HOUSES AND HOSPITALITY

Freshmen should be allowed to eat in the Houses. Right now the House is a place where a man may find good cheer for soul and stomach, and share it with almost any upperclassman in the College. But if he should be so rash as to invite a Freshman to dine with him, he pays a heavy fine, the price of the meal, for his folly.

It is not red tape that binds the Freshmen to the Union. From the clerical standpoint they are free to dine in the Houses; there is the authorities' word for it. They need only sign slips in the Union some time in advance and then present them in the Houses at the proper hour, for all the dining halls are under the same management.

In the past by this very system the Freshmen have been admitted to the Houses for a few weeks before choosing their future homes, to facilitate the selection. This period of privilege is not long enough for making an intelligent choice; it certainly does not satisfy the desires of the Yardmen and the Rivermen to enjoy each other's company. Therefore it must be granted for all time.

The House Plan inevitably raises distinctions between the upperclassmen and the newcomers. This may be as it should be. But it is certainly unnecessary and undesirable to extend the line of demarcation so far as to prevent simple sociability.