The Pforzheimer House Committee--with "a lot" of money in the bank, and more coming in from washing machines and soda machines--is currently considering a number of projects that would leave other House Committees salivating.

"The jacuzzi idea was approved by most of the people it needed to be approved by, the House master, and the building maintenance people," Nieto says. "But the guy in charge of it hasn't looked into the health code issues yet. It's basically stalled right now."

Pforzheimer is one of the lucky Houses with a cash-crop--a popular dance or some other stream of revenue that can be counted on year after year to bring in the bucks.

In Pforzheimer's case, it's the revenue from laundry machines. Most Houses outsource the operation of washing machines and dryers to a company called MacGray, whose web site boasts that it "is the leading provider of academic laundry services in the country."

The House Committee then gets a percentage of laundry revenues--in Pforzheimer's case, 50 percent of the revenues.

In addition, masters often fund House Committee purchases that they feel benefit the whole House. In Pforzheimer, one of the co-masters is present at every House Committee meeting, and if they deem a purchase particularly worthwhile, they pay for half the cost.

This year, Eliot House's masters are paying $300 so the House Committee can build an ice-skating rink in the courtyard.

In Dunster House, the masters cover the cost of two sheep and a goat for the annual goat roast, but the House Committee is responsible for everything else--including cutting up the carcasses.