EATING AROUND

There are times when a member of one House wishes to eat with a friend in another House. Under the present regulation of the Harvard dining halls a man is constrained other to forego his pleasure or to consider himself an uninvited guest and suffer the embarrassment of knowing that he is causing his host a not inconsiderable expense. Conversely, the extra charges involved in entertaining guests often prevent a House resident from inviting friends to dine with him.

In a dining hall system that serves Harvard efficiently and well there is place for an additional feature that would permit the use of each House dining room by all students who live in the units. While it would be unwise to grant indiscriminate permission of the sort it is wholly desirable that an arrangement be worked out whereby students may appear casually to dine with friends without feeling that they are imposing. The authorities have indicated that some modification of the rules, enabling a student to sign his own name on a table check at another House, is feasible. In order to insure that a nonresident diner is not abusing the privileges of inter-House hospitality the count er-signature of his check by another member of the House might well be required. The financial relief for students who frequently entertain friends from other Houses is undeniable and would be welcome. The great freedom of social contact among students would enhance the advantages of the House Plan.