Lauding Harvard for its student diversity, the College's handbook for first-year parents proclaims "when all is well" each dorm should be a "microcosm" of the Harvard community--racially, geographically and on the basis of student interests.

By this standard, all is not well with the class of 2002.

In one dorm, students report that at least half of the residents are athletes; in another, 14 of 15 on one floor are interested in concentrating in math or science. In one suite, all of the roommates are black; in another, three of six are from Miami, with one other from St. Petersburg, Fla.

On a campus that converted three years ago to randomized housing for upperclass students, these skewed distributions blatantly conflict with the official College line--in addition to the handbook's description of the ideal first-year room.

While some homogenous living arrangements can be found every year, this year the majority of these "clusters" are in the three Union dorms, which fall under the auspices of new Assistant Dean of Freshmen Ian D'Aoust. According to one proctor, D'Aoust said he placed students with common interests together, despite the Freshman Dean's Office (FDO) stated commitment to diversity.

"Our aims in freshman rooming find their counterpart in the randomization of the upperclass Houses, a policy which the FDO welcomed and we continue to support," wrote Dean of Freshman Elizabeth Studley Nathans in an e-mail to The Crimson.

Whether the FDO intentionally deviated from its policy by placing similar students together, or whether this year's distributions are simply a result of D'Aoust's individual choices, is unclear because D'Aoust and the FDO did not answer repeated, specific about this year's distribution. But either way, the result is the same: a partial return to non-randomized housing.

The students themselves say they are not displeased to be living in a "jock" dorm, or with roommates who are of similar race or academic interest. But, on the flip side, they say that they would not recommend homogeneous groupings College-wide, affirming the administration's basic commitment to diversity and integration.

"I definitely see some merit in making sure people feel comfortable where they are," says Kathleen, E. Campbell '00, a first-floor prefect in Greenough. "But I don't think that necessarily means plac- ing people in ethnic or interest-basedhomogeneous groups."

Mather Revisited

Like Mather House in the days before then-Deanof the College L. Fred Jewett '57 decided to baseassignments to Houses on a lottery system,students say Pennypacker is now known acrosscampus as the "jock dorm."

"It's pretty obvious that there are a lot ofathletes, and that's widely recognized throughoutthe freshman class," says Anh M. Nguyen '00, theperfect yard captain for the Union dorms.

But most students, athletes and non-athletesalike, praise dorm life in Penny-packer, sayingthe residents share a penchant for partying.

"I think it's a good idea to put peopletogether who are louder and more social," saidPennypacker resident Eleanor I. Benko '02, who isherself not a varsity athlete. "But I think interms of interests it could be more diverse."

Some students in Pennypacker say theirsociability seems to have played a larger role inthe placement process than their common interests.

"The grouping tendency was more along the linesof how outgoing they thought people were going tobe," says Samuel A. Taylor '02, a recruitedfootball player. In his room, there is anotherrecruited varsity football player, one varsitylacrosse player and one basketball player.