But RUS leaders claim the money they give fills a niche left empty by other student organizations like the council.

"RUS is one of the few organizations on campus that consistently funds activism," says RUS Co-President Stacy M. Abder '99.

Abder says the flexibility and speed of money available through RUS makes it unique.

"We can sponsor something overnight," she says. "We can look at an issue and take action the next day, which is something a lot of student organizations can't do."

Abder cites the organization of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Violence, formed in February shortly after the arrest of Joshua M. Elster '00 on rape charges, as an example of RUS's ability to fund causes quickly.

Some council members say they do not believe the two organizations overlap. Instead, they say the alternative source of grant money available through RUS further helps student groups.

"The U.C. can compliment an RUS grant, and RUS can compliment a U.C. grant," says long-time council member Sarah K. Hurwitz '99.

A Community of Women?

Student leaders of RUS say that despite recentimprovements in Harvard's treatment of women, astudent organization like RUS, devoted to women'srights, is still very much in need.

According to Bagneris, recent changes for womenat Harvard have been cosmetic, leaving the coreundergraduate experience untouched.

"I think the pomp and circumstance about the 25years of women at Harvard has been a tremendouscover-up for what Harvard doesn't do for women,"she says.

Last October marked 25 years of co-residency inHarvard Yard. Harvard College celebrated with aweekend of festivities, culminating in thededication of a gate in the Yard.

"Women don't need a gate," Bagneris says. "Weneed a substantive change in the administrativefocus."

Bagneris and other RUS leaders specificallycomplain that Harvard leaders fail to place enoughemphasis on issues they consider of particularimportance to women, such as sexual violence andpregnancy.

"We still have a system where the punishmentfor rape on campus is that you take a couple ofsemesters off," Abder says.