Word: freshmen
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Assistant Dean of the College Thomas A. Dingman '67, who is in charge of housing, said the revisions gave some students the feeling "they had some greater sense of control over their destiny" and led freshmen to consider houses that they would not have under the old system. However, Dingman added, "It [the new system] upped the level of anxiety because people were trying to second-guess...
...Many freshmen as well found the advantages that the system accrued questionable. "First we used reverse psychology and then we used double reverse psychology," said John M. Salera '89 of his group's attempts to determine which house they had the best chance of getting into. Ian R. Pollit '89 said, "People are really paranoid about this thing...
...system did have its advantages. More than half of the freshmen said that they looked into houses that they wouldn't have otherwise once they knew their number. In addition, roommates tended to stick together more this year since rooming groups had to be chosen before house preferences. According to Colvin, freshmen joined a group based more on whom they wanted to live with rather than where they wanted to live...
While the Class of 1990 will probably go through the same system, future classes may see some revisions in the process of choosing and being assigned to the upperclass houses. Suggestions range from making the lottery totally random to allowing freshmen to know what houses still have room for them when they make their choices. But as Elaine C. Crespo '89 said upon hearing that her rooming group would be one of the last hundred out of the 529 to choose a house: "It won't make the Quad any closer...
While students complained earlier this year about the random, almost haphazard, manner in which tickets were assigned to freshmen, some critics have charged that the selection method for the 350th places too much emphasis on wealthy alumni and their links to the Harvard College Fund, the University's main fundraising organ. Stephenson, the man who is in charge of planning the whole 350th celebration, also served as one of the College Fund's top rainmakers before taking over his current post...