Imagine attending class at Harvard but not being able to type, turn the pages of a book, take notes or even hold a telephone.

Such was daily life for Sofia I. Echegaray '97-'98, who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a muscular disease which afflicts one's wrists and renders even the most basic acts painful.

And, Echegaray said, her ailment may have been exacerbated by conditions in the Science Center.

Echegaray, who first developed CTS symptoms last spring, withdrew from school after the fall term because she was having extreme trouble completing her coursework.

The Adams House sophomore said she was so badly injured that she couldn't even hold a book.

"I was almost completely debilitated from the beginning of December on and I'm still not particularly great," Echegaray said in a phone interview from her home in Houston, Texas.

Echegaray said she approached the Administrative Board to explain her ailment and request a lighter class load this semester.

But, Echegaray said, the committee told her that she could not register for classes this semester because she had outstanding work in more than two previous courses.

Unable to complete a full class schedule and prevented by the Administrative Board from enrolling in a partial schedule, Echegaray withdrew from Harvard this semester and moved home.

"My other roommate and I packed all of [Echegaray's] possessions," said one of her roommates, Helen E. French '98. "We moved out for her. She couldn't really pack."

CTS falls under the category of afflictions known as "Repetitive Strain Injuries," according to literature provided by University Health Services (UHS).

Repetitive strain injuries are caused by engaging in repeated tasks (such as typing), using awkward or fixed postures and failing to schedule sufficient rest time during such activities.

Echegaray said she first experienced symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome last year as a student in Computer Science 50.

Echegaray said she would regularly spend 20 hours per week in front of terminals in the computer lab in the Science Center.

Problems in the Science Center