The coalition also hopes to influence today'sfull Faculty vote on whether D. Drew Douglas,Class of 2000, should be asked to withdraw or bedismissed from the College. Douglas pled guilty tocharges of indecent assault and battery inMiddlesex Superior Court last September. Theundergraduate assaulted by Douglas last springbrought the case to the Ad Board, which determinedthat a rape had occurred.
The Ad Board voted to demand that Douglaswithdraw and to recommend dismissal, whichrequires a vote of the entire Faculty. Dismissalmeans separation from the College for usually morethan five years with the option to petition forreadmission, which requires a vote of the fullFaculty.
Last week, five Faculty members proposed thatDouglas be allowed to withdraw for five years. Ifthat motion is approved today, Douglas couldreturn to campus if he meets the requirements ofthe Ad Board.
As a result of his court conviction, Douglas iscurrently on probation for five years and isalready prohibited from seeking readmission toHarvard during this time.
The coalition is demanding Douglas's expulsion.
Brina Milikowsky '00 of CASV said she alsohopes the rally will educate students about thelarger issue of rape at Harvard.
"We need people to understand that [the rally]is not so much about punishment for the men but tomuch more effectively support survivors in acrisis and in the long-run," she said. "Harvard'spreventive resources are especially lacking."
Over the last week, organizers have blanketedthe Yard with posters and made announcements inlarge classes.
The publicity drive culminated last night, whenorganizers gathered at the Harvard Union ofClerical and Technical Workers' Mass. Ave.headquarters to call students who have expressedinterest in progressive causes and plan for acampus-wide door drop.
The New York Times, Time and the Boston Globeexpect to cover the event.
According to the groups' leaders, supporters ofthe three causes have banded together because eachhas been stonewalled by the administrationindividually.
"It's a coming together of the progressivecommunity on campus," said Anna M. Baldwin '00,who is involved with the coalition. "We've allbeen involved with discussions withadministrators, either over past years or thissemester, and we felt we weren't being heard, sowe wanted to come together en masse."
Organizers said they also felt that a combinedrally would generate new interest for each group'sindividual demands among other protestors.
"Everybody in attendance in aware of the othergroup's demands," said Benjamin L. McKean '02 ofPSLM. "The energy from each of the groups willspill over; people involved in one [group] willbecome interested in the [entire] rally."
--Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to thereporting of this article.