The verdict is in.

Harvard Dining Services (HDS) will once again serve Coca-Cola, reversing a decision made earlier this year to contract with Pepsi, Michael P. Berry, outgoing Director of HDS, told the Crimson last night.

Coke's victory comes after months of campus controversy concerning Pepsi's questionable human rights record and the significant student preference for Coke products.

Reached in Anaheim, California, where he will be working at Disneyland, Berry said that the Coke contract is still conditional on an improved service record. The company's history of inferior customer service had partially prompted the original move to Pepsi.

The current situation, with Pepsi in Annenberg Hall and HDS restaurants and Coke in the dinning halls, will remain until the end of the year. Then, assuming Coke has performed service tasks satisfactorily, all the facilities will be turned over to Coke during the summer, according to the director.

"If Coke stays up to par in terms of service they will get all the business," Berry said.

The new contract with Coke includes some provisions that resemble aspects of the short-lived Pepsi agreement, including a $25,000 donation to the Undergraduate Council and Phillips Brooks House.

According to Berry, the decision was made in spite of the fact that Pepsi was a better financial deal because of student preference for Coke and concern over Pepsi's alleged human rights violations in Burma.

"I'd rather not be embroiled in a political issue," he said.

The director added, though, that if Coke did not bring its service up to appropriate levels it would be let go "in a minute."

Coke had offered to provide 2,000 free gallons if service was not satisfactory, but HDS declined, insisting that it just wanted good service and if it was bad that would be all for Coke, Berry said.

Student leaders were elated over the change, with some taking partial credit for it.

Robert M. Hyman '98-'97, president of the Undergraduate Council, anticipated the change and chalked up the switch to the council's campaign against Pepsi.

"We invited Mike Berry to our last meeting and lobbied on this issue," Hyman said. "He was obviously receptive to our comments."

According to its president, the council adopted a "two-pronged approach" for the anti-Pepsi campaign. The council attacked Pepsi's human rights record in Burma and emphasized students' overwhelming preference for Coke.

"I think this victory shows what can be achieved by an organized, activist student government," Hyman said.