THE HOUSES IN OPERATION

Kirkland House is in physical attributes one of the least pretentious of the Houses. It was fortunate enough to be built in a day and ago before the country-club type of building spread over American colleges. In many ways excessive beauty has been sacrificed for comfort. The rooms are large and well lighted. The very position of Kirkland House again emphasizes its tendency toward comfort and convenience rather than artistic beauty. It may not boast of a view of the beautiful Charles, but its proximity to Harvard Square and the class-room compensates the loss of such a restful view.

There are some distinct advantages to the physical side of Kirkland House. It is the smallest of the House units with 207 members. For this reason it more closely approaches the ideal size than any of the other Houses. The residents of a small unit tend to be more congenial toward one another and have the advantage of closer contact with the tutors and the House Master.

If any one part of the House is the place of particular pride, it is the library. Situated in an old colonial house, by name the Hicks house, it has six small reading rooms within three floors. Here one may secure seclusion, but at the sacrifice of the convenience of the ordinary work-desk of the other Houses. The selection of books shows the predominance of tutors in the fields of Economics, English, Romance Languages, and Biology in the House. In the cellar of Hicks house a massive vault protects rare books such as an Ellesmere edition of Chaucer from the layman, and in turn the vault protects the layman from such naughty literature as the Limericks of Norman Douglas.

The Junior Common Room is too large to cause a cozy feeling to emanate to a small group, but it is an excellent size for lectures, concerts, and dances. The dining room reflects an air of democracy by its conspicuous lack of a raised section for any high table. Just off the dining room is the Committee Room. In this small room various organizations such as the Coffee Pot may meet with due privacy.

Thanks to a willing House Master and an energetic and sociable tutorial staff Kirkland House has been well organized intellectually. If the Houses are to exist by more than mere name, it will be possible only through the tutorial system. Without a doubt the tutorial system is the backbone of everything the Houses represent. It is by means of their assistance that college will, in truth, be an educational institution and not a play ground. Kirkland House has a very able tutorial staff. While it is predominantly represented in the fields already mentioned, it has very capable men in History, Government, the Classics, Anthropology, and German. Practically every field is represented by a student organization in the House. Through the facilities of the Coffee Pot, an informal organization, residents of the House have the opportunity to hear a House member or an invited guest talk on some subject of general interest.

Although activities have been predominantly intellectual, athletic and social events have by no means been neglected. For its size Kirkland House has taken more than its part in some sports with squash-racquets the most popular. Several concerts and dances have been well patronized, so in the future a greater number of them will be held.

While Kirkland House has certain disadvantages, it presents every opportunity for the fullest utilization of the House system. No House can do more than this. Whether the full utilization will be realized or not is in the sole power of the student-resident.