The bottom line, though is the current demographic breakdown and even those who dismiss structural changes voice concern.

Though racial gaps have closed somewhat over the last four years. Whitla's study projects nearly a sixfold difference between the House with the greatest percentage of Blacks (Currier, with 13 33 percent) and the one with the least (Eliot with 2 31 percent)

Jocks

And more distressing to College officials the gaps in athletic participation will almost certainly not lessen at all next year.

The initial demographic study in January measured the percentage of residents participating in a varsity sport, Kirkland the leader, led with 45 9 percent, with next door neighbor Eliot close behind. This time around, Whitla relied on a little known admissions office statistic the rating the office gives to prospective applicants evaluating the likelihood that they will participate in varsity sports.

And to officials dismay Whitla post lottery study found that the proportion of students top ranked as athletes by the admissions office actually jumped in Kirkland from 18 89 percent to 22.94 percent. The College average is 7 51 per cent next year's lowest House. Lowell is projected to have but 1 28 percent.

The result officials say, may be that for the first time in recent years a Harvard House Kirkland will have over 5 percent varsity sport participation.

And so, those statistics in mind, many administrators and masters can expect to spend the summer readying for a round of talks on the House system next fall that all expect to be provocative, though many doubt will prove fruitful.

Fox, for one, hopes the College can decide swiftly whether to seriously weigh alternative schemes or to give the issue up as hopelessly divisive. "We've spent enough time talking about this."

But if the strong sentiments on both sides about whether the philosophy of the House system is one of diversity or one of free choice indicate anything. University Hall and the masters could be in for a long, hot autumn.