In 1990, the College went to its currentnon-ordered four-choice system.

The issue of randomization came up lastSeptember after an FAS report advocatedrandomization. The Report on the Structure ofHarvard College was co-authored by McKay Professorof Computer Science Harry R. Lewis, who willbecome dean of the College on July 1, andAdministrative Dean of the Faculty of Arts andSciences Nancy L. Maull.

Randomization is one of the last issues Jewettwill confront before retiring at the end of June.

If full randomization is implemented, studentswill likely form blocking groups of up to 16people next March and hope for the best.

Last November, by a vote of 10 to two, with oneabstention, the masters said they could supportrandomization, although seven said they could alsosupport the current system. And in the past month,more than 100 students have signed a petitionagainst randomization.

The Diversity Debate

Although the debate has touched upon issues ofstudent choice, first-year stress and housecharacter, Jewett has said that his primary goalis creating a house system which represents thediverse population of the College.

"My own sense would be I'm not in favor ofrandomization per se," Jewett says. "I'm in favorof houses being a good cross-section of theHarvard community. I think the current systemhasn't produced that as much as it should."

Figures on diversity in the house have not beenreleased since a 1993 study which broke down housepopulations by percentage of ethnic minorities,athletes, private school graduates, high testscores and concentration. That report found a fargreater percentage of minorities living in somehouses than in others.

Today, diversity means different things todifferent people.

"Diversifying the houses seems to be one of theprime goals of randomization; however, everyonehas a varying opinion about what diversity is,"says Kristen M. Clarke '97, former president ofthe Black Students Association (BSA).

"Is diversity insuring that there are equalnumbers of government majors, artists and athletesin a house, or is diversity insuring that thereare equal numbers of minority groups in eachhouse?" Clarke says. "The two have very differentramifications."

Some of those interviewed were concerned thatstudents with similar interests, such as athletes,seem to group themselves in houses such as Matherand Kirkland.

"I used to be on the committee for athletics,"says Quincy House Master Michael Shinagel. "Whenwe found out [in the mid-1980s] that 90 percent ofvarsity athletes in three sports were in KirklandHouse, we didn't think that was the best way tohave the Harvard experience."

And Co-Masters J. Woodland and Hanna M.Hastings lament the lack of athletes in NorthHouse.