History and Literature Seniors Celebrate as They Turn in Theses

Fifty-five History and Literature concentrators traded in their theses--the first due this year--for glasses of champagne yesterday in the Barker center.

Students exchanged hugs and clinked plastic glasses in celebration of turning in the theses that some have been researching and writing since last May.

"This is the culmination of our concentrators' experience," said History and Literature Director of Studies Steven H. Biel. " It reflects a tremendous amount of effort."

A few concentrators still struggling to print their theses missed the festivities. Harvard's network was down all day, and those who had put off printing until the last minute had to search for other options.

The celebrators expressed relief about handing over their masterpieces.

"I know I'm going to graduate now no matter what I do," said Jeremy J. Salfen '00. "I don't even care how good or bad it is, I'm just glad to be done."

Some said they felt numb after giving their theses away.

"It's kind of like a member of the family is gone now," said Carlos A. Monje Jr. '00, who is also a Crimson editor. "We set the table for thesis, and she never showed up."

"It's a moment of reckoning when you give away a thesis, and you can't change it anymore," said Justin M. Krebs '00. "You have to come to terms with the fact that the process actually ends."

Although Katheryn M. Hayes '00, who wrote about the periodical "The Little Review," said she really enjoyed her topic and wished she could do more with it, most concentrators could not have been happier to get rid of theirs.

"I never want to hear that piece again. I'm so sick of it that I don't think I can stomach [the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra's] performance of it," said Alice H. S. Farmer '00, who wrote about Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring," which will be performed this Saturday in Sanders Theatre.

Now that his thesis is done, Matthew R. Hubbard '00, who examined the '70s television show "All in the Family," said that he plans to watch a lot of TV, but that his television viewing probably will not include "All in the Family."

Despite the stress of the final thesis crunch, concentrators praised the early deadline. Most senior theses are due in the middle of March, and some are not due until April.

"I couldn't have been happier," said Emily R. Von Kohorn '00. "I would have had the same crunch time no matter what. It's nice to get it done."

"I can't imagine having it hanging over my head any longer," said Cathrin B. Bauer '00, who wrote about Thomas Mann's short story "Blood of the Walsungs."

Aside from whispers about the Harvard network failure, few tales of thesis horror stories circulated at the party.

"At one point I thought I was losing more of my thesis [to computer crashes] than I gained each day," said Lauren A. Wetzler '00. "My computer was on its deathbed."

But her computer pulled through.

Now that the theses are in, tutors said they will turn their attention to reading their students' work. Students said they will focus on searching for jobs and enjoying the end of their senior year.

"We have the rest of our lives to live now," said Kata Gellen '00.

Most missed the senior kickoff at the Hong Kong restaurant that marked 100 days until graduation last night. But many said they plan to catch up on the missed fun in the upcoming weeks.

"I missed the kickoff, but everything else will be graced with my presence," Bauer said.