In a move student leaders hope will be the first step toward cable in their rooms, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 announced yesterday that cable is coming to all House common rooms.

Cable service should be installed by the beginning of reading period, according to a press release.

"Cable outlets will be installed in two common areas per House, and in the common rooms of each of the following [first-year] dormitories: "Apley, Canaday, Grays, Greenough, Mower, Straus, Weld and Wigglesworth," said the press release. "Service packages and charges will be the responsibilities of the various Houses."

The project has been in the works for some time.

"This has taken us seven months to put together," said Phillip A. Bean, executive assistant to the dean of the College. "Dean Lewis put a lot of emphasis on it."

"This has been a deal that was pretty much agreed upon over a month ago," said Undergraduate Council President Beth A. Stewart '00. She said it was just finalized yesterday.

Stewart campaigned for the presidency of the council on student life issues including the chance for students to catch ESPN on dorm room televisions. She has worked cooperatively since her election with Lewis' office to implement the plan.

"It's been largely because of the U.C. asking for it and [Lewis] that it's gotten done," Bean said.

"I met with [Lewis] and he forwarded me information," Stewart said. "We sort of agreed that a nice compromise issue would be to install it in common areas."

But Stewart added that she hoped common room cable would lead to universal cable access in private dorm rooms.

"Our view is that this is a great way to put the giant foot of cable TV through the door," she said.

Bean said the obstacles to cable in the past had primarily been logistical.

"They wanted us to be the billing agents," he said. "They wanted us to guarantee 50 percent signup."

"We would have had to kick out an enormous amount of money to put cable in every suite--not a wise way to spend tuition money," Bean said.

While the current solution avoids

While the current solution avoids thesedifficulties, many students are still hoping foraccess in dorm rooms. Some, including all Quadresidents, are unaffected by the change, as theyhave had cable access in their Houses for years.

But others are impressed.

"Wow. That's dangerous. The average GPA isgonna drop!" said Steven P. Schwartzberg '01 whenhe heard the news.

Stewart said she feels the plan shows loyaltyto her election campaign.

"We think this represents an example of how theU.C. can be very effective in lobbying theadministration," Stewart said. "This is both asuccess in and of itself, and a validation" of heradministration