New Storage Rules Frustrate Students

Students packing their belongings expressed frustration yesterday about a number of new rules which have tightened up the storage process.

At the request of the house masters and superintendents, the committee on college and house life has limited to 12 cubic feet the amount of storage space alloted to each student.

Unlike in the past, when storage times were flexible, students are now allowed to put things in storage for only five hours during the day.

The committee also decided to enforce strictly the requirement stating that students who live within 100 miles will not be allowed to store items.

According to Justin C. Label '97, chair of the student affairs committee of the Undergraduate Council, the change was made in response to worries by the superintendents and masters of the houses "that the storage policy was out of hand."

They were concerned that stored boxes "were always overflowing into hallways, and classrooms that the summer school students might want to use," Label said.

But students said the new rules are costing them hundreds of dollars because they have to hire outside storage facilities or ship their packages home.

A. Christella Wong '96 said she has already spent $202 to ship the first third of her possesions home to California. Wong said she is likely to spend even more before she is done.

And Amanda J. Weinstein '96 said, "It is going to cost me 80 to 100 dollars" to ship everything home.

But Robert L. Mortimer, associate director for building services, said he thought the rules serve the interests of the majority of the students.

"I think we did a good job," Mortimer said.

Ronald Levesque, superintendent in Quincy House who was on the committee on college and house life, said the new rules were implemented "because of loss and damage and space: concerns.

"[Under the old rules] we were against the fire code," Levesque said. "That will still happen, but hopefully not as much as in the past."

United parcel service trucks have been stationed at both ends of the campus to help ship packages, Mortimer said.

And Label said that representatives from a professional storage firm in Needham have been available all week at both the river houses and the Quad to provide storage services and packing supplies.

However, Wong says that off-campus storage is often more trouble than it is worth. Last year she attempted to use an off campus storage companythat couldn't pick up her items until she wasalready on the plane going home.

"Last year they couldn't come the day that Iwas actually here. My roommate had to sign for me"she said

"Last year they couldn't come the day that Iwas actually here. My roommate had to sign for me"she said