Though many student groups left without performance space or offices in which to hold meetings rely on JCRs to house their groups meetings, some group leaders say the rules for securing the rooms make it needlessly difficult to reserve them.

“The University should attempt to clarify the way we use space, especially House rooms,” said Oliver B. Libby ’03, president of the LowKeys. “It’s absolutely arcane.”

Student groups seeking a room in Leverett House must apply at most 72 hours before the proposed time of their meeting.

In both Leverett and Mather House, JCR reservations do not imply exclusive rights to space. Residents may use rooms at all times.

“If your activity is not consistent with this, you should find some other space,” says the Leverett House website.

According to Emerson G. Farrell ’03, president of the Mather House Committee, one person from the House must be present at a student group’s meeting for the group to be eligible for space.

In Lowell House, drama and choral groups wanting to use the dining hall need the approval of one of the masters, the superintendent and one of the dining hall managers.

According to Pforzheimer House Committee President Richard J. Vivero ’03, groups that want a room in the House need to make a presentation to the house committee. Also, two large separate events cannot take place on consecutive nights, and there can be no more than two dining hall events per month.

“Each House has a quirk about its use,” says Sonia H. Kastner ’03, president of the College Democrats. “Some of the Houses want to know how many students from their own House will be attending the event. Other ones have size limitations that are disproportionate to the space.”

Kastner says the College Dems got so tired of dealing with the various Houses’ rules that the group did a “consolidating research project” on the JCR booking procedures for each House.

Kastner says she hopes their extra effort gives the group an edge over other student groups in finding space for meetings.

“Every group leader who has been around the block knows that Quincy House is the place to go,” says Kastner, a Quincy resident. “It would be great if the [Undergraduate Council] streamlined the booking process.”

The Thayer Shuffle

In Harvard Yard, where groups are permanently assigned offices, the dilemma is not complex booking protocol but plain old scarcity.

No building better represents the plight of student groups than the tug of war in Thayer Hall basement between the Harvard Foundation for Race and Intercultural Relations and the International Relations Council (IRC) last year.