Lottery Debate Tonight

Friends and foes of a randomized housing lottery will present their points of view tonight in Emerson Hall in a debate sponsored by the Harvard Political Union.

The organizer of the event, David Socolow '91, said that he expects around 150 students to attend, and that he has also invited several College administrators.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57, who has said that he intends to propose a plan that will randomly assign housing to at least 50 percent of first-year students, said he plans to attend the event unless prevented by a dinner engagement.

Socolow, who will moderate the debate, said that his goal is to allow "more sophisticated, well articulated arguments to be heard on both sides."

Last year, Jewett scrapped a 25 percent randomization plan in the face of opposition from house masters, and first-year students this year have vowed to fight the new plan.

`An Issue of Choice'

"The administration is trying to wrap this issue in diversity," said James M. Harmon '93, who will present the anti-randomization viewpoint. "It's an issue of choice. People should be able to choose what location, architecture and community they like best."

John L. Larew '91, who will defend the Jewett plan, said that his own good fortunes in the housing lottery had convinced him of the virtues of the randomization.

"As I sat in my palatial Winthrop House suite and reflected on my own two-digit lottery number," Larew quipped, "I realized that I would like nothing better than to have all freshmen sent to the Quad."

"The issue isn't 50 percent randomization-it's how to make freshmen miserable," Larew said.

The speakers will have five minutes each to explain their positions, after which the floor will be open, Socolow said.