'Squares' Denied Campus Space

Hoping to go for the block and join the "winner's circle?"

Harvard students who aspire to appear in the second annual Hollywood Squares college tournament won't get the chance this year.

The game show asked permission to recruit Harvard students on campus this semester, but were denied access to campus facilities by College officials.

Darren C. Morgan, the show's director of affiliate relations spoke to Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71 in an attempt to arrange an audition in one of the rooms on campus. The University was unable to provide the show with a room because of University restrictions.

"Rooms on campus...are reserved for Harvard student groups," Illingworth said. He explained that campus policy prohibits commercial enterprises from using campus rooms as well as the kiosks Hollywood Squares had wanted to use to advertise the upcoming tournament.

Illingworth suggested that Morgan hold the tryouts at a hotel in Cambridge instead.

Morgan called the Inn at Harvard and the Charles Hotel to look into the possibility of holding tryouts in one of those locations. But the hotels were late in returning his calls and this option fell through as well--thwarting the show's plans to hold tryouts in Cambridge altogether.

"It came down to timing," Morgan said. The show's organizers were already behind in setting up locations and could not spend the extra time reorganizing a potential Harvard tryout, he said.

The show's coordinators have been flying across the country planning both the regular and college editions of the show and could not fit a trip to Boston into their itineraries at a later date.

But the producers of the show said they hope to bring the show to Harvard next year.

"I'm sorry we couldn't work it out," Morgan said. He had originally wanted to arrange a match between students from two Ivy League schools in the first round of the tournament.

The show is currently recruiting students from 16 universities across the country including the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University and the University of St. Louis.

Interested students first enter a lottery. The winners then take a short quiz of true or false questions. Those who pass play a mock game of Hollywood Squares.

The show's directors watch to see how students deal with the distractions of the set, including nine-foot lights, a rowdy audience and a cast of celebrities.

"We have to find someone with the total package...someone bright enough to play the game and take directions as well, " Morgan said.

Eventually 14 contestants will be chosen to compete in the first round. The contestants with the highest winnings advance to the next round.

The final champion is expected to win between $30,000 and $50,000.

"[The tournament] is competitive but a lot of fun.... College students bring a lot of energy to it," Morgan said.