The Minority Student Alliance, for example, came off of a successful year to face a severe decline in members' interest. Only five people showed up at the first meeting of the group, which aims to coordinate activities of Harvard's various ethnic organizations.

But organizations targeting specific minority groups met with more success. Harvard's first chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hosted a crowd at its first meeting Oct. 8.

The Black Students Association (BSA) struggled to define its own duties and those of its sibling organizations, ABRW and the Black Men's Forum (BMF). The BSA handed over its historic cash cow--the Harvard-Yale weekend dance--to the two groups, citing the need to let their funds grow along with their memberships.

Larger organizations tried to strike a balance between politics, cultural and service activities. The Harvard Foundation of Intercultural and Race Relations hosted another successful Cultural Rhythms, its annual showcase of ethnically based performance. But some criticized the Foundation for avoiding political issues, such as affirmative action or the advocacy of a multicultural student center.

The organization opened a can of worms when it barred the Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF) from participating in Cultural Rhythms at the last minute. The Foundation deemed the religious content of AACF's performance inappropriate.

The Asian American Association drew together representatives of ethnic organizations from across campus for a discussion of just how political the voices of campus ethnic groups should be.

Other groups took a leadership role by advocating justice and tolerance by directly addressing controversial issues. The Islamic Society held an Awareness Week, and Hillel sponsored events throughout the year that discussed religious tolerance. A December panel, for example, discussed the difference between religious tolerance and religious pluralism. Hillel also helped students remember the Holocaust's 50th anniversary with a panel discussion of Kristallnacht and screening of a movie on Auschwitz.

The Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender and Supporters' Alliance renewed its political mission early in the year with the tragic Wyoming murder of Matthew Shepard.

The student's death reminded them--and the whole campus--that tolerance and respect has not yet become universal.

BAGELS, a revived group designed to support and raise awareness about queer Jewish students, hosted a panel at Hillel on homosexuality and Judaism in early March.

But perhaps the most concrete advancement for a historically disadvantaged group came when two women were elected to head prominent student groups that had traditionally been dominated by men.

Virginia J. Beauregard '01 was elected president of the Harvard Computer Society and the Hasty Pudding Theatricals elected as its president Sarah A. Knight '00, who is also a Crimson editor.

Free Thought

Other groups urged less traditional forms of tolerance. These groups tried to ensure that a diversity of ideas at Harvard.

A fledgling organization called SHARE (Students for Humane and Responsible Economics) wasted no time in its efforts to expand students' horizons.