Professors Hold Classes In Defiance of Holiday

Some Harvard students complained yesterday about having to attend sections and labs even as classmates, the University and the nation paused to remember the country's veterans.

"It's a national holiday and we should respect it," said Julia W. Andelman '97, who skipped section in Music 2, "Fundamentals of Music Theory I," to attend a retreat with the student music group Collegium. "There's a reason we don't have classes."

Regular laboratory periods were scheduled for both Chemistry 17, "Principles of Organic Chemistry," and Chemistry 30, "Organic Chemistry," yesterday, which made the holiday about five hours shorter for many organic chemistry students.

Students attended, but they were not happy about it. "I'm the only one going to class," said Kunal D. Kanitkar '96, a student in Chemistry 30. "This is just a regular week. They never even said it was Veteran's day."

"I'd rather be at the Cape," said fellow Chemistry 30 student Jake Bassett '96.

Course professors and lab teaching fellows said they considered Veterans' Day, an official University holiday, no different than any other weekday. They said there was no reason to postpone vital components of the course for a holiday most students only loosely observe.

"I don't think many of the students in the class are veterans," said Associate Professor of Chemistry Gregory L. Verdine, who teaches Chemistry 17. "So I don't feel great compulsion to sacrifice lab or class time due to the holiday."

A teaching fellow in Chemistry 30, who would not give his name, said lab in his coursewould have been nearly impossible to reschedule.

"The only other day you can reschedule aThursday lab is on Sunday, and how many peoplewould have been happy about that?" said theteaching fellow.

Verdine also said that the lab period was tooimportant to postpone.

"There is a fairly uniform sentiment in theChemistry department," Verdine said, "that we'reunder a great deal of responsibility to try to getacross as much information to the students as wecan under a great deal of time pressure. Thatresponsibility supersedes the need to observe thesorts of holidays that the federal governmentdecides."

However, Associate Professor of Chemistry PeterChen, an instructor in Chemistry 30, said thereare ways for students who did not wish to attendyesterday's lab to make up the session later.

In addition to the scheduled labs, manysections also met on Veterans' Day. Some of theThursday sections of Computer Science 50,"Introduction to Computer Science I;" GeneralEducation 105, "The Literature of SocialReflection;" and Foreign Cultures 52, "Society,Religion and Politics in Iran," were held at theregularly scheduled times. The problem solvingsessions of Math 21a, "Multivariable Calculus,"also met.

In most cases, students were encouraged toattend their regular section but were also offeredthe option of going to other sections.

Many students appear to have taken advantage ofthis option. Jason Koczela, a third-year graduatestudent and a teaching fellow for Music 2, saidtwo of his sections yesterday afternoon were verypoorly attended.

"All of the students said they needed help,"said Koczela, "and they all did very poorly ontheir assignments, so I thought this section wouldhelp. The people who didn't show up will have athough time."

Roy Astrachan '97, a student who attended twosections yesterday, said that the University'sacademic calendar has so few breaks that holidaysshould be honored by all courses.

"The Harvard schedule is bad enough," saidAstrachan. "When we finally get one day off, itseems like everyone collaborates to take it awayfrom us."

Some students, such as R.J. Peters '95, saidthey were not upset about having to attend sectionon Veterans' Day. "I'm not too bummed about it,"said Peters. "I'm not doing a lot to commemoratethe holiday anyway.

"The only other day you can reschedule aThursday lab is on Sunday, and how many peoplewould have been happy about that?" said theteaching fellow.

Verdine also said that the lab period was tooimportant to postpone.

"There is a fairly uniform sentiment in theChemistry department," Verdine said, "that we'reunder a great deal of responsibility to try to getacross as much information to the students as wecan under a great deal of time pressure. Thatresponsibility supersedes the need to observe thesorts of holidays that the federal governmentdecides."

However, Associate Professor of Chemistry PeterChen, an instructor in Chemistry 30, said thereare ways for students who did not wish to attendyesterday's lab to make up the session later.

In addition to the scheduled labs, manysections also met on Veterans' Day. Some of theThursday sections of Computer Science 50,"Introduction to Computer Science I;" GeneralEducation 105, "The Literature of SocialReflection;" and Foreign Cultures 52, "Society,Religion and Politics in Iran," were held at theregularly scheduled times. The problem solvingsessions of Math 21a, "Multivariable Calculus,"also met.

In most cases, students were encouraged toattend their regular section but were also offeredthe option of going to other sections.

Many students appear to have taken advantage ofthis option. Jason Koczela, a third-year graduatestudent and a teaching fellow for Music 2, saidtwo of his sections yesterday afternoon were verypoorly attended.

"All of the students said they needed help,"said Koczela, "and they all did very poorly ontheir assignments, so I thought this section wouldhelp. The people who didn't show up will have athough time."

Roy Astrachan '97, a student who attended twosections yesterday, said that the University'sacademic calendar has so few breaks that holidaysshould be honored by all courses.

"The Harvard schedule is bad enough," saidAstrachan. "When we finally get one day off, itseems like everyone collaborates to take it awayfrom us."

Some students, such as R.J. Peters '95, saidthey were not upset about having to attend sectionon Veterans' Day. "I'm not too bummed about it,"said Peters. "I'm not doing a lot to commemoratethe holiday anyway.