Harvard Needs Another House

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I am writing in response to the invitation for suggestions for President Rudenstine appended to "An Open Letter to Neil Rudenstine" in the March 31 Crimson.

As any Harvard undergraduate knows, the Harvard house system is presently overcrowded, with hundreds of students living in annex housing on DeWolfe Street, in Apley Court and Claverly Hall and at other locations.

The obvious solution is for Harvard to build another house. Harvard already owns most of the site that would be best suited for such a project. All that is required is effort and initiative.

Most of the buildings and the parking lot located between Cowperwaithe Street and Grant Street, bordering on Mather House and Leverett House, are owned by the university. So are many of the buildings and the parking lot located adjacent to the site on the opposite side of Grant Street.

These sites are together adequate for the construction of a new house. An underground garage could replace the current parking lots and the residents of the buildings could easily be relocated to ones that are in a far less dilapidated condition.

Some of the $2 billion Harvard hopes to raise in the coming years should be earmarked for the construction of this house. Jol Silversmith '94