Even as our Crimson Cash dwindles away, Loker Commons is becoming a cozy and comfortable place to hang out. And little helps the atmosphere more than the performances in the coffee house by Harvard students and affiliates.

Since the commons opened on January 4, more than a half-dozen events have taken place in the semi-enclosed space. While most of the twice-weekly entertainment is musical, last Saturday featured a stand-up comic and this Thursday there will be a poetry reading, with jazz music afterward, according to Monica A. Henderson '99, the student coordinator at Memorial Hall.

We appreciate the efforts of Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Complex officials to try to make the commons more than just a place to do homework or grab a bite to eat. The coffee house already plays a wide range of good music on CDs; with live performances, it becomes an even more suitable place to relax and talk.

Enough groups have made requests to perform that officials are considering having performances three rather than two days a week. The students who have performed said they appreciate the space's bright lighting and quality sound system. And Henderson said she has acts booked through the middle of April.

We only hope the performances become more frequent as time goes by, in order to make Loker's appeal even greater. Then we can really call it a student center.