"I like the pure democracy," Daniel J. Kolodner '97, who has been involved in a number of Eliot House activities, said before the vote.

Where the Money Comes From

The house committees each raise funds differently. Of the 13 undergraduate Houses, five charge dues, ranging from $10 to $35.

The dues at Cabot, Eliot, Kirkland, Lowell and Pforzheimer Houses are optional.

"We respect the fact that it's the individual student's decision whether or not they will pay house dues," Chung wrote.

But house committee officials say a majority of the house residents pay the dues.

"It depends a lot on the house," says Pforzheimer resident Cary B. Aarons '98. "All of the students [in Pforzheimer] seem to be really closely tied. No one has problems with paying dues."

Eliot House charges the highest dues at $35, followed by Pforzheimer at $20, Kirkland and Cabot at $15 and Lowell at $10. Eliot raised the house dues by $5 this year.

Peters estimates that 80 percent of the residents in Kirkland pay their dues.

More than 220 people paid dues by Nov. 15, after which the dues increased to $40 per person, he says.

Ware estimates that more than 50 percent of Lowell residents have paid dues. But he says it's not easy.

"It's a great logistical headache to charge dues in the first place," Ware says. "Eventually we end up going door-to-door.

The houses which charge dues, in addition to door-to-door solicitation, give incentives to the residents who pay. Eliot House gives out free t-shirts.

In Kirkland House, residents must pay dues in order to participate in certain activities such as Secret Santas.

"Once they pay, they're in for everything--it's pretty cool," says Winthrop resident Jeannette Y. Louh '99 of students who live in houses which charge dues. "It's just like buying all your tickets at once."