Committee on House Life Considers Early Deadline for House Transfers

The Committee on House Life yesterday considered a proposal to impose a March deadline for house transfers that would allow those students to enter rooming lotteries each spring.

The proposal would ease discontent brought on by the non-ordered choice system, said Hillary K. Anger '93, chair of the Undergraduate Council's residential committee. Anger is also a member of the Committee on House Life, which includes various undergraduates, administrators and house masters.

Although students would still be required to live a full two terms in their original house, they would know before the summer of their third year whether their transfer application had been accepted, Anger said.

"It does make sense for transfers to know if they are moving as early as possible," said Lowell House Master William H. Bossert, who also sits on the House Life board.

Under the new proposal, 10 percent of house space currently made available to first-years would be offered to students wishing to transfer. To prevent excessive imbalance among house populations, only 15 percent of a given class in each house would be allowed to transfer.

Although the House Life student contingent said they are optimistic about the proposed changes, many masters were cautious, saying that the transfer system is already satisfactory.

"Let's make sure that things are really getting worse before we change anything," Bossert said after the meeting.

Several house masters also expressed concern that this reform might work to reverse the effects of randomization in the houses because students might not take the time to adjust to their assigned houses before deciding they wanted to leave.

Bossert, Anger, Leverett House Master John E. Dowling and Daniel H. Tabak '92 will serve on a subcommittee to discuss the proposal.

Also on the Agenda

The Committee on House Life also examined changes in the Harvard Dining Services (HDS), and heard plans for a survey that HDS will use to guage student satisfaction with the dining halls.

In response to student demands, Heinz ketchup, instead of the current S.S. Pierce brand, will be stocked in the dining halls and the dining administration will buy more chicken breast meat instead of thigh meat, said Director of Dining Services Michael Berry.

A daily deli menu is being tested out in Quincy House and a revised vegetarian menu is being tested in Adams House, Berry said.

The committee also looked at the college-wide fasting request presented by Eva M. Silverstein '92, a chair of the Hunger Action Committee, which would ask students to give up their dinner on one day to send the saved money to the Overseas Development Network. The fast request, which was also held in the fall, would provide money for an agricultural cooperative in Zimbabwe