SURE MAGNAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AVOID ORALS

Senior Honors' candidates in the division of History, Government, and Economics will not be required to take an oral examination in order to obtain a degree magna cum laude this year, if, by their course, divisional, and thesis grades, they have definitely established their claim to the magna degree, it was learned yesterday from Paul H. Buck, assistant professor of History, and chairman of the division board of examiners.

This is a modification of a previous rule which required an oral examination for all Honors above the cum mark, and was put into effect because it was felt that it was "a waste of both the student's and examiners' time" to have the oral quiz when the record of the student already indicated that he was sure of a magna.

Borderline cases between a cum, and a magna will still require an oral, as will the case of any possible summa candidate. "The summa cum laude degree is so unusual," said Buck, "that we have felt it best to retain the oral examination before awarding it."

James B. Munn, professor of English, declared that no change of the kind introduced by the History, Government, and Economics division was contemplated in English this year, and so far as could be learned other departments are maintaining the same regulations regarding orals that prevailed last year.