Women involved in RUS say that theorganization's greatest impact on campus may comethrough its creation of tightknit bonds betweenwomen interested in gender issues--bonds whichthey say simply aren't available at Harvard.

"When I came to Harvard, I came expecting thereto be some sort of women's community," Bagnerissays. "I found zip. When you don't find that atHarvard, you immediately look to Radcliffe."

Bagneris and others say RUS has succeeded increating just such an environment--at least forthose women who choose to participate.

"If women need or want to get connected to thewomen's community on campus, RUS is probably thebest place to get started," says Co-PublicityChair Larissa T. Jester '00.

RUS members say there still exists a distinctlymale atmosphere on campus that taints women'sexperiences.

"This university has an undeniable history ofbeing a male institution," Abder says. "That isquite a burden when you come here as a woman."

Sounding the Bullhorn

Abder admits that despite the wide role shesees for RUS on campus, the group can no longerattempt to be a representative organization.

"None of our representatives are truly voted inby the entire student body, which would be thereal way to legitimize the organization," shesays. "The people who come to RUS are the peoplewho are interested and need the services."

"We don't try to be the people who go to thedeans and say, `This is what the women on campusare thinking,'" Abder says.

And College administrators recognize that RUS'svoice doesn't represent a wide base of women'sopinions.

"I'm not sure how much they're really reachingother women students," says Karen E. Avery '87,assistant dean of Harvard College forco-education. "I think it's fine to have a women'sorganization on campus to advocate for women, butI'm not sure they're it."

Other campus leaders say RUS should not shyaway from a role as a voice for woman on campus.

"There aren't that many representative femalevoices on campus," council member Kamil E. Redmond'00 says. "If RUS is going to survive and thrive,they're going to have to start being a voice forwomen." Redmond says the key to strengtheningRUS's power on campus is advertising both theorganization and the importance of Radcliffe as aninstitution.

"A lot women want to integrate with the Harvardcommunity, and they see Radcliffe as very marginalto their experience," Redmond says. "Either[women] don't know of RUS or they're scared off.It's sort of the same reason why they don't liketo be identified with feminism."