Dorm Students Must Give Up Cooking Gear

Harvard has asked all students living on campus to immediately discontinue use of cooking appliances, in response to citations issued this summer and fall by the City of Cambridge under a longstanding municipal ordinance prohibiting cooking in student dormitories.

Housing inspectors for the Cambridge Health Department cited Dunster House last month for violating the ordinance. Inspectors also cited Kirkland House, Dudley House, and Wigglesworth Hall for violations of other sections of the housing code. Problems ranged from peeling paint to a hole in a wall to a missing fire escape.

In a memo dated October 2 and circulated last week, Dean Fox asked students living in campus housing to take cooking appliances home with them when they leave for Thanksgiving or Christmas vacations.

City officials said yesterday the College might be fined if students refuse to obey the regulation, but they said they have not yet made a final decision on possible penalties.

The Cambridge Health Department inspected all of the Harvard dormitories this summer and early fall, approving most of the buildings.

Those houses inspected since school started received citations under the ordinance prohibiting cooking in student rooms. "Inspectors found hot plates in nearly every room," John E. Cady, assistant director of facilities for the Faculty, said Wednesday.

Until now students have been allowed to use cooking appliances in their rooms under most circumstances. Although an official of the health department said it has enforced the ordinance since its adoption in 1962, Fox said Tuesday he was unaware of the regulation until the city contacted him about it last month.

Fox added that the city may have become more interested in enforcing the ordinance since the Providence College fire last December, which killed several students.

The Harvard houses cited will be inspected again later this month or early in November, Kevin Doherty, assistant to the Cambridge health commissioner, said yesterday. He added that reinspections will consist only of spot checks of rooms previously cited, with the students present.

Keep the Pot Boiling

Possession of a coffee maker will not be considered a violation of the ordinance, he said.

The same ordinance also technically prohibits students from eating in their rooms, but Doherty said his office would not crack down on students eating sandwiches in their suites.

Dunster House received the most violations for students having cooking appliances in their rooms, and was also cited for wiring problems, Doherty said. However, he could not locate the Dunster House file in his office yesterday.

Fox said that Harvard will probably not inspect student rooms to ensure compliance with the ordinance:

Students polled said they intended to continue using kitchen appliances despite the law.

Scott Androes '82 said he plans to continue using his electric pot to make late night soup snacks. "I'm not sure this is what they're after," Androes said. "Plus, nobody is going to find out. Third, I like soup."