Weekend Dining Hall Crowds Prompt Protest from Houses

Overcrowding in several House dining halls on weekends, resulting from the closing of the Freshmen Union for weekend meals, prompted complaint from four House Committee this week.

"The Dunster, Lowell, and Mather House Committees filed complaints with Kay Locoan, head disticion of Harvard Food Services.

Long Lines

William Norton '73, a member of the Quincy House Committee, said Wednesday that House residents object to the long lines and the added freshmen at weekend meals.

Locoss said yesterday that "the overcrowding is due to the longer length of time people spend at meals during the week than during the week." She called the number of extra students in the dining halls on weekends insignificant.

Figures from the Food Services on the average number of students eating in House dining halls each day, indicate that weekend lunches are the meals most affected by the Union's closing.

All of the Houses except Kirkland and the three Radcliffe Houses showed at least a slight increase in the number of students eating weekend lunches. The Dunster Mather dining hall kitchen has experienced the most severe increase and now serves about 90 more lunches on weekends than it serves on week days.

Kirkland, which serves approximately 50 extra weekend dinners, is the only House to report a large increase between weekday and weekend dinners.

$100,000 Saving

C. Graham Hurlburt, director of Food Services, said Tuesday that the policy of closing the Union for weekend meals will save the Food Services $100,000 per year and is the reason that board rates rose only $20 instead of $70 this year. Hurlburt added that the University plans to keep the Union closed on weekends.