"We provide important services for the University like e-mail and Web-page access for student groups," says HCS member David B. Alpert '00. "[The administration] thought we were important enough to have space. It's very political."

Unused Space

Epps' decision earlier this year to protect space for the Harvard Philosophy Review, which hasn't published in two years, came amid grumbling that the Review did not use its office enough to warrant space. Epps says students and faculty have assured him that the Review will reemerge soon, and he views its publication as a "priority."

But when offices are at such a premium, many groups are quick to point fingers at each other for not using their precious space.

Kamil E. Redmond '00, vice-president of the Undergraduate Council, says there are some groups with offices in Holworthy that she rarely sees. Redmond holds weekly office hours in the council headquarters and says she frequents the offices of the Black Students Association (BSA), which are both in Holworthy.

And Christopher E. Holloway '01, a co-coordinator of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance resource room in Holworthy, says he "rarely" sees some of his neighbors entering the oft-closed doors in Holworthy basement.

When questioned by The Crimson, however, every group with an office in Holworthy maintained that it uses its offices nearly every day.

The disagreement over who uses what when may be due to fear.

Cooke says that frequency of a group's office use is a factor in the space assigning process, because groups that rarely use space are sometimes asked to share.

"That's a valuable question to ask," she says. "If there's a schedule that is clearly defined, could another organization's schedule work within that office?"

Uninvited Neighbors

Even when office schedules are conducive to sharing, however, groups say the dank Yard basements are far from palatial.

Not only does AAA share an office with SAA, but as of last year there were some unwelcome inhabitants as well.

"There used to be cockroaches running around there, too, which was pretty gross," Shen says. "We're sharing the space with another group and cockroaches, so it's not ideal."

As a result, the offices quickly become nearly uninhabitable.

"It is a place to store stuff," says Caroline T. Nguyen '00, ex-president of AAA.

Nguyen also says that the office is without either a phone line or an Internet connection.