Let Them Eat Where They Please

Inter-House restrictions at dining halls have long been a part of life at Harvard College, but this year students will be introduced to a new set of restrictions. In an email sent to College students Wednesday, Stephen Lassonde, the Dean of Student Life at the College, wrote he was “pleased” to announce the beginning of “Community Nights” on Thursday, during which students will only be allowed to dine in their own Houses until seven.

Many students are somewhat less pleased than Lassonde, with several expressing concern—most notably the executives of the Undergraduate Council. As UC Vice President Sietse K. Goffard ’15 points out, the restrictions effectively prohibit clubs from meeting on Thursday nights. They also disproportionately affect students living in Mather and the Quad, who may have to attend activities on the river during dinnertime.

Proponents of the restrictions, notably Lassonde, have stressed Community Nights as a way of grounding students in their Houses and facilitating a “sense of belonging.” We do not disagree that community spirit should be encouraged in each of the Houses. In this case, it not a problem of goals but of means.

Ideally, each House should feel like a semi-autonomous community within Harvard. They should truly be houses—places where students feel at home, forming close bonds with House masters, staff, and each other. Rather than bureaucratic dicta, we would like to see House Masters and Tutors take an active role in encouraging intra-House bonding without infringing on students’ options.

Such extensive inter-House restrictions simply do not seem like an effective means of encouraging community within Houses. Even if they are forced to eat in their house, students will still likely opt to sit with people they already know. If the Office of Student Life truly wants to foster community bonding, it should encourage events and activities that promote the creation of new friendships inside a House.

Many houses already have such systems in place. Adams House has designated “Gold Coast” Community Tables, where members of the House can sit during meals in order to meet other House residents. Cabot has weekly Cabot Conversations, where members of the House community gather to discuss their lives.

Although the Quad Houses and Mather House will extend their dining hall hours, this may not alleviate the problems for those students who live in less central locations. Given the number of club activities that take place around the Yard in the evening, it is unlikely that all students will find a time to rush back to their Houses for dinner. Although the restrictions end by seven, students whose meetings start at that may be left without adequate nutrition.

College administrators should lead with the proverbial carrot rather than the stick. Instead than implementing new policies that keep students out of other Houses, we should find ways of drawing them into their own, making community dinners a cherished event instead of a pain.