"Students interacted well with the professor and are more involved, said Olcott.

Some alumni, though, said classes are conducted in essentially the same way--with podium and blackboard--as when they were undergraduates.

"The content is different, but it's the same style," said Donald Harriss '48.

Change, in fact, has been far-reaching. Connolly said when he got to the sandwich bar, he waited to be served as he had been during his undergraduate years. In spite of self-service, Connolly said he was impressed with the Lowell House dinning hall and liked the wider variety of food.

Students, though, were the biggest change the perceived on campus, alumni said. Undergraduate, Gondelman said, seemed to be more involved in extracurricular activities than students in his days.

"There is a much greater diversity in the student body, said Gondelman. "A fellow alum said today's students appear to be much brighter than his class.