A dozen tents and a barrage of colorful anti-war signs fan out beside a raised U.S. flag bearing a large white peace symbol, filling the normally vacant space between the Campus Center and the Chapel. The peace camp cannot be ignored.

Since March 24, an ad hoc group of students have been camped out in opposition to the war in Iraq.

Every evening at 6 p.m. students gather among the tents to discuss the difficult questions concerning war with Iraq and to plan future events.

Peace Camp formed during the student walk-out on March 24 with the support and assistance of a number of campus organizations. In addition to Mac Iraq, the informal student coalition which proposed the idea, support came from Mac Peace and Justice, Mac Greens, the Outing Club and the Ministry Service at the Chapel.

"Even the Physical Plant brought a ladder for the flags," said Chris Mitchell '01.

Mitchell was one of several students who camped out previously in 1998 to protest U.S foreign policy. He noted that this year's camp was a much larger effort, and told the group "you have more tents than we had people."

According to the group, the main intention of the camp is to provide a centralized space on campus for people to talk.

"We don't want to have a particular ideological line, a particular cultural line," stressed Federico Helfgott '03.

Students acknowledged a need to reach out and involve the surrounding community, as well as more students on campus. In an effort to meet these goals, a number of students over the weekend gave Peace Camp a "makeover," changing the tent configuration from a closed circle to a more inviting open semi-circle.

Other notable additions include a laminated binder of anti-war events and relevant news stories, a healthy supply of food delivered by Merriam Park Neighbors for Peace, and extra sleeping bags and vacant tents for new visitors

Future projects include an art for peace display, and potential camp-ins with various anti-war groups, including some from local middle schools and high schools.

Several professors have also expressed interest in helping out Peace Camp, including Women's and Gender Studies Professor Scott Morgensen, who enjoyed sitting at the camp with students during the open daily discussion.

"I'm proud of them for being public about their views," Morgensen said.

So far, the students' greatest opposition seems to be the weather, as students faced freezing temperatures and snow their first week.

This did not deter the campers, however, who fetched buckets to scoop away the snow from around the tents. High winds have also been problematic, and tents have blown away from the campsite.

But there have also been criticisms of the Peace Camp.

Some students question just its purpose. "I'm not sure what the point is if they're staying on campus . . . it just seems like a lot of students sleeping outside," said Emily Purcell '06.

According to Dean of Students Laurie Hamre, several staff members have expressed concern regarding what they view as the camp's defacement of the American flag. She said she would raise the issue with students, but would not expect them to respond.

On Wednesday, an anonymous source sent a bundle of articles to the camp denigrating the peace advocates. An attached letter, which was not signed, insisted that the beliefs of the students at peace camp are "mis-guided . . . they give aid and comfort to the enemy."

This package coincided with a volley of eggs thrown at the tents early Wednesday morning. Few hit their mark and some were still intact.

"People should cook them first," Mitchell joked.

Despite these conflicts, camp organizers stress that they hope participants are not discouraged.