The proposed change to Rotation for next year is a troubling departure from the principles of equality that form the basis of student life at Caltech. Previously, incoming freshman were allowed to reject a house by declining to rate it. This was the only form of 'hard' control that the freshman had -- the only piece of input which could not potentially be ignored or overridden. Now this control is being removed.

But don't the numerical ratings given by the frosh mean anything? The numerical scale now equates to a rating from "good" to "bad" rather than "good" to "neutral" -- doesn't this change ensure that frosh input is considered? Only a handful of us know the answer to this question. If Rotation procedures were made public knowledge, we could be confident that frosh ratings are given appropriate weight along with the wishes of the houses. But as is, the procedure for using this information is known only by a small group of representatives, who are sworn to secrecy.

To be certain that Rotation contains no hidden potential for unfairness, we would need to open up the procedures for full scrutiny. This is simply the nature of complex systems; the word of a few representatives, even those with the best of intentions, is not sufficient. Thus, if Rotation procedures remain secret, we must assume that the potential for an unfair result does exist. We then have an obligation under the Honor Code to mitigate this possibility; this is all the more important because frosh do not in general have a choice of whether to participate in Rotation. Giving the frosh some verifiable control over the process is a crucial way to avoid unfair outcomes.

Even aside from the direct effect this change may have on how frosh are placed into houses, it will also have a large psychological effect. Under the new system, frosh would inevitably wonder if they have any control at all, and would likely worry about being placed into their least-desired house. The unfortunate rumors from last year about the effect of rating certain houses would be replaced by even more unfortunate rumors about how to behave in order to avoid being picked by certain houses. This would prevent frosh from approaching Rotation with an open mind and a willingness to be honest, which would compromise the entire process.

The simple fact is, most people here would not be accepting of nor accepted in every single house. Yet under the new policy, any house could potentially take any frosh, for strategic reasons unrelated to either that frosh's well-being or their suitability for the house in question. By removing the only strong control that frosh have and giving it to a small committee which operates in secret, we not only jeopardize the effectiveness of the House System; we also risk taking unfair advantage of the newest members of our community, in one of the most important events of their time here.

I urge anyone who is also troubled by these proposed changes to attend the open house this Thursday, May 31 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM in the Dabney courtyard, and to talk with house presidents or other IHC members about any specific concerns you may have.