For Allison M. Ugalde '88, the special concentrations option was just that. History and Literature's "Hispanic America" track "was nice at first," she says, "but I wanted to do something more contemporary." Between semesters of her junior year, Ugalde switched to Latin American Studies and International Relations and that "gave me a way out," she says.

In order to take the special concentrations road, students must prove to the Standing Committee that they have exhausted other avenues for their plan of study. Since many departments, such as History and Government, already have mechanisms which allow students to combine two fields in a joint concentration, the Standing Committee requires would-be special concentrators to check these options out first.

Although many students find that combined concentrations fill their needs, some undergraduates who wish to integrate two or more fields find that a special concentration is the only feasible option, Herschbach says.

Combined concentrations usually require majoring in one of the departments and minoring in the other, and "some students don't want to give primary emphasis to either one," says Professor of Social Relations Philip J. Stone, a Standing Committee member who also advises several special concentrators.

Rigid departmental requirements are one of the main reasons why students turn towards University Hall, students and officials say. The Special Concentrations Department tries to smooth the path for some students by formally asking other departments to ease their requirements, Herschbach says. But she adds, "Some departments will simply not be flexible."

Charles English started out in Computer Science, which he describes as "creatively stifling." After examining the options in Visual and Environmental Studies (VES) and Computer Science, "I found I didn't really fit into either department very well," he says. While some departments have requirements in common, VES and Computer Science, according to English, are not "amenable" to each other.

At the suggestion of Arthur L. Loeb, VES senior lecturer and Standing Committee member, English is now combining both his interests with his Electronic Arts concentration. Instead of pursuing a non-honors concentration in Computer Science and taking all of his electives in the VES department, he says he can now follow his interests and integrate them for a honors degree.

Special Concentrations requirements "are a do-it-yourself kind of thing," says Alexander Shustorovich '88, who concentrates in Biotechnology and Government.

An honors degree requires eight-and-a-half full courses and non-honors requires seven. "I don't really have electives," says Charney who decided to take six courses sophomore fall and seven that spring.

But she adds that she views her concentration as "all electives--there's no 'They say I have to take it.'" Nonetheless, no one-not even a special concentrator--is so special as to be exempt from the Core. "But," she added, "I made up my own exemptions."

The Special Concentrations Department also helps its students because it "cuts out a lot of red tape" in taking graduate school courses, says Meredith G. Lazo '89, who is also concentrating in, Organizational Behavior.

"You have a lot of freedom," she says. And Shustorovich calls Special Concentrations "the last glimmer of hope in the bureaucracy."

Nonetheless, some would-be special concentrators find the application process involves a fair amount of its own red tape.

A student must submit a plan of study listing the courses he plans to take in the remaining years under special concentration status as well as an alternative plan within the closest existing department. He must then argue convincingly that the difference between the two is a crucial one.

"The application is really harsh," says Ugalde. "It's almost harder than the one to get in here."