The student-faculty Committee on House Life yesterday approved a tentative plan to keep house dining halls open until 7:15 p.m. for dinner.

The plan to extend the dinner hour by 15 minutes, if finalized, will not raise the cost of students' board contracts. To cover the additional wage costs, the plan calls for shortening dinner service at the Freshman Union by 15 minutes, closing it at 7:15 p.m.

Overtime costs for keeping the Union open for an additional half hour--from 7 p.m. to 7:30--are roughly equivalent to extending dinner by fifteen minutes in all 13 dining halls which serve the meal, said Assistant Director of Food Services Benjamin Walcott.

"It's a lot easier to extend for 15 minutes than half an hour," Walcott said. "A half hour is a much more significant question of logistics and crew management."

The Freshman Union began serving dinner until 7:30 this September in an attempt to respond to complaints from many students--particularly athletes--who frequently missed dinner.

However, fewer than 100 students a night--most of them freshmen--have made use of the extended hours, so Food Service officials and the Undergraduate Council began to look for other ways to feed latecomers.

"Since the Freshman Union is not utilized, there is a general feeling that it might be preferable to [extend dinner until 7:15] everywhere," Walcott said.

The extended hours could go into effect as soon as February and ought to be in place next fall, said committee memberEvan O. Grossman '87.

Eat, Don't Drink, Be Merry

Also at yesterday's meeting, the committeebegan consideration of several proposals totoughen the College's alcohol policy.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 and thehouse masters are considering issuing a Harvarddrinking card to all students 21 and over andrequiring house committees to hire people fromoutside the house to check IDs at parties.

Currently students can use a driver's licenseor state identity card as proof of age, and housecommittee members are responsible for carding.

The committee also approved plans to issue anew guide to the houses for freshmen at the end ofFebruary when the housing lottery process begins.

The guide will include advice to freshman onwhat to look for in a house and a chart comparingthe houses on statistics about rooming, athleticfacilities and special house events