E-Mail Protests Housing Changes

More than 60 students have e-mailed their opposition to randomization in a letter posted to the harvard.general newsgroup last month, according to Benjamin H. Torrance '95, the author of the petition.

Torrance said yesterday that he hopes to submit the letter by Wednesday to Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57, Dean-elect Harry R. Lewis '68 and the house masters.

Initially, Torrance posted a question about randomization to harvard.general. Responses to that post and subsequent posts numbered more than 300, he said.

He then posted a rough draft of the letter to administrators on March 22, followed by a final draft on March 24. Sixty-four people have e-mailed him their names in support of the letter, he said.

Jewett will decide in the very near future whether to randomize the class of 1999. He has said that he wants to make the decision before students accepted to Harvard must choose which college to attend. The dean has repeatedly said that he leans toward randomization.

"I don't like the college's increasingly patronizing attitude towards students," Torrance said yesterday. "Basically we're big boys and girls. We can make up our minds about where we want to live."

The letter begins with a statement of intent:"We believe that taking away students' prerogativeto choose where they live will be detrimental bothto the houses and to the students."

It continues with a rebuttal of Yale'sresidential college system, where students areassigned residential college before they arrive atthe school, and goes on to say that Harvard'snon-ordered choice system preserves the characterof the houses.

"Harvard's system is unique in that each housemanages to balance its distinct character andflavor with a diversity of student interests,talents, and backgrounds," the letter reads.

The current balance of personality anddiversity in the houses "makes each house morethan a dormitory--a collection of randomlyselected students," the letter continues. "Itmakes the House into a community."

In response to some administrators' andmasters' worries that students have enough tothink about in March and April without makinghousing decisions as well, the letter reads: "TheCollege cannot and should not remove all strenuousdecisions from students' lives."

One student who e-mailed Torrance support forthe letter said she signed it because she likesthe individuality of the houses under the currentsystem.

"I signed my name because I like the idea thatthe houses have their own character, and I thinkrandomization is going to destroy that," saidKatrina B. Barnett '98, who put down Adams,Dunster, Kirkland and Leverett in this year'shousing lottery.

Another student said she was not sure if Jewettplanned to consider the letter seriously, but saidshe hoped he would.

"At least this way, he'll know that somestudents feel strongly about it," said Petra A.Walsh '98.

Jewett said yesterday he is very close tomaking a decision, but will wait to hear thesestudents' views.

"If I'm going to get something Wednesday, I'llwait until then," Jewett said.

Torrance said that he originally got theinitiative for posting the letter from his seniortutor.

"She suggested that I actually do somethingabout [randomization], instead of just whining inthe dining halls," Torrance said

The letter begins with a statement of intent:"We believe that taking away students' prerogativeto choose where they live will be detrimental bothto the houses and to the students."

It continues with a rebuttal of Yale'sresidential college system, where students areassigned residential college before they arrive atthe school, and goes on to say that Harvard'snon-ordered choice system preserves the characterof the houses.

"Harvard's system is unique in that each housemanages to balance its distinct character andflavor with a diversity of student interests,talents, and backgrounds," the letter reads.

The current balance of personality anddiversity in the houses "makes each house morethan a dormitory--a collection of randomlyselected students," the letter continues. "Itmakes the House into a community."

In response to some administrators' andmasters' worries that students have enough tothink about in March and April without makinghousing decisions as well, the letter reads: "TheCollege cannot and should not remove all strenuousdecisions from students' lives."

One student who e-mailed Torrance support forthe letter said she signed it because she likesthe individuality of the houses under the currentsystem.

"I signed my name because I like the idea thatthe houses have their own character, and I thinkrandomization is going to destroy that," saidKatrina B. Barnett '98, who put down Adams,Dunster, Kirkland and Leverett in this year'shousing lottery.

Another student said she was not sure if Jewettplanned to consider the letter seriously, but saidshe hoped he would.

"At least this way, he'll know that somestudents feel strongly about it," said Petra A.Walsh '98.

Jewett said yesterday he is very close tomaking a decision, but will wait to hear thesestudents' views.

"If I'm going to get something Wednesday, I'llwait until then," Jewett said.

Torrance said that he originally got theinitiative for posting the letter from his seniortutor.

"She suggested that I actually do somethingabout [randomization], instead of just whining inthe dining halls," Torrance said