Merger on Mt. Auburn

Among a freshman's disappointments, the worst is often relegation to Claverly. Not that Claverly itself is undesirable. Its rooms are generally larger than those in any House, and it is located near Widener, Lamont, and classes. These physical assets, however, do not offset the major fault in parcelling out the Gold Coast dormitory: the Claverly resident's detachment--both physical and psychological--from his own House. Despite real improvement in the Claverly problem, the University has not yet accepted the only adequate solution--to make Claverly clearly and permanently a part of Adams House.

No one could deny that Claverly is now more appealing than it was several years ago as a local Siberia. Fortunately, the University has wiped away this stigma by filling Claverly with good tutors and high-ranking students. But even the fact that some of these students choose to remain in Claverly after the sophomore year can not hide the disadvantages of physical separation from the Houses. Despite several arrangements for breakfast at nearby Adams and Lowell, Eliot and Winthrop men must still make early morning treks to the river, and for other meals, all Clverly residents must go to their own dining halls. House libraries and common rooms are available--but hardly accessible. Even such small matters as the distance to the music room add up to make many Claverly residents feel that they do not receive the full value of living in a House.

The best way to remove the distance and make Claverly residents an integral part of a House is to annex Claverly to Adams. Not only are the two next-door neighbors, but part of Adams is architecturally so similar to Claverly that they could be easily joined. Such an annexation, of course, would make Adams the largest House in the College, with close to 500 members. But it would be only slightly larger than Lowell is at present. Although Masters rightly dislike the trend toward larger Houses, they must realize that the University's growth will never allow a return to the days of the 300-man House.

Before any such expansion of Adams, though, extensive renovations must be made. The Adams library is already overcrowded, but a subsidiary study room in the unused rooms on Claverly's first floor would siphon off the extra students. The Adams dining hall is also filled now, but with alterations, it could accommodate the added diners. Without these changers, dumping Claverly on Adams would make a merely uncomfortable situation into an impossible one.

Only if the University were to reinforce the Claverly-Adams union with these improvements would the annexation be advisable. Such a marriage would not only make Claverly residents legitimate and satisfied members of the House, but would also make Claverly a more valuable part of an expanding College.