HCUA Parietal Committee to Draft 'Student Response' to Administration

The H.C.U.A. voted last night to set up an eight-man committee to compose a statement expressing "student response" to recent administration assertions on parietal abuse.

The committee, headed by H.C.U.A. chairman Tom Seymour '64, will consist of five H.C.U.A. members and three House Committee chairmen. It will present the statement to be voted on at next Monday's meeting. On the basis of last night's meeting, there is little doubt what sort of conclusions the group will reach.

Favors "Abolition"

One H.C.U.A. member, Tom Timberg '64, said he favors "abolition of parietal rules." That is, he said he prefers no restrictions on the hours students can entertain girls in their rooms.

Another Council member, Earl Leiken '64, felt that parietal hours should extend until midnight on Fridays.

All members who spoke out seemed to think that the students wanted liberalization rather than reduction of parietal privileges. Gary Burkhardt '65 said it is the job of the H.C.U.A. to represent his student opinion.

After the committee presents its statement next Monday, it will make further study of parietal rules with the purpose of coming up with some concrete proposals to present to the Masters and the administration.

Joseph Russin '64 said the committee should ask for clarification of the purpose of parietal rules. "There is confusion as to whether the regulations are an attempt to enforce moral standards, or whether they are social rules to keep order and decorum in the Houses," he said.

Some members questioned whether scandals, which the administration seems worried about, can be prevented by reducing parietal hours.

Discuss HSA Report

In other business, the group discussed the report on the Harvard Student Agencies, which will probably be voted on next week. An H.C.U.A. committee, composed of Tom Seymour, John Paul Russo, Earl Leiken and Michael Galazka, began working on the report six months ago.

Although the report has not yet been drafted, Galazka said last night that it will probably recommend several significant changes in the HSA. It is expected that one of these recommendations will be to relieve Dustin Burke of his job either as general manager of the Harvard Student Agencies or as director of Student Employment.