Loker Commons was conceived partly in responseto a steady groundswell of student complaintsabout campus polarization and a dearth of studentrecreational space.

In particular, the commons was designed tobolster community life on campus, administratorssay.

The commons will be situated beneath the newfirst-year dining hall, which will be relocatedfrom the Harvard Union to Alumni Hall early nextyear.

The commons will surround a central "street,"with eating areas along both sides and a series ofactivity rooms. Among the shops currently plannedare a pizzeria, a southwestern eatery and a coffeeshop. Also planned are a cash machine, news standand technology room.

Funded in part by a $7 million gift fromKatherine Bogdonovich Loker, widow of Donald P.Loker '25, the $25 million commons is slated toopen early next year.

Cambridge Mini-mall?

Despite the good intentions on which thecommons was founded, council members objectstrongly to emerging administrative policies onuse of the commons by non-undergraduates.

Eric M. Silberstein '98, a council member whoalso sits on the Loker committee, saysadministrators have told him that students whoaren't eating will be kicked out.

Silberstein says the administration's vision ofthe commons is "more of a Cafeteria."

"It seemed evident to us that undergraduateswere being [given less favorable treatment],"Silberstein says.

But administrators say that there are no plansto kick students out of the commons.

"We're adding an extra 400 seats so I don'tthink we're going to have crowding problems," saysMichael P. Berry, director of Harvard DiningServices. "I think we can avoid having to askpeople to leave, we're going to wait and see whathappens and hope things work."

The practice would become especially egregious,students charge, if non-undergraduates were todisplace undergraduates.

Although intended primarily for students, thecommons was never designed to cater exclusively toundergraduates.

"This is not a student center, this is thelocal commons," Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R.Knowles said in a 1993 interview. "It won't hurtthe houses because it's a place that is partly forfreshmen and upper class students, but also forteaching fellows and faculty."