Houses Will Take Only 40 Percent of Yardlings

The seven Houses begin their annual rush week today with the distribution of application blanks to freshmen, and the announcement that only 40 percent of these blanks will get results.

Blanks will be distributed to freshmen at lunch today and must be returned to the Housing Office in Weld Hall before Thursday, April 14. Upperclassmen will find applications in their mail boxes.

Both groups will hear, news of their acceptance or rejection about May 14.

The Houses are not planning to deconvert next year, and will maintain their current level of one extra man for every two. Even counting on the enrollment drop, they can take less than half of the freshmen class.

For the first, time since the war, House contracts will be for a full year instead of a term. This will make it harder to switch rooms or roommates in February, though not impossible. The change was bright about by the drop in February graduation.

Students will also be expected to pay a full year's rent for a room even if they drop out of College in October. Houses will have trouble filling vacated rooms, the masters say, and would therefore lose rent money.

This is an old ruling that was dropped during the war, when substitutes could always be found. A student still won't have to pay extra rent if he leaves at mid-terms, or if a substitute takes his place in the room.

The Houses will all hold interview hours from Wednesday to Monday, April 11. These are not required, but applicants are urged by the Housemasters to attend them to learn about the House and the rooms available.

Dates for the interviews will be announced in the CRIMSON, and on bulletin boards in the Union and Weld Hall.