Noah Oppenheim's scathing criticism of the Crimson Key Society ("My Crimson Key Problem and Ours," Sept. 17) seems both unwarranted and unfair, considering that the Key has just finished an exhausting week of welcoming first-years and parents, working long and unpaid hours to organize events where first-years can have fun and meet one another. If this doesn't fit Oppenheim's definition of a "service organization," I'm not sure what does.
His major complaint seems to be that the Key is too attractive for his tastes. My apologies. After dedicating hours of my time to selecting members in as fair and objective a process as possible, a process in which a person's cheekbones and social status play absolutely no role, I am stunned that Oppenheim would imply that my fellow board members and I choose tour guides on the basis of "conventional standards of physical attractiveness" or affiliation with some particular social group.
Perhaps if he looked more closely, he would discover that the diversity on Key extends not only to ethnicity, but also to social groups and personality types. The Crimson Key Society is a group of bright, articulate students who have earned their place through their enthusiasm about Harvard, their friendliness and approachability and their ability to give an exceptional tour.
Virginia Grace James '00
Sept. 18, 1999
The writer is president of the Crimson Key Society.
Key Criticism Justified, Says Former Member
During my two years as a Crimson Key member, I often noticed the same problems and felt the same feelings Oppenheim notes in his column.
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