Freshman Seminars Admit 250

About 250 lucky freshmen will be granted coveted spots today in one of the 20 spring freshman seminars.

More than 600 freshmen applied for the select pass/fail courses, said Jerry F. Denault, assistant director of the Freshman Seminar Program. Last year, only about 450 freshmen sought places in seminars.

Almost 1600 freshmen applied to either fall or spring seminars this year, seeking a chance at a small class, interesting material and faculty contact, he said. Four fall seminars had more than 100 applicants, while three to be held this spring had more than 70.

Seminars range from the ordinary to the exotic. "There's everything from Old English works to contemporary novels about Vietnam, from the Mayas to pop culture in England," Denault said. One class, limited to two or three students and taught by Herbert W. Levi, professor of zoology and biology, will study spiders and other terrestrial invertebrates.

More than a quarter of Harvard faculty have taught freshman seminars, and for the most part have been very enthusiastic about the experience, said Denault.

Mellon Faculty Fellow in Comparative Literature Irena G. Gross taught a six-person seminar this fall on cross-cultural perceptions in travel literature, and said she "loved the opportunity to have direct contact with the students."

While Myron Lecar, lecturer on astronomy, teaches no other undergraduate courses, he has conducted freshman seminars for 10 years. He said he likes he small classes, and that the seminars "give him the fun part of teaching without the drudgery."

Freshman naivete, or what Lecar terms "Freshness and excitement," is essential to make the seminar system work, said many professors. "Freshmen haven't been beaten down by the system. They haven't yet become professional students," Lecar said.

Cynical upperclassmen said that when Yardlings apply for freshman seminars, they often are seeking an easy course. But William R. Moore '85, a Stoughton proctor, said he thinks most Freshmen do not abuse the pass/fail privilege, which lessens competition for grades.

"I think most freshmen are not fully cognizant of the pass/fail option, as are upperclassmen. Most people who apply have an interest in the material already and are not too keen on making a bad impression," Moore said. "Freshmen looking for an easy course are not usually going to go through the hassle of applying. That's why I didn't apply to one."

Workload, while not overly heavy, often is neither light nor easy, and individual interest is essential, professors said. Many seminars require weekly assignments, and most require a large project or paper.

Seminars provide an opportunity to "give students material at a much higher level than usual. I even gave the same project for three years and no one got it, although one kid eventually did his senior thesis on it," Lecar said.

And though seminars may be easy to pass, freshmen should keep in mind that their teachers are asked to submit a statement on the performance of each freshman in their class, Denault said. These letters, similar to tutorial reports, remain in the students' files. Forever.