Departmental representatives termed yesterday's annual Concentration Fair a success, but some students complained that many concentrations were absent from the event.

The Memorial Hall event featured upperclass students, professors and administrators who were on hand to answer first-years' questions about their fields.

"It doesn't look like there are very many people to talk with," said Marya Hill-Popper '96. "Half the tables are empty."

The English department was one of several that were not represented, some students said.

Four hours into the event, nearly half of the College's 40 concentrations were absent.

But many other students and departmental representatives said the fair was helpful. "This [concentration fair] alleviates the problem of first-year students themselves having to go to many departments for information," said Brandon C. Gregoire '95, co-chair of the Undergraduate Council's academics committee, which organized the event.

The fair also gave lesser-known concentrations an opportunity to in exposure, Gregoire said.

Earlier Date

Though essentially unchanged from previous fairs, this year's event took place about six weeks earlier in the customary March date.

The academics committee voted the scheduling change so that the fair could take place while most first-years were still unsure of their concentrations, Gregoire said.

"The people I've talked to are real-confused [about concentrations]," said Marc D. McKay '93, a sociology concentrator representing his department. "This is the right time for a concentration fair."

While most departments only provided students with syllabi and concentration booklets, some introduced themselves to first-years through more creative means.

The Sociology department displayed approximately 15 classic texts from the discipline.

It also had an information sheet titled "What is Sociology?" The handout was created especially for the Concentration Fair, according to Victoria A. Kent, undergraduate coordinator for the department.

This kind of basic information is helpful to the many first-years who know very little about the different concentrations, according to several of the fair's participants.

"This is early in the game for freshmen to be thinking about concentrations," said Shawn C. Harrison, an administrator from the Psychology department, adding that most students simply take the basic literature.

Specific Questions

But some students did ask specific questions about concentrations, Harrison said.

Members of the Psychology and Women's Studies departments said the most frequently requested information concerned dual concentrations.

Although some students commented on the event's low turnout, departmental representatives who had taken part in previous fairs unanimously agreed that this year's attendance was unusually impressive.

"This is the most successful fair of the last three years," said McKay, who is the social chair of the Undergraduate Council