Harvard and the Passions

Harvard is a liberal school. Anyone will tell you that. For instance, one Harvard committee is so liberal that it recommends that the College refuse to accept tainted NDEA funds from the United States government. In fact, the students don't have to go to class, or even come in on time after dates. Harvard is indeed a liberal school.

But there is one thing that even the most responsible students can not be trusted to do--control themselves in the presence of women during the evening. The Administration feels that when boys and girls get together, unchaperoned, in a dark, moonlit room, then wild passions and jungle instincts will prevail. Thus, although students may host women in their rooms from 4-7 p.m. every weekday, nights are another thing entirely. Even on Friday, women must be on their way by 8 p.m., which gives a normal person hardly enough time to digest dinner.

The Administration's logic is clear. In the daytime, propriety will prevail, but at night, things get out of hand. Besides, Friday night is a night for study, not play, and even responsible students must be protected from distraction.

There are other reasons for the Administration to frown upon the Student Council's recent suggestion to extend Friday parietals to 10 p.m. and to eliminate the privilege of feminine company on some weekday afternoons. Elliott Perkins says that "horsetrading" parietal hours is "nonsense," which should convince all but the most bullheaded. And, as Dean Watson points out, "Faculty members simply don't like to be bothered" with parietal changes.

The Student Council must bow before such sagacity. Pull down the shades, dear.