Word: rotc
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Harvard students in the military's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program have not been able to take their classes on campus since 1969. That year, under pressure from anti-war student protestors and the Faculty, the University agreed to discontinue the program. Since then, cadets have had to travel to MIT to take their classes. Up until 1994, Harvard helped subsidize the MIT program, but now the University doesn't even do that; the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays violates Harvard's anti-discrimination policy...
...this would change if a group of Undergraduate Council representatives have their way. A bill drafted by Aurelio Torre '00 would have the council express its support for bringing the program back to campus and create a task force to work with the administration for ROTC's return. The proposal has prompted a flurry of controversy in council ranks, overwhelming the uc-general email list with heated debate, and a vote on the bill has been postponed until next week. There are compelling arguments on both sides of the issue; but on balance, we hope the council defeats the bill...
...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...
...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...