"We haven't had a party because a lot of peoplejut don't want one here," says Laura K. Van Winkle'97. "It's too noisy."

And Michael A. Cress '97 says the dorm's smallsize makes it tough to have a large gatheringwithout drawing the attention of his proctor.

"Most people do their partying in otherplaces," Cress says. "If they do it in the dorm,it's pretty quietly--no strobe lights or anythinglike that."

Although officials have usually gone home hoursbefore parties start, many students don't want totake any chances. "The floors are a little thin,"Cerny says. "I could just see someone calling usand telling us to be quiet."

But in the past, it has sometimes beenHarvard's leaders who bother the first-years.

"Somebody down there had their alarm clock setso it went off every night at midnight," saysAlfredo R. Gutierrez '97. Gutierrez says he madeseveral phone calls to administrators before theproblem was corrected.

The Water Stops'

Another drawback of Mass. Hall life is that thedorm, which has not been renovated for decades,sometimes shows signs of its old age. Yard dormrenovations began with the exterior of Mass Hall,but its interior is last in line forrehabilitation.

"When someone below us uses the toilet andwe're taking a shower, the water stops," Cresssays. "It happens every day."

Okazaki and Cerny also claim that the furnacemakes excessive noise and the building's windowsneed cleaning.

"The dorm's really old and falling apart,"Okazaki says. "They should tear it down and put upsomething like Quincy, with better [plumbing] andstuff."

But not everyone likes the renovations. Youngclaims that the Mass Hall ghosts, who once werefamous for bringing alcohol to residents, leftafter the external renovations.

"Renovations scared the ghosts away," Youngsays.

Other students have supernatural concerns. JomoA. Thorne '97, one of eight residents in thedorm's A entry, says the small size of Mass Hallaffected his relationships with his roommates aswell as with other students.

Thorne says his tastes in music, as well as hisvocabulary, changed this year. "We start to actlike each other because we're isolated heretogether," he says.

Many residents, however, say any sense ofisolation is more than made up for by theprivilege of living in one of the most famousdormitories at one of America's most famousschools.

"It's the oldest dorm in the country," Cernysays. "Living here makes me feel a bond betweenthose who came before us and those who will cameafter.