HCLYOKE HOUSE

"No building in the Yard has cried more loudly for remodeling than Grays. It was the one dormitory that might be regarded as unhygienic." So writes the editor of the "Harvard Alumni Bulletin." No exception can be taken to this statement; but it concerns only those dormitories in the Yard.

Like those in the Yard, the dormitories off the Yard have their champion of offensiveness. A very superficial examination will prove to the unprejudiced that Holyoke House deserves this title. For instance, nine bedrooms and one toilet on a single covered airshaft contribute to form a not altogether pleasant feature. Or if this is insufficient to attract the average person let him take note of the drinking fountains in the slop sinks. In addition, mention might be made of the toilets, the lighting, and ventilation in general, but unfortunately (or fortunately) there is not room for the details; as a matter of fact the mere specification of the various objectionable features of the hall fills three closely written pages.

The aggregate of these individual conditions is probably not unhygienic, it is only very disagreeable. The theory being that man can always adapt himself to his surroundings. Nevertheless, it seems that a college dormitory should not be quite so close to the line.

No one lives there if he can help it; the proctor who was last year assigned to the dormitory has left. Whether his charges can or will remain is yet to be seen. Anyone who has ever been in the building will agree that it is not fit to be used as a dormitory; after an extensive investigation we were unable to find a single person who spoke a good word for Holyoke House.

Gray's Hall was remodelled in order to encourage men to live in the Yard. Let us hope that Holyoke will be either renovated or turned over to offices before it is necessary to do it in order to encourage men to live in Cambridge.