THE students have lately received a warning from the Steward's office, that, if they wish to retain the rooms which they at present occupy, they must sign an agreement to that effect before the first of April following. They are also informed that "the experiment tried last year, of allowing students to retain their old rooms conditionally, on failure to get others which they prefer, will be discontinued." The dissatisfaction which this announcement has created appears to be widely spread, and not without some reason. It is thought that upper-class men do not have the advantage over lower-class men, in the assignment of rooms, which is rightly theirs. It would certainly seem no more than just that a Junior, for example, should, after occupying a room on the lower floor of Thayer for three years, have the privilege of at last securing a more desirable position in the college buildings. But under the present regulations he is excluded from any such privilege, and must take his chances in the general lottery. Even the plan adopted by a few last year of getting a Senior to retain his room, with the view of transferring it to them, is now impracticable, as a Senior would this year be required to sign an agreement to occupy in person the room retained.

But why should this mode of transfer be prevented? As the system works at present, a Freshman may, by good fortune, secure for himself a pleasant room for the whole college course; while, on the other hand, an upper-class man, not so fortunate in past years, may still be forced to content himself with a cold, damp room, and bear, as best he may, his sore throats and chills. Would not the distribution of rooms be made more equable than it now is, if classes should have their choices in the order of seniority? That is, let Juniors have the first choice, Sophomores the second, and so on. In this way every individual would be comparatively sure of enjoying a comfortable room for some part of his course, and we should not find the blessings heaped upon one class of men, and the evils upon another, for the whole four years, as may now happen.