LPPM MMV "Sit Tibi Terra Levis"

[Dave Monroe]

--- Dave Monroe <monropolitan at yahoo.com> wrote:

> "Grossmann took to strolling in the moonlight with
> only the most patrician of Radcliffe and Wellesley
> girls; he discovered a wonderful make-out spot down
> behind the minute man statue in Concord; he began
> carrying a black umbrella and gave away all his loud
> clothes, substituting flawless and expensive tweeds
> and worsteds. Siegel was mildly disturbed at all
> this but it was not until one afternoon in the early
> spring, when he entered their rooms at Dunster and
> surprised Grossmann standing in front of the mirror,
> umbrella under one arm, eyebrows raised
> superciliously and nose ached loftily, reciting 'I
> parked my car in Harvard yard,' over and over, that
> he was struck with the extent of his roommate's
> dissipation." (MMV, p. 5)

[...]
 
> Dunster
> 
> http://hcs.harvard.edu/~dunster/

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0408&msg=92474&keywords=detained

Editorial, The Crimson, March 1932

In many ways Dunster House possesses many more native
advantages than any of the others. It is one of the
three completely new units. Together with Lowell it
enjoyed the privilege of opening one year before the
other five; and the first year it had the distinction
of being a decided favorite. Among seven Houses one
absolute favorite will exist but when Lowell and
Dunster first opened the latter had by far the larger
list of applicants. Indeed, Mr. Greenough had the
College at his beck and call. That first year
advantage was, fortunately, largely wiped out when the
other Houses came into existence and the prestige
gained then has really hindered rather than aided
Dunster in the race for members.

[...]

Dunster House has more than any other refrained from
building up a "House spirit." The atmosphere which
prevails is one of extreme informality. There are no
expository pamphlets on the House, no formal notice
blanks, the House is not run on a highly organized
basis. There is no appeal to do this or that thing for
the House. Notices asking for football, basketball, or
swimming team candidates gained few names. Sufficient
interest for these activities lacking, they were left
alone; there was no appeal to House loyalty. Squash
teams there were; and informal football and basketball
teams were organized for single games with Dunster''s
"old and traditional rival," Lowell. There is no great
emphasis on House activities. The dance last night,
for instance, was run in the most casual manner;
nobody was urged to come. Observers will probably say
that all this is a manifestation of traditional
"Harvard indifference." Whatever it is, the phenomenon
exists.

Because of this Dunster has rightly been criticized by
many as not performing the true functions of a House,
as furnishing merely pleasant dormitory life. It has
been the policy of the Masteer to allow all things to
develop of themselves, to have undergraduates take the
initiative in all House activities. This practice,
admirable on the whole, has undoubtedly been carried
too far, and Dunster has missed many opportunitiesfor
excellent House social functions. What members of the
House have done they have done well. An economic
society has been formed and a discussion group, whose
purpose it is to ascertain the value of the various
branches of learning, is now meeting bi-weekly. In
this the tutors have taken a keen interest and some of
the associates have been present to defend their
fields of interest. But on the whole the associates
with one or two exceptions have not responded as
freely as in other Houses....

http://dunster.harvard.edu/main/history/dunster_history

> "his roommate's dissipation"
> 
> Cf. ...
> 
> "... by now--early Virgo--he has become one plucked
> albatross. Plucked, hell--stripped. Scattered all
> over the Zone. It's doubtful if he can ever be
> 'found' again, in the conventional sense of
> 'positively identified and detained.'" (GR, Pt. IV,
> p. 712)

Sorry, just cleaning up some loose ends, is all ...


 
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