Plummer Professor of Christian Morals Peter J.Gomes, who chaired the committee that recommendedthe Foundation's formation in 1981, says it wouldbe difficult for the organization to addresspolitical issues while serving as an arm of theadministration.

"It's hard to have it both ways in somerespects...Here you have a student advocacy groupwhich is intimately tied up with the collegeadministration," Gomes says. "Since it had to beboth a consortium and advocacy group dealing withmoney that [belongs to Harvard]...taking a strongadvocacy line is a rather delicate enterprise."

Fowler argues that politics and race areinseparable.

"It's always been about politics," says Fowler,who says many racial issues relate to questions ofpoverty, class and privilege--all politicalissues.

"You can't separate the one out," he says.

Some say students are hungry for forums thatdeal with these more controversial issues. Lastyear's affirmative action debate--sponsored by theMinority Students Alliance, not theFoundation--packed Sanders Theatre. Many say theywould also like the Foundation to throw itsUniversity resources--which include two Yardoffices, several full-time administrators, a staffof paid interns and a discretionary budget--toexplore similar topics.

"A lot of people see [the Foundation] as anorganization which just gives out money to studentgroups," says Ziad Obermeyer '00, who served asthe Society of Arab Students' SAC representativethis year. "I don't think the Foundation is asmuch of a political presence on campus as itshould be."

Others say they are not surprised by theFoundation's approach--that the Foundation allowsthe College administration to address racerelations without looking too closely at its ownpolicies.

"As an arm of the Dean of Students' officethere are radical limits on the kind of work theFoundation can do," Tan says. "There are reasonsthe administration likes what the Foundation does.It's not particularly threatening."

Celebration or Sensation?

The centerpiece of the Foundation's approach torace relations is its annual festival, CulturalRhythms, which features music, dance and otherperformances by student groups.

Almost all of the students interviewed for thisstory say they enjoy and appreciate CulturalRhythms and admire the effort invested in itsproduction.

"It's a nice combination of interculturalexchange and also entertainment," says John J.Rector '99, this year's Harvard Italian CulturalSociety SAC representative.

"I think it's tremendously positive, asevidenced by the fact that it's sold out a weekbefore," says Mustafa M. Siddiqui '99, the HarvardIslamic Society's SAC representative.

But while the event is very popular and hassold out for the past five years, some say theFoundation's biggest event should work harder toinform.