Nevin said it is impossible for one body torepresent the diversity of opinions across campus.
Up in Arms
The council is learning that lesson now--with abill that endorses a Harvard-based ROTC program.Debate of the bill spawned over 130 e-mailmessages to the council's mailing list beforespring break--on topics ranging from the Ku KluxKlan to the "current science on homosexuality."
"The main reasoning behind the bill is mostlyto try to repudiate the guilt-by-association thatis currently the policy we have towards studentsin ROTC," said Torre, a co-sponsor of thelegislation, which, if approved, would create atask force to work with the administration on theissue.
Currently, Harvard students who wish toparticipate in ROTC must travel to MIT to do so.The University banned ROTC from campus in 1969,when tensions over the Vietnam War enraged studentactivists. In 1994, the University stoppedpayments to MIT for the ROTC program, citingconcerns about discrimination against gaystudents.
Some students say the success of Sunday's billwould be indicative of where the council'spriorities lie.
"I would agree that if this bill fails, it willdemonstrate that the council is more committed totaking principled stances on controversial issuesrather than serving students," said David A.Campbell '00, who supported the legislation in ane-mail message to the list.