Lee Picks Non-Majors For Class

Visiting Lecturer Spike Lee today will meet for the first time with the undergraduates who were accepted into his course, but the students chosen do not all meet the admission requirements that the filmmaker outlined last week.

Not all of the students enrolled in the course are Afro-American Studies or Visual and Environmental Studies (VES) concentrators.

Afro-American Studies Department employee Lynnette Robinson said that about 130 students applied for the 61 spaces in Lee's course.

Although Lee said that Afro-Am concentrators would be given priority admission, not all Afro-Am concentrators who applied were accepted.

Some students admitted to the course, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they thought Lee and his teaching assistants should have stuck to the rules they laid out at last Friday's lecture.

"I could see [a non-concentrator] getting in the class, but I think that should have been done only after Afro-Am andVES students had gotten in first," said onestudent who was admitted to the class.

"I am not sure whether or not all Afro-Am orVES students who wanted to get in got in, but ifthey didn't, that's really unfair," the studentsaid.

According to one student, at Wednesday'sscreening of Nothin' But a Man, HeadTeaching Fellow John S. Wilson said that at least95 percent of the students admitted were Afro-Amor VES concentrators. Wilson said that "very few"students from other concentrations had beenadmitted, the student added.

In response to a question about whether or notthe class could be expanded, the student said,Wilson told the class that the possibility was"bleak."

Wilson also told the movie audience that therewas a waiting list for admittance to the course,the student said, adding that Wilson would notrelease the names of those on it.

According to another student accepted to thecourse, one teaching assistant said that if anapplication was turned in late, or if the essaywas longer than one page, the applicant wasdisqualified.

"Spike Lee did review the essays, and if theywere particularly compelling...they were admittedto the course," the student said.

In an interview yesterday, Wilson said theselection process was difficult.

"We are pleased to have selected what we thinkis a good group," Wilson said. "Inevitably somepeople are going to be disappointed, and that isunfortunate."

Among the disappointed were a number of VESstudents, who were misinformed about their chancesof acceptance to Lee's class.

According to Kathleen M. Chaudhry, assistant tothe head tutor of the VES department, a rumorcirculated in the department that 50 percent ofthe course's spaces would be reserved for VESstudents.

The misunderstanding caused some "ruffledfeathers," Chaudhry said.

"It was just a kind of invention of someonesomewhere," Chaudhry said. "I found out thatoriginally and always, the plan was that therewould be a selection of students to the course,and if there were any spaces left, then VES wouldget special consideration.

"I am not sure whether or not all Afro-Am orVES students who wanted to get in got in, but ifthey didn't, that's really unfair," the studentsaid.

According to one student, at Wednesday'sscreening of Nothin' But a Man, HeadTeaching Fellow John S. Wilson said that at least95 percent of the students admitted were Afro-Amor VES concentrators. Wilson said that "very few"students from other concentrations had beenadmitted, the student added.

In response to a question about whether or notthe class could be expanded, the student said,Wilson told the class that the possibility was"bleak."

Wilson also told the movie audience that therewas a waiting list for admittance to the course,the student said, adding that Wilson would notrelease the names of those on it.

According to another student accepted to thecourse, one teaching assistant said that if anapplication was turned in late, or if the essaywas longer than one page, the applicant wasdisqualified.

"Spike Lee did review the essays, and if theywere particularly compelling...they were admittedto the course," the student said.

In an interview yesterday, Wilson said theselection process was difficult.

"We are pleased to have selected what we thinkis a good group," Wilson said. "Inevitably somepeople are going to be disappointed, and that isunfortunate."

Among the disappointed were a number of VESstudents, who were misinformed about their chancesof acceptance to Lee's class.

According to Kathleen M. Chaudhry, assistant tothe head tutor of the VES department, a rumorcirculated in the department that 50 percent ofthe course's spaces would be reserved for VESstudents.

The misunderstanding caused some "ruffledfeathers," Chaudhry said.

"It was just a kind of invention of someonesomewhere," Chaudhry said. "I found out thatoriginally and always, the plan was that therewould be a selection of students to the course,and if there were any spaces left, then VES wouldget special consideration.