Adams Residents Question HoCo Accountability

A group of about 20 Adams House residents, mostly sophomores, met yesterday to discuss concerns about the structure of the Adams House Committee and the fact that its co-chairs are appointed and not elected.

The evening meeting came several days after its organizers had posted blue flyers throughout the House that called for "responsiveness, accountability and everyday respect in our House Committee." Twelve House residents were listed as authors of the flyer.

At issue in particular was the committee's practice in recent years of allowing outgoing leaders to appoint the incoming two co-chairs rather than opening the posts to House-wide election. Most other Houses hold some form of elections to select House committee heads.

At times in the past, Adams House has also had elections for House committee co-chairs.

Some participants in the meeting, who asked not to be quoted directly, said they felt this lack of direct responsibility to students meant the committee had little incentive to respect the ideas or opinions of residents who were not active committee participants.

Of particular concern, according to the flyer, was a recent decision by the current committee co-chairs to hire nude models as decoration for the House's recent formal waltz.

The flyer said the decision to use these nude models, despite concerns voiced by some House residents, reflected the committee's unresponsiveness to the larger House community.

In addition, other House residents at the meeting expressed concern over what some saw as unnecessary secrecy regarding the committee's activities, including its finances.

Still, many in attendance acknowledged the difficulties that might arise if committee co-chairs were directly elected. The residents said low turnout in the House's fall semester election for Undergraduate Council representatives suggested it might be difficult getting enough people to vote in an election for the committee.

But despite the concerns, no one in the group expressed opposition to its plan to push for co-chair elections next semester.

Brian A. Shillinglaw '01 and Miranda E. W. Worthen '01, who have assumed the role of informal leaders for the protest group, said they had met with outgoing House Master Robert J. Kiely '60 to discuss the idea of holding elections.

They said Kiely reacted favorably to their interest in reinstituting elections, but admitted that much depended on incoming Master Judith S. Palfrey, Brazelton professor of pediatrics, and her husband Co-Master John G. "Sean" Palfrey, both Class of 1967.

In the meantime, the group agreed to conduct a survey of House Committee practices in other Harvard Houses--the data from which would be used next fall in formulating more specific plans.

According to Shillinglaw, the meeting was a good first opportunity to bring some of the issues into the open.

"I think this was a very positive effort topreserve the best of the old and make the changesthat need to be made in Adams," he said.

Current House Committee Co-Chair Alfred E.Alden '99 declined to comment. Co-chair AlexanderN. Olch '99 could not be reached for commentyesterday evening

"I think this was a very positive effort topreserve the best of the old and make the changesthat need to be made in Adams," he said.

Current House Committee Co-Chair Alfred E.Alden '99 declined to comment. Co-chair AlexanderN. Olch '99 could not be reached for commentyesterday evening