At both Kirkland and North houses, the grill managers avoid the staff question and save having to pay salaries by working the grill themselves.

Problems with the facilities can also complicate the job of operating a grill. The Mather grill was forced to close early every night until the Mather bell desk opened, Call says, although he adds that everything is now running smoothly.

And at Lowell House, the grill will be opening for the first time since ventilation problems closed it two years ago. Renovations have solved that difficulty, but Theodore C. Liazos '89, who will be the manager, reports that he is currently having problems with electricians. "We hope to have it open soon," Liazos says. "There are lots of people who really want to see it happen."

House support can be vital to a successful snack bar. The Leverett House grill was one of the first to open this year and has been operating since September 26, says grill manager Vernon C. McDermott '89. McDermott says that the financial and moral support of the house committee are to thank for the Leverett grill's early opening. "The whole house was psyched to get up the grill," he says. "The cooperation of the house committee has been really effective."

But a house committee cannot create an interested and involved manager.

Currier House Committee Chairman Sean T. Boulger '89 reports that the committee is having some difficulty finding new management for this year's grill. At the moment, he says, there are three groups of students who are interested in managing, but each group is still weighing the factors involved in running the grill. Boulger states that he is confident that one of the groups will accept the job and that the Currier grill will be open soon.

Cabot, too, is without a grill manager, and Quincy is "still in the organizational stages," says the grill's manager-to-be.