Radcliffe Forces Fancy Phones On Unwilling Currier Students

The New England Telephone Company will profit by $7,875 if all Currier House residents order phones this year.

Because the Radcliffe administration and Kennedy Interiors, decorators for Currier House, decided that Currier House should have touch-tone, tramline phones instead of regular phones, residents are forced to pay higher rates.

Ralph B. Gates, director of Buildings and Grounds, said that Radcliffe chose the phones "because they fit in best with the furnishing layout."

Touch-tone, trim-line phones are the only phones now permitted in Currier House. This means that if a student in Currier House wants to have a phone he or she will be charged $5 more than the regular $7 installation fee. In addition the student will pay $2,50 more per month- $1.00 for trim-line service and $1,50 for touch-tone.

Cost Is Advantageous

Gates said that "the Radcliffe administration was aware of the extra cost at the time of the decision but felt that the phones would be more advantageous."

Residents of Currier House do not agree with this sentiment, however. Of 315 students, 234 have already signed a petition to Jerome S. Bruner, Master of Currier House, requesting that Currier House residents be permitted to have regular phones installed instead of touch-tone, trim-line phones.

Bruner was unavailable for comment but Ann Glendening '72, one of the sponsors of the petition, said that Bruner had already expressed sympathy with the cause and that the signatures were being collected to give him evidence of House support.

More Signatures

Miss Glendening said that she expected to contact more Currier residents for signatures and that the petition would be presented to Burner the beginning of next week.

The touch-tone, trim-line phone is a wall phone designed with push button dialing. Since the phone is installed on the wall instead of with a long cord, it will make it more difficult for students to share private phones, thus making the phones even more costly.