The staff was wrong in September to endorse a policy on blocking group size that unnecessarily restricts student choice. The recent circulation of a petition against the shrinking of blocking groups only confirms that judgment. The change from 16 to eight makes an already unpleasant blocking process even more painful, and by signing the petition first-years expressed their dissatisfaction through the only means available to them.

The petition against the change was signed by 877 students, more than half of the Class of 2003 and a greater proportion of affected students than voted in the last Undergraduate Council election. These signatures were obtained in only two days, and many more first-years have said they would have signed had they had the opportunity. It is clear that the petition legitimately represents the feelings of the clear majority of first-years.

In its anemic restatement of its earlier position, the staff fails to explain why blocking groups of ten, 12 or 14 present a grave threat to student life. Neither the College nor The Crimson has presented persuasive reasons as to why the earnest opinions of so many students should be paternalistically disregarded. The petition deserves to be given a fair look, and it deserves to be heeded.

--Stephen E. Sachs '02