"Do we want total integration or are we willingto sacrifice that so people have more meaningfulexperiences at Harvard?" she said. "Are thosemutually exclusive?"

Panelists acknowledged the presence of varyingdegrees of segregation in the Harvard community,some viewing it as a negative aspect of campuslife and others finding a certain level of comfortin being with their own ethnic group.

The discussion initially centered on theresults of the survey conducted in December 1997by the Institute of Politics (IOP) and TheCrimson. The survey gave the administration aB-for "its job in promoting a multiculturalenvironment."

"There's a lot of segregation on campus," saidMark A. Price '99, president of the Black Men'sForum and former vice president of the council."It's a very natural thing for people to formgroups with people they have familiarity with."

"I don't think it's a bad thing," he said. "Itcreates a comfortable environment."

But Sandel expressed a different opinion,saying that certain levels of discomfort promotelearning and interaction with different cultures.

"In the dining halls and houses, we want peopleto feel at home," Sandel said.

"In other places we want it to be anuncomfortable place to spur thought," he added.

Price cited the results of the survey to provethat the level of perceived segregation on campusis high.

The statistics communicated a different messageto Professor of Education and Social Structureemeritus Nathan Glazer.

"After looking at the results of the survey,I've been wondering what the necessity of thismeeting is," Glazer said.

The fairly consistent poll responses frompeople of different races indicate high racialequality on campus, according to Glazer. He saidthat in the nation at large blacks and whitesusually respond very differently to surveyquestions, blacks citing racial inequality andwhites denying it.

Throughout the discussion, Dean of StudentsArchie C. Epps III presented the College'sperspective on the state of racial relations onits campus.

He said Harvard seeks to promote racialintegration, diversity on campus andmulticulturalism.

Epps stressed that while diversity is animportant part of College life, Harvard choosesstudents based on their personal merits and not ontheir ethnic or racial background.

"While Harvard is a diverse college we believethat diversity is not an end in itself but a meansto a larger goal," he said