Undergraduate Council to Throw Lifeline to Floating First-Years

Every spring, some first-year students enter the housing lottery without a sophomore-year roommate. Until now, these unfortunates have had to throw themselves on the mercy of faceless housing bureaucrats, who match them up with unknown and potentially disastrous partners.

But the Class of '94 need not fear--the Undergraduate Council is on its way. This week, the council passed a bill intended to ease the plight of first-year students unsure of their rooming futures.

According to the bill's author, Adam D. Taxin '93, the council plans to sponsor two study breaks for such students--commonly called "floaters."

"The whole point of this is to relieve a lot of the stress of a frequently stressful situation for freshmen," said Taxin. "We don't expect that it's going to work for everyone, but it'll help a few people."

Taxin said he consulted extensively with Burriss C. Young '55, associate dean of first-year students, on planning this unprecedented service.

The Freshmen Dean's Office will keep confidential registration books on hand, Taxin explained. Students will be able to exchange information about their own personal interests and habits and, hopefully, hook up with future roommates.

Only students who have themselves filled out sheets in the books will be allowed to look through them, Taxin said.

"There are people who would match up if they knew that other people were also unsure," said Dan H. Tabak '92, outgoing chair of the council's residential committee. "People avoid talking about it."

The council has not made plans for a floater service for undergraduates already in the houses, Taxin said, since upperclass students tend to know each other and to work out the problem on their own.

"Every year there are first-year students who are not sure [of who they will room with]," said Tabak. "We want to help them."

The floater study breaks are scheduled for February 20 and March 7 in the Straus Hall Common Room.