Harvard Gets Working Vacation

Eric G. Tulsky '97 of North House left Chemistry 30, "Organic Chemistry," yesterday bearing xeroxed holiday gifts from his teaching fellow and professor.

The first was a handout wishing all students seasons greetings. The other two xeroxes were a problem set and an 18-page lab writeup, both of which are due at the beginning of reading period.

"I have an inordinate amount of work to do," Tulsky says.

Once again, there will be no real winter vacation. As their friends at other colleges around the country use winter recess to recuperate from final exams and projects, Harvard students, who failed in their attempt to win calendar reform last spring, find themselves preparing for the January panic.

They aren't the only ones. While some faculty members may be taking vacations, professors say they'll be spending their winter breaks just like their students: working.

"Actually, I'm going to be working down at Harvard for all but two or three days," says Lawrence Professor of Chemistry David A. Evans, who teaches Chem 30.

'I Don't Mind'

Students' suitcases, weighed down by texts and spiral notebooks, may be heavier. But many say they appreciate the extra study time.

"I don't mind because reading period gives me time to catch up," says Mather House resident Michael E. Ronan '95.

Ronan says students at other colleges only get two or three days to cram for finals.

"I think what we have here works," says Rudd W. Coffey '97, a Lowell House resident. "Maybe it's one of those little things that makes Harvard unique."

Jerry Tsai '98 will be returning to Los Angeles with most of his books, but he says he doesn't mind trading egg nog for economics.

"I like having exams after Christmas, because it gives you lots of time to study," Tsai says.

Other students, however, feel the current academic calendar adds too much pressure to what should be a stress-free season.

"It's not really fair that we have midterms and papers [when] other schools are having [final] exams," says Joe Ngai '96, a Leverett House resident. "I have papers due during the first few days after Christmas."

For some, distractions during the recess prevent them from getting work done.

"It's not like someone can do lots of work over Christmas," Leverett House resident Carie Chan '97 says. "It's vacation, right?"

For their part, most faculty members say they'll take a short respite. But then it's back to work.

"I'll be visiting some family for a short time, then be back here for Christmas week," says North House Master J. Woodland Hastings, who is Mangelsdorf Professor of natural sciences.

Hastings says many Harvard scientists take advantage of their students' absence to get their own work done. "Frequently, a lot of research does go on [over the holiday]," he says.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Margo I. Seltzer '83 says she would be busy "working" over the vacation. Seltzer says she will be doing research and preparing for next semester's course, in addition to writing the Computer Science 50 final.

Although students have pressed to move exams to December in recent years, Seltzer says there are both benefits and drawbacks to changing the calendar.

"I don't think it's an easy or clear decision," she says. "It would certainly be nice to give students a longer intercession, which completing courses before Christmas would do."

Evans, in fact, differs from most faculty in his support for calendar reform. "I'd love that....I don't know who is perpetrating [the current system]," Evans says. "I guess it's just tradition."

While most students will be busy over the vacation, a lucky few will simply lack back and relax.

Shawn D. Dehart '95, a Mather House resident in the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program, has no exams or papers to worry about this year.

"I'm loving it," Dehart says. "I'm going to be rubbing it in the faces of all my roommates."

Tulsky won't have that luxury. But he notes that despite the lengthy Organic Chem problem set, the course's teaching staff hasn't lost its sense of humor.

"The last question [on the problem set] was, "How can you kill the Chem 30 lab TF using organic chemistry? Answers will be graded on originality and creativity,'" Tulsky says

Hastings says many Harvard scientists take advantage of their students' absence to get their own work done. "Frequently, a lot of research does go on [over the holiday]," he says.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Margo I. Seltzer '83 says she would be busy "working" over the vacation. Seltzer says she will be doing research and preparing for next semester's course, in addition to writing the Computer Science 50 final.

Although students have pressed to move exams to December in recent years, Seltzer says there are both benefits and drawbacks to changing the calendar.

"I don't think it's an easy or clear decision," she says. "It would certainly be nice to give students a longer intercession, which completing courses before Christmas would do."

Evans, in fact, differs from most faculty in his support for calendar reform. "I'd love that....I don't know who is perpetrating [the current system]," Evans says. "I guess it's just tradition."

While most students will be busy over the vacation, a lucky few will simply lack back and relax.

Shawn D. Dehart '95, a Mather House resident in the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program, has no exams or papers to worry about this year.

"I'm loving it," Dehart says. "I'm going to be rubbing it in the faces of all my roommates."

Tulsky won't have that luxury. But he notes that despite the lengthy Organic Chem problem set, the course's teaching staff hasn't lost its sense of humor.

"The last question [on the problem set] was, "How can you kill the Chem 30 lab TF using organic chemistry? Answers will be graded on originality and creativity,'" Tulsky says