitics.

Zahir R. Ali '94, BSA president during hisjunior year, says the BSA's agenda is changing,but that change is natural in an organizationseeking to re-energize the Harvard community.

"It's really just been following thatevolutionary path, but before you can branch outyou have to become rooted," he says.

Although Ali says his administration "spent alot of time rooting," trying to educate members ofthe BSA and staying tuned to Harvard issues,Clarke's administration has begun to "branch out"by "dealing with a lot of issues that wererelevant to students at Harvard but weren'tconfined to the campus."

Ali says the focus of his administration wasmostly on educating students through forums,speakers and discussions.

Ali, whose administration brought speakersranging from the controversial Sister Souljah andLeonard Jeffries to the less controversialLorraine Carey, says the BSA does not purport torepresent all of the Black students on campus.

Rather, Ali says the BSA serves a"complementary role" to the more prominent schoolsof thought at Harvard.