NoHo Council Representative Vows To Fight Quad Exclusion

Harvard, Undergraduate newly-elected. North House council representative said yesterday.

Christopher Roy '86, said he is "really going to fight" the failure of the council's Residential Committee to elect any representatives from the three Radcliffe Quad Houses to the powerful student-faculty Committee on Housing.

Roy said he plans to present a petition calling for an expanded role for Quad residents in making housing decisions to the chairman of the Residential Committee. Jessica E. Levine '87, and, if necessary, to the entire Residential Committee.

Melendez, the full council, and Dean of the College John B. Fox Jr. '59 may also be confronted, Roy added.

Roy said representatives from the Quad should be included on the committee because the Quad Houses are in worse physical shape than the River Houses, must deal with Radcliffe's bureaucracy as well as Harvard's, and are affected by a lottery-imposed "stigma."

Although Fox, who chairs the committee, has final say on matters of housing policy, he has "never disagreed with one of their decisions," said Undergraduate Council Chairman Brian R. Melendez '86.

Melendez said of Roy's concern, "Its not an issue. "He said students elected to the committee will represent all the College's constituencies including the Quad.

Melendez said that the lack of student government experience of the Quad's representatives to the Residential Committee kept them from being elected to the committee. All three are new to the council this year, Melendez added.

Jessica E. Levin '87, chairman of the Residential Committee, echoed Melendez's sentiments. I feel that the committee will sufficiently represent the residents of the Quad." Levin said.

Dean of Housing Thomas Dingman also down-played Roy's concern. Dingman called Currier House Co-Master Georgene Hershbach, a faculty representative to the committee, "very effective" in advancing Quad concerns.

Margret I. Achkers '87, a Residential Committee member from Cobot House is "disappointed that a Quad voice is not on the committee," but feels "other people on the committee will be sympathetic" to the concerns of Quad student she said.

Ackerley said Melendez assured her that she would be able to represent her constituents to the committee as a non voting, but speaking, observer it barred from speaking, however. Akerley said she "would try to do something about" her constituency's lack of representation.