Let There be Halogens

Our advice is just never heeded. Last week, it was announced that the Class of 2001 will be warned against the purchase and use of halogen lamps in spite of the fact that no suitable alternative has been suggested by the administration. Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth Studley Nathans, refusing to outright ban the lights, wrote in an e-mail message, "We will tell entering students that halogen floor lamps pose a potential fire hazard and that students need to use incandescent or fluorescent lamps in freshman dormitories."

Currently, Harvard-provided lighting consists of oppressively pale fluorescent overheads. To say the least, this source of illumination is unacceptable. It would be impossible to read by it or to work at a computer by it. So, industrious as we Harvard students are, we have collectively moved to the best alternative, halogens (and no one has died either). The floor lamps (which we urge students not to buy at the Coop) can be purchased at Dickson Bros. and HSA for roughly $20, and they are an invaluable fixture in any dorm room.

We are well aware that halogen lamps have caused fires and deaths in the past. According to a Consumer Product Safety Commission report, halogens caused 100 fires and 10 deaths last year in America. But we need to see, and we will continue to use halogens regardless of the University's policies if there is not an equivalent to the lamps proposed.

The fact is, halogen lamps are not a new invention. They have been in common use for over 10 years and have caused relatively little harm until now. All of sudden, it seems halogens have become a detriment to our community when, in fact, people have used them successfully and safely for years. Only light will come from these old friends if we treat them right.

We do not want to belabor this issue because to us it seems self-evident, but last week's announcement has forced us to. We will fight for our halogens because they are indispensable to us; if money is the issue that is really worrying the administration (it spends roughly $156,000 per year on energy for halogens), then we sincerely hope that it will reconsider, provide better lighting in the dorm rooms, or at least have the guts to admit its motivations. As it stands now, we do not think that the potential hazard of halogens outweighs their outstanding and necessary benefit. Let there it be light, it was said, and there was light. Let there be halogens, we say, and there will be halogens.