Co-Ed Rooming Groups Fear End

Residents in two co-ed rooming groups in Adams House, who will meet with house officials next week for undisclosed reasons, said they fear their rooming arrangement will be dismantled.

Members of the groups were notified yesterday that they will meet with Senior Tutor Michael Prokopow next Monday.

Adams resident Declan T. Fox '94 said he believes house officials plan to separate the two co-ed suites despite knowing for months about the unsanctioned groups.

"It was common knowledge." he said. "We were listed in the house face book together."

The 10 students entered last year's housing lottery as two gender-separate units but soon rearranged the rooms into co-ed suites of four and six persons.

"We went to the senior tutor [Rebecca Spang], "said Mike C. Sonnenschein '94. "She told us to enter as normal groups and then switch around surreptitiously."

Prokopow, who assumed his position this year, refused to comment on the proposed agenda for the meeting. He did say, however, that co-ed groups are notpermitted by the University.

"Adams House is going to make sure its policyis in line with University policy," Prokopow said.

Jol A. Silversmith '94, president of the CivilLiberties Union of Harvard, disagreed.

"If Harvard is supposed to be teaching us to bemature adults, students should have the right tochoose who they live with," he said.

Quoting from the Handbook for Students,Silversmith noted that Harvard currently allowsexceptions for co-ed housing when "theconfiguration of space ensures a degree ofprivacy."

The Handbook stipulates that co-ed arrangementsmust follow strict guidelines, including separatelocks for rooms, single bedroom suites, and morethan one bathroom.

Jenn K. Fehser '95 and Alex H. Dunlop '95 werepart of a 10-person group who appealed to QuincyHouse officials for a co-ed suite under theseguidelines and were granted their request.

According to the Handbook, "masters are free todeny such requests and to make changes asattrition occurs."

For said, however, that the two rooming groupshave no problems and that there is no cause todismantle them.

"It's peddling bureaucracy because the roominggroups are working," he said. "If it's not broken,don't fix it.

"Adams House is going to make sure its policyis in line with University policy," Prokopow said.

Jol A. Silversmith '94, president of the CivilLiberties Union of Harvard, disagreed.

"If Harvard is supposed to be teaching us to bemature adults, students should have the right tochoose who they live with," he said.

Quoting from the Handbook for Students,Silversmith noted that Harvard currently allowsexceptions for co-ed housing when "theconfiguration of space ensures a degree ofprivacy."

The Handbook stipulates that co-ed arrangementsmust follow strict guidelines, including separatelocks for rooms, single bedroom suites, and morethan one bathroom.

Jenn K. Fehser '95 and Alex H. Dunlop '95 werepart of a 10-person group who appealed to QuincyHouse officials for a co-ed suite under theseguidelines and were granted their request.

According to the Handbook, "masters are free todeny such requests and to make changes asattrition occurs."

For said, however, that the two rooming groupshave no problems and that there is no cause todismantle them.

"It's peddling bureaucracy because the roominggroups are working," he said. "If it's not broken,don't fix it.