Kirkland's Deacons Offer Spirit, Friendliness, Emphasis on Sports

Kirkland House needs about 100 men of all varieties to supplement its truly all around consistency.

These men will be taken into an atmosphere of spirit and friendliness where their interests will be mixed and their appreciation broadened to a degree beatting the original purpose of the House system.

The integration of 350 men of all backgrounds and callings into an active group of liberality educated friends begins with their selection as Kirkland House members. Housemaster Mason Hammond '25 picks his charges on the basis of intellectual ability, athletic and extra-curricular interest, and the amount that they can put into the House and get out of it is return.

Large Common Room

The House plant carries on that which the Master's selection starts. The dining room, with its small tables and intimate layout makes for incessant dinner-table discussions and almost unavoidable introduction of strangers. The common room, largest of all the Houses, is the scene of dances and forums of popularity throughout the College, as well as in the Houses. The grass-covered quadrangle provides informal stomping area for garden parties, sunbathing, and House-wide snowball flights.

A boast worthy part of the Kirkland is the House library, which occupies historic Hicks House. This is a revolutionary-age abode that has been joined onto the House so that its 10 separate rooms could be used as places of seclusion for Kirkland men in their studying moments. Almost every room houses a separate field of books--those of history, French, and German, being particularly strong.

Part of Kirkland House was built before the other Houses on the river, consequently the rooms are larger, and many have bathtubs. Residents of the newer Kirkland "annex" find regular sized rooms and showers.

More important than the plant is the kind of activity that goes on within it. Here Kirkland makes up for what may be considered its shortcomings. It is not directly on the river, though close. It lacks the grand appearance of many of the others.

Deconcentration dinners are a unique Kirkland activity. Almost every member of the House staff participates in a small discussion of his field with students who are in other fields.

Poets at House

The House also brings popular poets in for readings, and a few interested students get to eat with the celebrities beforehand. And there is the annual House dinner--this year Reinhold Neibur will speak.

Mr. and Mrs. Hammond lend to the congeniality of the place with their popular Thursday afternoon teas, and sometime throughout the year nearly everyone in the House is invited to have dinner with them.

Leads in Trophy Race

The students take over where the staff leaves off in the "integration process" at Kirkland. Deacon athletes won the inter House Straus trophy last year and are in the lead for it this year.

Enterprising members publish the Deacon's Testament, the only House yearbook in the College. It is the indicative of Kirkland's "spirit" that a Deacon alumnus this year is doing the printing free because the yearbook could not support itself.

Kirkland is the original "spirited" house, where many individualists live together in a healthy, happy, active mixture.