Quincy Alters Lottery

The Quincy House Committee voted Sunday night to change the rules of its housing lottery to make it more fair and less contentious, said L. James Parsons '98, publicity chair of the committee.

The bill passed with a 37-2 majority, with three students abstaining. House committee officers were not allowed to vote.

"All rising juniors taking senior status will receive New Quincy senior status, and the following year, these students will receive Old Quincy junior status," said Jason S. Cassidy '98, house committee president.

He said these changes will make the housing process more equitable because students who choose to take their senior status early and obtain a better room will then have to pay for it the next year with a status even lower than that of "normal juniors."

However, these changes will not take effect until next year, Cassidy said.

The meeting was well attended since it had been widely publicized and much talked about within the house, Cassidy said. The majority of students who attended the meeting were sophomores and juniors, he said.

Rising seniors were particularly interested in changing the lottery process. Eli W. Bolotin '98 and other rising seniors circulated a petition last week asking for housing rule modifications. The petition organizers amassed 140 signatures but were unable to make any changes because the housing lottery process had already started, Cassidy said last week.

Cassidy expected the change to take effect without further contention.

"We talked to the House Masters' assistant [Suzanne Watts] and she agreed to change it," he said.