The policy of not inviting ethnic organizationshas been in place for several years, though Nguyensays that AAA has managed to get in to the fair inthe past by virtue of its executives beinginvolved in other organizations as well.

Ethnic organizations emphasized that theextracurricular fair is important both for themand for Harvard, though Kovacevich stressed that"the weekend's activities are not primarily forthe benefit of student groups, it's for thestudents who are visiting."

Student groups should not view the weekend asan opportunity to get an early start on recruitingnew members for next fall, Kovacevich said, thoughstudent groups disagree.

"I think regardless of what the UAC says aboutthe fair not being a recruiting event, ultimatelythe reason pre-frosh go is because they want tosee what extracurricular life is like at Harvard,"Nguyen said. "Part of the job of groups who go isto make their group appealing to pre-frosh."

Campos agreed, saying that recruiting is notonly in the interests of student groups.

"Overall the ultimate goal of the fair is torecruit pre-frosh to come to Harvard in general,"he said. "When I say [student groups shouldrecruit] I mean in general showing pre-frosh thatHarvard is a great place to be."

Coming Together

The most important lesson to be learned fromthe crisis has nothing to do with pre-froshweekend, student leaders said, but rather with thelevel of cooperation achieved among studentgroups.

"I think that the huge response we receivedfrom all members of the student body is a verygood indication of what cooperation can do forstudents on this campus," said Jay F. Chen '00,the other co-president of the AAA and a Crimsonexecutive. "Things can change and they can startwith just one person."

Many student organization, from RAZA to theWomen's Leadership conference, agreed to co-signthe letter with AAA, and the Phillips Brooks HouseAssociation offered to host a separateextracurricular fair for ethnic organizations onits premises.

"It's a great thing and my whole experience,especially at Harvard, has shown that if you havea common cause it really facilitates interaction,"Campos said. "In a way it suggests that there'skind of a commonality among [student groups] thatallows us to transcend the logistics of[organizing]."

Campos said he hopes the success ethnicorganizations achieved through unity over thisissue will set a precedent for future, "moreproactive dealings" between student groups