House Committee Leaders Gear-up Post-Randomization

Over the past two years, randomization has been many things to many students. It has been badmouthed for scattering friends and praised for bringing new diversity to the Houses. But for House Committees, randomization means challenging tradition, working for progressive change and sometimes forging compromise at middle-ground.

Despite their different characters, committees face the same dilemma--randomized students didn't choose their House, may not like the House, and both factors may deter them from participating in House events (traditional or not). Committees have to choose whether to encourage new residents to get to know and love the character of the House, or to let the House and its character adjust to the present needs of new residents.

Frank E. Pacheco '99, chair of the Adams House Committee, hopes to maintain Adam's artsy, quirky spirit.

"Adams House always had the reputation of having a unique spirit. Over the years, what that actually meant has changed a lot," Pacheco said.

Change has meant that new residents in Adams are often less enthusiastic about House events, according to Pacheco.

"I think that randomization has definitely challenged the old framework," Pacheco said. "At first, we were sort of at odds with what we perceived as the House character."

Through annual events like drag night, the spring waltz and the winter swing, Adams House Committee has tried to maintain its traditional character.

"I think Adams House Committee has a very important role in maintaining the continuity from year to year," Pacheco said. "We think it's very important to hold on to the traditions and cherish them."

Pforzheimer House Committee, however, is actively working to dispel its premed House label. In post-randomization Pfo-Ho, "there are other concentrations that can co-exist," said Ali J.Q. Satvat '99, vice president of the Pforzheimer House Committee, who described the House's pre-randomization stereotype as "dry, stale and devoid of character."

"The House has been enriched with the diversity that randomization has brought," Satvat said. "HoCo is going for a change from the traditional but the events that we're maintaining are traditional. We've altered them as such that people are a lot more willing to participate in them."

From the House's annual Miss Pforzheimer drag queen contest to this weekend's Battle of the Bands, Pforzheimer House Committee is focused on developing a more social and outgoing House character.

"In the old Pforzheimer, people wouldn't have been enthusiastic enough. It was true--it was pretty quiet and self-contained," Satvat said of Pfo-Ho's pre-randomization House character.

However, integrating new student ideas requires a certain amount of enthusiasm on the part of randomized students. Unlike Adams House, the Eliot House Committee has found that randomized students are less enthusiastic about traditional House events.

"We just kind of take people as they come and try to make this place fun," said Joel L. Negin '99, co-chair of the Cabot House Committee. "There's definitely not a conscious effort to cater to certain groups--that would be unfair."

However, Negin noted a trend of certain ethnic groups in Cabot moving off-campus as "a flaw of the House Committee and randomization."

"I don't really know how to deal with it," Negin said. "House Committee has tried to embrace people coming in, but it's not possible to keep everybody happy."

"People are just not feeling as engaged in their communities because they didn't really choose them," Eliot House Committee Co-Chair Veronica D. Matthews '99 said. "This semester we're trying to focus on doing more things with the money we have."

In recent discussions at Mather House, the clash between seniors and younger, randomized students posed a similar problem for the Mather HoCo. The controversy arose between seniors who predominantly chose the courtyard as the ideal (and traditional) location for the spring formal and randomized sophomores and juniors hoping for a new location.

"That's the one place where we've seen the randomization debate kind of crystalizing around," said Sujit M. Raman '99, a member of the Mather Committee for the Class of 2000.

Then there are Houses that are attempting to reach a happy medium in the wakeof the transition to randomization. Kirkland,previously known as an athletically inclinedhouse, has sponsored both traditional and newevents this year.

"I think we're making a concerted effort tomaintain old House tradition and spirit while sortof branching out and doing new things that fit thenew diverse community," said Ryan T. Heslop '99,chair of Kirkland House Committee.

Heslop cited the challenge of maintainingKirkland's traditional characterpost-randomization.

Like Matthews, Heslop said HoCo projects canonly work with House support. From stein clubs tointramurals, he said the committee will workincorporate new students while realizing that theHouse is changing, although he admitted that, "Youcan't force old ways on new folks.

"I think we're making a concerted effort tomaintain old House tradition and spirit while sortof branching out and doing new things that fit thenew diverse community," said Ryan T. Heslop '99,chair of Kirkland House Committee.

Heslop cited the challenge of maintainingKirkland's traditional characterpost-randomization.

Like Matthews, Heslop said HoCo projects canonly work with House support. From stein clubs tointramurals, he said the committee will workincorporate new students while realizing that theHouse is changing, although he admitted that, "Youcan't force old ways on new folks.