What's more, Hilles also benefits from a huge courtyard in the center of its structure. Since the building's interior windows look out onto this beautiful area, I can say that in my three years of using Hilles, I have seen people in the courtyard once or twice.

My pitch would be to cover the courtyard with a glass roof and make it a student theater space. The area is certainly big enough to be used that way, and if University architects can make the ancient University Hall handicapped accessible on all of its floors, they can figure out a way to make this space into a theater.

Making any changes of this scale would take a considerable amount of money. But given the options for finding available space on this side of the Charles, Hilles starts to look more and more attractive.

Indeed, despite the major limiting factors of money and administrative politics, the University should pursue innovative projects to expand the amount of student space on campus. Members of the Ad Board on their way to meetings at Hilles would be wise to pay attention to the shabby rugs, old furniture and wide-open space in the library. If they thought about what the building could be, I think they'd be pleasantly surprised.

Scott A. Resnick '01 is an economics concentrator in Cabot House. His column appears on alternate Wednesdays.