Freshmen Jam Holyoke Center Submitting Concentration Forms

About 1200 freshmen flocked to the Registrar's office yesterday to submit field of concentration information sheets detailing their plans of study for the next three years.

Although about a quarter of the class turned in their forms last week, the remainder were due yesterday, and some students were still deliberating as the 5 p.m. deadline approached.

"I made my final decision at 12 a.m. today," said newly declared Government major Mark A. Carter '85. "This is sort of a farce," Carter said. "This is a very hectic time for freshmen and it's silly to make them decide what they'll do for the next three years."

Other students gave the matter more consideration H. Yoshi Campbell '85 chose History and Literature, one of the college's six selective departments, because "it's the best method of getting a broader liberal arts education."

And Sophie A. Volpp '85 will concentrate in Literature, another selective field, because she sees her fellow majors "a very exciting group of people."

"I was impressed by what I'd heard said Hanne-Marie Maijala '85, who will also join the literature department. Maijala cited the department's small size as one factor in her decision.

Michael F. Melcher '85 chose Government by default because Harvard doesn't offer international relations as a concentration. "I didn't discover that until Freshman Week," said Melcher, adding, however. "I would have come here even if I had known because I'm very name-conscious."

But some freshman still felt they needed more time to decide, and said they might change their decisions in the fall. One student who asked not to be identified said, "To me, this is just waiting through the summer till I decide what I really want to do." He added. "I just finished a year of experiences at Harvard and I'd like three months to mull it over."