Lowell Scholars Revel In Dignified Traditions

Present Size of House: 424.

Vacancies for freshmen: 150 to 160.

Rooms for freshmen: Primarily doubles and triples, but few singles.

Price Range for Freshmen: $85 to $300 per term. (Doubles $95 to $260, triples, $195 and up with five from $120 to $170).

"The Master and Tutors request the pleasure," the inviation reads, "of Mr.-----'s company at High Table on Monday..." and to most High Table symbolizes Lowell House's traditional, scholarly, and quasi-English atmosphere.

Sherry, a formal dinner, demi-tasse and cigars, and the Tower glowing orange light which follow this invitation are merely the outward forms.

As tutor Herbert J. Spiro '49, Teaching fellow in government, commented, "this phrase (in the invitation) is as real, if not as ancient as the Queen and Parliament; it is not a mere matter of form, but reflects the collegiate atmosphere in which the House is run and the collegiate atmosphere which exists between the Master, tutors, and housemembers."

Housemaster Elliott Perkins '23 tries to diminish the gap between student and tutor. Both the House Committee and the tutors participate in running the House, and the latter' regular Wednesday lunch witt Perkins is almost unique in the house system.

Scholarship Important

Lowell House is not crawling with intellectuals, although scholarship is important when considering applicants. "Group Six is all right with Harvard College and it's all right with me," Perkins said recently, but added. "It is true that other things being equal, good grades will tip the scale."

Julian L. Coolidge, '95, Lowell House's first Housemaster, set the scholarly tradition. In his era, however, there was a selection of cheap single rooms for the more studious man. This year singles run in the $400 to $600 a year region.

Athletic-wise the Bellboys are improving. In the fall the football team tied for second with Winthrop behind Leverett, took first in cross-country, but finished sixth In soccer, and fourth in touch football.

The A-Basketball team lost in a three way the playoff to Kirkland, while the B-team finished fourth. The squash squad was third and the wrestlers second, while unofficial scores place the swimmers fifth.

One tutor joked that despite its reputation Lowell was perhaps the least intellectual in atmosphere. Lowell lacks the usual number of open forums, but rather specializes in intra-house societies. The Lowell House Literary Society, which invited various speakers through the year to address its meetings, the Social Science Forum, which last fall discussed the relation between politics and religion, and the Musical Society are the most prominent groups.

The latter group, besides giving some fall concerts, is producing the House Opera, the American premiere of Handel's "Semele."

Despite these other activities, seven or the Senior Sixteen Phi Beta Kappa last fall were Lowell House men, and 13 Bellboy men have received the annual Jacob Wendell Scholarship for the outstanding freshman.

Perkins claims the legend of Lowell, "the traditional House," sprung from the High Table. Still Perkins' Tuesday evening sophomore dinners, cucumber sandwiches at Thursday teas, and lighting the Yule log have become traditional, albeit some say they are merely stuffy."

some may dislike is its lack of "big name students." Few from the A-House are listed on varsity squad rosters, and representatives from the College's publications are small in number. No one from Adams was elected to either the Permanent Class Committee or the Class Day Committee this year.

Even though Adams has its own swimming pool and six squash courts on Linden St., its teams are perennially near the bottom of House competition. The Gold Coasters thus resort to recreation rather than zealous competition. The annual undergraduate-tutor softball game in June is a famed sporting event.

As a matter of fact, Adams men find their tutors genial and gregarious all the time. In the dining-hall, you will not only find the best food in the College, but also a fine resident and non-resident staff surrounded by students. Adams has excellent student-tutor relations, thanks to Housemaster Little's selection of men high in their fields and interested in the students. The language tables have also been a success.

Larger organizations in Adams are unique and very active. In the several forums this year, debates on General Edcation, the British elections, and Contemporary Music have attracted top men and large audiences. Adams House Musical Society, known for its fine performance of "Gypsy Baron" last year, is holding a Harvard Composers Contest this spring. About 60 entries are in already, from which 15 will be performed by the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and combined choral groups in two concerts this spring.

Adams has all the other material conveniences like TV, game rooms, besides an excellent collection of jazz records. The library is weighted towards history and economics.

Excepting C-entry, where the rooms are small, the large suites and spacious bath-tubs (in Randolph and Westmorly) make for a comfortable three years stay.DAVID M. LITTLE '18