Where have all the protesters gone? A group of 1967 Harvard alumni lamented for the days of antiwar marches on Harvard Yard this week in an e-mailed petition to Drew Faust, university president.
The 13 alumni, led by a Belgium-based businessman, Gilbert Doctorow, asked Faust to create a task force to figure out the causes behind the "widespread apathy and political indifference of the student body at Harvard College." The group wrote that it was shocked at the lack of campus protests against the Iraqi war. Harvard is either not recruiting enough politically active students or is doing too little to promote "civic courage and political engagement," the group contended.
"The idea was to open a dialogue to pose some questions," Doctorow said.
Harvard officials said they see their school as no different than most colleges across the country: Big antiwar marches on campuses are rare, and today's students are active but use different methods than Vietnam War-era protesters.
Harvard has an antiwar coalition, but students, who are not facing a draft like those in the 1960s often focus on causes they can see in front of them, said Judith Kidd, Harvard College's associate dean. A group of Harvard students went on a hunger strike last spring to show support for better working conditions and pay for campus security guards.
Harvard, meanwhile, does look for civic and political activities when it screens applications, said Marlyn McGrath, the director of admissions.
"I don't think there's much of a lack of political engagement here, nor do I think it's true that people throw tomatoes at people anymore," McGrath said. "It's civil discourse."
Parental meddling? You want your teenager to get into the absolute best college. But how do you know if you are helping too much?
Grade yourself with a new Parental Overinvolvement Quiz by Willard Dix, a Chicago-based private college counselor and former associate dean of admissions at Amherst College. Dix lists 21 questions in the quiz he put in blog recently, Life as a College Counselor, at http://collegeadvisor.blogspot.com/
A sampling:
1. Do you say, "We're applying to college" instead of "Johnny's applying to college?
2. Do you look forward to telling friends at cocktail parties where your child is applying?
3. Do you let people know your child's GPA, standardized test scores, and other personal information?
4. Are you planning college visits with little or no input from your child?
5. Do you know more than your child's college counselor does, even if you haven't applied or been to a college in 20 years?
6. Do you do all the college research, all the calling, and all the typing of request letters and applications?
Did you answer yes in all cases? Hmm, then in Dix's view, you could be too involved. Never fear, you have company. Dix was one of several high school counselors and college consultants on a national admissions counseling listserv this week bemoaning parents who "apply" to college in their child's stead.
Reaching across the border: In a spirit of cross-state collegiality, The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is sharply lowering tuition for New Hampshire residents who live within 20 miles of the college.
The move, which takes effect next fall, will save Southern New Hampshire students roughly $6,400 a year by charging them a bit over $14,000 in tuition and fees, instead of the current charge for out-of-state students of $20,559. Massachusetts students pay $8,906 a year.
With an in-state tuition rate of $11,000 at the University of New Hampshire, students would still save a bit by staying north of the border.
UMass-Lowell officials said the tuition breaks are part of a broader campaign to extend the college's appeal beyond state lines.
"Colleges are watching the trends, and everyone realizes Massachusetts is projected to graduate fewer high school students in the coming years," said Michael Belcher, UMass-Lowell's director of undergraduate recruitment and outreach. "A lot of schools, certainly UMass-Lowell, are looking for new areas to recruit students to compensate."
The discount is available to residents of a dozen communities: Atkinson, Brookline, Derry, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Londonderry, Merrimack, Nashua, Pelham, Salem, and Windham. About 120 current students would be eligible.
Would the move potentially provoke a response from the University of New Hampshire, a key UMass-Lowell competitor?
"They may counter with a different program," Belcher said.
Campus Insider runs on alternate Sundays with Ask the Teacher, an advice column. To submit tips to Campus Insider, e-mail Linda Wertheimer at wertheimer@globe.com and Peter Schworm at schworm@globe.com.
