HAND Appreciates Its New Offices

As co-chair of the House and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Program, I am responding to the article "Quietly, HAND Undertakes Its Own Overhaul" (news story, Oct. 3). The article resembled an editorial rather than a news report in its mistreatment of the "space issue." The reporters theorized that "HAND's unwillingness to confront the administration, however, may have cost the group a home on campus."

The reporters also implied that we are unfortunate to be in the Eliot House basement and that it is a loss to HAND. However, as I and Noash Feinstein told reporters, we are extremely pleased, grateful and excited to be relocated to Eliot House. Ever since discussion began last spring, HAND's first choice was to be relocated to a house since it is a house-based organization and it would not result in displacing other public service programs, as a move to Phillips Brooks House this year would have done.

Eliot has generously offered us adequate meeting space for the 13-member student board, access for all board members, a fairly central location and will allow us to operate in a more professional manner. We have worked closely with the Eliot masters and Assistant Dean Judith Kidd in an effort to settle the "space issue" throughout the summer. Dean Kidd has compromised in allowing the public service programs administrator to work out of Eliot this year, and we are very grateful to Co-Masters Stephen Mitchell and Kristine Forsgard for their support of HAND.

The article also quoted Feinstein out of context as saying, "But my understanding is that space may rotate." The reporter asked Noah about whether the student-at-large appointment on the Faculty standing committee would be permanent or rotating. The comment had nothing to do with office space for HAND or Eliot House.

Furthermore, the HAND office at 7 Linden St. is located on the fourth floor, not the third. Perhaps if the reporters had actually seen both the old office and the new rooms we will be moving into, they would have seen that this move is not "costing" HAND resources, but is enriching them. After four hours of interviewing at least 10 people, it is scandalous that the only person found to support the reporters' slant was a non-member of HAND. We gave the reporters real news about positive changes in a program that hundreds of students dedicate their time to, but it was apparently not the story they wanted to tell. --Mandy H. Bigelow '97,   co-chair of HAND