Roosevelt invested much of his entertainmentbudget in movies and records, which his roommatesrecall with a mixture of nostalgia anddispleasure.

"Much to my chagrin, he was a big JacksonBrowne fan," Lynn says. "It used to drive menuts."

But Lynn says he and his rommates spent muchtime together. Discussing courses--and notlate-night carousing--was their favorite pastime.

"We were both very interested in history,American history in particular, and so we wouldhave a lot of bullshit sessions about that," Lynnsays.

The roommates, however, were often on oppositesides of debates, Lynn recalls.

"When we would debate or talk about issues,whether American history or the history of theCommunist revolution in China, typically he wouldhave a humanitarian angle on things that I didn'talways have," Lynn says.

"My friends were very idealistic and veryrigorous," Roosevelt says. "My roommates were verytough on me when I decided to drop my thesis."

Ironically, Roosevelt and Lynn spent theirfirst year living in Weld Hall, the building namedfor the family of another Harvard graduate whowas to become Roosevelt's most formidablepolitical rival some 20 years later, Gov. WillamF. Weld '66.

Roosevelt recalls that much of his first yearwas dedicated to defending Weld Hall's honor inintramural athletic competitions.

An avid tennis player, Roosevelt made forays insquash, football and a variety of sports he hadnever before played--including fencing--in orderto win the Intramural Championships for Weld Hall.

"We yelled, screamed, swatted around,"Roosevelt recalls. "Freshman year was great."

But when he and his roommates were assigned toMather House, the enchantment of on-campus lifesoon wore off.

"I think we wanted to live in Adams or Lowell,"Roosevelt says. "Mather had a reputation as thenerdy dorm."

After living in Mather for just one term, andafter Roosevelt returned from his one-year leaveto work in politics, Roosevelt and his roommatesdecided that Mather House wasn't for them.

"At the time the heat didn't really work in thedinning hall," Lynn remembers. "The architectureis very modern and brutal. Mark also had a dog, orwanted to acquire one."