A Pressing Priority

HARVARD may soon renege on its traditional policy of providing all students with free summer storage space. Projecting drastic cuts in available space over the next few years because of House renovations and competing space needs, officials have come up with what they call the best tentative solution to date. Harvard would accommodate furniture and other bulky items, but leave entirely up to students the cost and responsibility of storing "personal belongings." Available space would be equally split among all undergraduates.

This tentative solution lacks the consideration usually accorded to our "diverse" student population. An equal allocation, pay as you go policy is discriminatory to financial aid students, as well as to students living any farther than the local area. While summer storage might be relatively painless and cost free for a Bostonian, a Californian with a truckload of belongings will not have such an easy time.

For non-local student on financial aid, the burden of having to make outside storage arrangements each summer would effectively limit what personal belongings he may bring to Cambridge. Such restrictions are inherently unfair, and the University should insure against them by paying the full cost of whatever outside storage turns out to be necessary.

We believe that all students would be willing to share a minimal increase in room rents--estimated by officials at about $30--to guarantee adequate space for every student.

A final decision on storage is due by early March, but the College should take care to avoid another pitfall--assuming too quickly that present storage space is inadequate. Before making a decision, officials sensibly solicited suggestions this month from a small group of Undergraduate Council representatives. What the council members came up with, however, was no doubt more than officials ever expected. After extensive touring through all the Houses and freshman dormitories, the students concluded that House renovations would not necessarily foreclose "adequate and equitable storage for al students." They made a long list of rooms that--if emptied of garbage and old storage--could very well be counted as new storage space. Most notable of these potential storage areas is the Indoor Athletic Building, which is normally closed during the summer months. In addition, the students proposed a variety of viable methods for dealing with other problems--such as maintenance needs and financial concerns--the officials had said would make traditional unlimited storage impossible.

The students' thoroughness illustrates the need for the University to reevaluate its claims regarding a lack of available space. If enough space does indeed exist, then the storage squeeze can be alleviated on campus, without putting students through the inevitable hassles of having to make outside storage arrangements during reading and exam periods.

Some officials have indicated that the appearance of available space may be deceiving because they want to use present storage space for other purposes, such as computer rooms, dance studios, and permanent meeting places. Without is always difficult to rank competing needs, it should be clear to University administrators that storage is a key priority for students and should not be subordinated to such needs.