A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT

Segregated from the upperclassmen in respect to living and dining facilities and social contacts the Freshman have little opportunity to become acquainted with the House Plan. Late in the Spring they are asked to file applications for rooms in the Houses and to indicate which of these they would like to live in. No opportunity, however, is provided for them to make any kind of a satisfactory choice.

Probably the best way for a student to learn something about the Houses would be to allow him the privilege of taking several meals in the various units during the second half year upon the invitation of some resident. If the Freshmen were allowed to take fourteen meals in the Houses this would give them an opportunity to visit each twice. The difference of eight dollars and eight dollars and a half in the board charges at the Union and the Houses only means a loss of two cents a meal and only a maximum of a few hundred dollars during the year. It is an investment that would be well worthwhile.

If the House Plan is to become something more than a dormitory system it must accept new members because they want to live in one House rather than another and not because they are arbitrarily assigned or have no preference in the matter. To foster this spirit of individuality the University must provide an opportunity for Freshmen to weigh the advantages of one House over an other. Dining privileges are probably the best way of making this possible.