Porters Will Not Vacuum Yard Rooms

The student porter service will no longer clean any freshman rooms--the first time that all vacuuming service has been cut off from Harvard dorms. Freshman toilets however, will still be disinfected.

Instead, freshmen will be allowed to pick up the portable vacuum cleaners the service had used, and clean their rooms themselves.

This move comes on the heels of last week's announcement that all undergraduate rooms would be vacuumed only every other week. At that time, it was assumed the announcement applied to freshman dorms as well

L. Fred Jewett'57, senior advisor for freshmen, said yesterday that ending freshman vacuuming chores will permit the porter service to clean freshman bathrooms more than the current once a week.

"Once a week is about the minimum," he said.

Dean's Approval

Paul L. Smith, of Buildings and Grounds which is in charge of the porter service, proposed the elimination of freshman service to the Freshman Dean's office several weeks ago.

"They felt its was just as effective [getting rooms cleaned] for the kids to use the vacuums when they want to," Jewett said. "We didn't see any reason why we couldn't try it."

It is not known how this move will affect student employment in the porter service. Last week's decision to cut general undergraduate service in half was based on the decreasing number of students seeking employment as porters. Jewett said that he imagined the increase in freshmen bathroom cleaning would take up any employment slack the end of vacuuming might cause.

The vacuums for freshmen use will be in the offices of the custodians in charge of the Yard's five freshman divisions. It is not known whether upperclassmen will be allowed to use them to make up for the weeks they will be missing vacuum service.

The Harvard Undergraduate Council has already passed a resolution asking the University if room-cleaning service is included in the student yearly room rent. If it is, the resolution asks that rents be lowered in response to last week's cut in service.

The resolution also asks if any attempts have been made to hire non-student help to make hp for the lack of student help cited in last week's decision.