Well, like most issues, this question has another side. As a university and not a religious institution, the University is responsible for the protection of all student's beliefs, including morally questionable ones. That means that homophobes, racists and bigots of all kinds have rights too. No one, should be forced by Harvard to room with someone with whom they truly do not want to live. Even if their reasons are immoral to you and to the University.

If this idea seems shocking to you, remember that self-segregation is not always taboo at Harvard. It often seems that minorities room with at least one roommate of the same ethnic background. It mitigates the shock of being thrown into a mostly white environment.

So, where does this leave the FDO's policy on homophobic roommates? The policy remains a bad one because it treats homosexuality as an exception to the general rule of first-year housing. Every other complaint about rooming is handled after arriving at school. Why should homosexuality be any different? A valid judgement cannot be made before knowing the person.

But once having lived together for a few weeks, if a student's homophobia has not lessened, the University has no choice but to switch them out. In the final analysis, the college is responsible for each student. And neither the gay student or the straight stidemt benefit from forced social interaction. Harvard, our ubiquitous big brother, must step in and sort things out.

Christina S. Lewis '02 is a history and literature concentrator in Leverett House. Her column appears on alternate Mondays.