The growing diversity on campus has made itless necessary for Black students to live togetherin order to attain a "critical mass," Dingmansays.

"That was a more compelling issue when therewere fewer students of color," he says.

In the Class of 1997, there are 143 Blackstudents.

That number represents a significant increasefrom the 127 Black students in the Class of 1994,but Blacks still comprise less than 10 percent ofthe first-year class.

"Now these numbers are much better and my hopewas that people would feel comfortable livinganywhere," Dingman says.

Dingman says that if overwhelming numbers ofBlack students choose to live in the Quad,diversity in the river houses suffers.

"Some houses wouldn't have any people of colorand that would be regrettable," he says.

But Watson says that maintaining the properdemographics in Harvard houses is not her concern.

Watson says that many Black students at Harvardhave spent their lives in places where they are inthe minority, often at great personal cost.

Asking Black students to do the same duringtheir college years so that white students cangain the benefits of living in a diverseenvironment is too great a sacrifice to ask, shesays.

"When you come home, you should come home to aplace you feel comfortable with," Watson says."You shouldn't have to live with people you don'twant to live with.