5,000 Students to Enroll in Summer School

About 5,000 students high school age and older will descend on Harvard during the next few days to begin eight weeks of sweltering study at the Harvard Summer School.

Courses are being offered in every discipline, from 19th century French culture to computer science, said Dean of Students for Continuing Education Christopher S. Queen.

"You can think of the Summer School really as a third term to Harvard," Queen said.

As of June 17, enrollment was three percent above the level at this time last year, said Registrar of the Division of Continuing Education Susan E. McGee. Registration will continue until June 26.

Queen said the higher figures may be a result of word of mouth exchange as well as the Division of Continuing Education's Web page, which has seen an increase in usage.

The increase would have been higher had it not been offset by a decline in students in the English Language Program, for students whose first language is not English, Queen said.

As of June 17 the English Language Program had 20 percent fewer students than at this time last year, Queen said.

Queen attributed the plummet to a shaky economy in Asia. In Korea, for instance the dropoff was particularly sharp--from 137 students last year to 30 this year, he said.

Students can take one or two courses that cover a semester's worth of material, or one intensive course that packs in a year's worth of content.

Pre-med and computer science courses are very popular, Queen said. So far, the course with the highest enrollment is Chemistry S-20ab with 133 students.

Econ S-10ab, the equivalent of the mammoth Social Analysis 10 during the school year, has 106 students enrolled, he said.

A few professors are offering classes never given before, using Summer School as a testing ground, Queen said. For instance, University Attorney Allen A. Ryan Jr. is offering Government S-1732: "War Crimes, Genocide and Justice."

About 1,800 of the students live in Harvard housing, with all the students in the Secondary School Program, for select high school students, living in first-year housing, Queen said.

A plethora of special activities are being coordinated for students--intramurals, tours of Boston and New England and a college fair for students in high school.

The World Cup will be shown in Loker Commons on three TV screens every evening, especially to please international students who Queen said are fond of soccer.

Harvard Dining Services is gearing up the onslaught of hungry students. The first week is especially busy and hours will beextended as needed said Assistant Director forHouse Dining Robert J. Leandro.

Saturday night Dining Services will serve itsfirst dinner--Saigon sizzle, chicken with bowtiesand corn chowder, among other items.

Leonel M. Camcutti, a student from Argentina inthe English Language Program, said he was happy tobe here to improve his English.

"It's great," he said. "I don't know nothing ofHarvard.

Saturday night Dining Services will serve itsfirst dinner--Saigon sizzle, chicken with bowtiesand corn chowder, among other items.

Leonel M. Camcutti, a student from Argentina inthe English Language Program, said he was happy tobe here to improve his English.

"It's great," he said. "I don't know nothing ofHarvard.