Arguments Unworthy of a Dean

In the Oct. 29 issue of the Independent, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 offers a scathing critique of final clubs. He argues that members use their clubs to abuse alcohol, exploit women and dodge the experience of living in the residential House system. There are no surprises in his points--these are the same arguments the College has used to condemn final clubs since Harvard cut its ties with them. However, as a club member myself, I was offended by the way he comes to some of his conclusions. The Dean went too for in his accusations of alcohol abuse and exploitation of women, and he did not adequately defend the House system.

To support his allegation that club members and guests abuse alcohol, Dean Lewis asserted that "many believe that if a death like that of MIT's Scott Krueger were to occur to a Harvard student, the most likely locus would be a final club." Does this anonymous and ambiguous "many" have any expertise on alcohol consumption to warrant this bold prediction? If they do have such expertise, Dean Lewis should have listed their qualifications. More than likely, however, the phrase "many believe" is a cover for the phrase "I believe," but worded in a sufficiently vague manner so that Dean Lewis can present his own opinion as fact.

Dean Lewis makes another unsubstantiated charge when he asserts that club members mistreat women. He alleges that even though the clubs throw free parties, "nothing is ever truly free, though every year some first-year women learn this lesson in discomfiting and members are guilty of sexual misconduct toward their female guests is a very serious charge. If such activity occurs every year, as Dean Lewis claims, he should provide readers with proper data to support the charge. If no such data exists, he should explain why it is unobtainable and support his claims in some other way.

At the end of his editorial, the Dean attempts to answer the arguments of those who defend final clubs. He says that proponents of the clubs have argued that dormitories offer an inadequate escape from academic and social pressures. He then champions the House system by offering a two-tiered analysis. First, he argues that the Houses provide students with diverse living environments which promote their learning experience. Second, he argues that "students know what to expect when they come to Harvard, and the Clubs do not serve students well as places where they may seek to escape from the most basic tenets of the college they have chosen to attend."

As would be expected, Dean Lewis believes in the virtues of the House system. However, not so understandably, he seems to believe that Harvard students have forfeited their rights to search for self-fulfillment organizations outside of the Houses. He should recognize that students choose to attend Harvard for a variety of reasons, the House system being only one of them. Undergraduates should be able to maximize their exposure to those aspects of Harvard of life which they enjoy and minimize their exposure to those which they dislike. The idea that students must approach all aspects of the "Harvard experience" with equal vigor lessens the ability of students to create their own optimal learning environments.

Due to the prestige Lewis commands as Dean of the College, the community is predisposed to believe what he says. Therefore, he has an obligation to make only those arguments which are well-grounded in fact. He usually lives up to his duty by providing clear and eloquent analyses of the issues which face the College.

I am therefore disturbed when he makes accusations based on what "many believe," when he insinuates sexual misconduct by Harvard students and when he gives an inadequate defense of the House community. As a result of these three arguments, Dean Lewis casts the clubs in an unfairly negative light. His accusations impede dialogue between the clubs and the University and worsen an already antagonistic relationship. Nearly 10 percent of male undergraduates are final club members. It is important that Dean Lewis do his part to cultivate a working relationship with them.

Alex M. Carter '00 is a history and literature concentrator in Dunster House. His column appears on alternate Mondays.