THE NEW PARIETAL RULES

Ever since the question of Parietal Rules in the Houses was brought up in September last, its solution has been retarded by secrecy, by ambiguous phrasing of the actual rules, and by an implicit latitude, never openly stated, granted to the House Masters in interpreting the rules. The consequences have been variation in their actual working from House to House, confusion on the part of students and in several cases habitual violation of the rules.

In order to meet the new situation in the Houses, the parietal rules were revised early in the year, and adopted by the Faculty with the approval of the Masters. Unfortunately the two most vital rules were phrased in such a way that their precise interpretation is open to question. They are:

"Women shall not enter the Houses, dormitories, or club-houses unattended; and a student when entertaining women guests should see that they are properly escorted."

"A student living in a House must obtain special permission to receive women-guests in his room from the Master or the Senior Tutor."

The meaning of the first of these new rulings, as muddled in expression as could be, is this: the Senior Tutor and the House Master have complete authority; whereas formerly the House Master was unable to allow a single student and woman guest to enter a college room, now the Master or Tutor may give such permission. This is a distinct liberalization of the rules.

The interpretation of the second rule varies. Some House require twenty-four hours notice in advance from students desiring to entertain women in their rooms; in other Houses this rule is wholly or entirely ignored. Although no statement to that effect has been made from any source, the obvious conclusion must be that the House Masters are enjoying complete autonomy in this matter.

Before they are incorporated in the booklet to be issued next year, the parietal rules should be revised to make quite plain that in the granting of permission to entertain woman guests, the Masters and Tutors have complete discretion. The Masters themselves, in addition, should abolish the rule requiring twenty-four hours notice before women guests may be brought into the House. That rule is a minor nuisance which frequently becomes a major embarrassment when guests arrive unexpectedly.