Poll Shows 82% Oppose Projected Varsity Club

Eighty-two percent of undergraduates polled by the CRIMSON yesterday expressed their disapproval of the University's plan to build a new Varsity Club with part of the money left by the late Allston Burr '89. Sixty-nine percent of those who identified themselves as members of varsity teams also voted against the project.

Seventeen hundred and fifteen students, or 36 percent of the College, east ballots in the dining halls at lunchtime. Fourteen ballots were unclassifiable.

Of the 160 athletes who voted in the negative, 150 felt that the money could be better spent elsewhere. Ninety of these listed a hockey rink as a possible alternative, 66 a theater, 56 scholarships, and 37 tutorial. Other suggestions offered were a resumption of training table and revival of J.V sports.

Seventy-seven varsity athletes were satisfied with the present club, though a few suggested possible improvements. Some were worried about the separation of athletes implicit in the whole Varsity Club system, while some others felt that the new building would be a means of bringing athletes closer to the Houses.

Inadequacy of the present building was the reason most frequently cited by athletes, for approving the University's project. Burr's expressed interest in a new Varsity Club was listed by over half of them, as was the attraction of better athletes to the College. A few mentioned morale and the "moral obligation" of the University to build a Varsity Club with Burr's bequest.

Freshmen were slightly more opposed to the project than were upperclassmen, the percentages being 81 and 84 respectively. Twenty-seven of the 41 freshmen who identified themselves as team members voted no.

Among non-varsity voters, opponents of the new club considered a theatre and scholarships the most important uses to which the money should be put, with tutorial and a hockey rink considerably behind. Otherwise their reasons for disapproval followed closely those of the varsity members.

There was a wide range of opinion among the Houses, ranging from 90 percent opposition in Adams to 61 percent in Winthrop. Twenty-three members of Lowell House objected to the new building on aesthetic grounds, and a smattering of students in other Houses expressed sympathy for the Bellboys. The proposed structure would be directly in front of Lowell and would be in a markedly different architectural style.

The breakdown of voting on approval of the new Varsity Club by team members and other follows: Percentage results in the Houses were as follows:

Yes  NoAdams  10  20Eliot  11  89Lowell  12  88Leverett  16  84Dunster  20  80Kirkland  22  78Dudley  21  69Winthrop  39  6