Lawrence H. Summers, soon to be the 27th president of Harvard, received an abrupt introduction to campus politics yesterday, when about 30 students protested outside of the press conference announcing his official selection.

More than two dozen members of the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM)--who organized via e-mail with only a few hours' notice--waved signs and banged on recycling bin drums in front of Loeb House, garnering extensive media coverage during the hour-long event.

The student protestors were audible from inside the conference as they called for a less secretive presidential search process and a living wage for all Harvard workers.

At the press conference, Summers drew a laugh by responding to one question about search procedure by saying, "I think it would ill become me at this point to criticize the selection process."

In response to a press conference question about the protests, Summers said he anticipated meeting with the Undergraduate Council and other student organizations to gauge undergraduates' concerns.

"I expect over time to meet widely with different groups," he said.

PSLM will also hold a rally this afternoon to protest both the process by which Summers was selected and the presidential designee's record on labor issues.

Despite the hasty nature of yesterday's action, the impromptu rally received widespread attention from members of the national press gathered to cover the official announcement. At one point, a few photographers inside the conference turned away from the podium to capture the events on the lawn outside.