Lowell Moves to Curb Lengthy Lunch Lines

Angered by lengthy lunchtime lines, Lowell House residents have decided to fight back by implementing the College's strictest restrictions on interhouse meals.

After a lighthearted debate on Monday night, the Lowell House Committee decided to ban interhouse between noon and 12:20 p.m. and one and 1:20 p.m. on weekdays. During this period, Lowell residents will be permitted one lunch guest each, and no other outsiders will be allowed.

A Policy of "Hostility"

Discussions about the new restrictions--which one house resident jokingly referred to as a policy of "hostility" toward the rest of the campus--began about three weeks ago, when a housewide survey showed overwhelming support for limitations on interhouse.

Similar restrictions are already in place on certain days at Adams and Quincy Houses, which, like Lowell, receive a large influx of non-resident students after weekday classes.

House residents blamed the influx primarily on the large number of Quad residents who elect to eat at the river houses rather than returning to their own dining halls.

"Everyone assumes that Lowell is the only place the Quad has to eat. There are other places to eat," said Cristina Toro-Hernandez '92, "The reason Quad people eat at Lowell is because it's convenient to them.

"If they walked two to three minutes to Winthrop they'd see that it's empty," Toro-Hernandez said. "If they've been to Lowell they'd see people in line all the way out in the hall. They can wait 20 minutes."

Marcy R. Freeman '92 and Shannon M. Arnold '92 went so far as to threaten secession if no restrictions were imposed this semester.

"We just want to eat," Freeman said. "Is that so wrong?

Other methods suggested for controlling the lunchtime crowds included "branding students" and reinstituting a 1973 policy, which required guests to obtain tickets for meals.

Erich O. Fox Tree '91 noted that the 1973 rules might still be in effect. "There's nothing posted to say it's not," he said.

The new policy will go into effect on a trial basis in about two weeks, according to house committee cochair John C. Buten '91.