In a tradition seemingly as timeless as Mass. Hall, four Core Curriculum classes are holding enrollment lotteries this semester. But one professor's decision not to give preference to seniors has students scrambling to complete their graduation requirements.

Louis J. Bakanowsky, professor of visual and environmental studies, is retiring next semester, and his popular class, Literature and Arts B-17: "The Visual Arts: Theoretical and Practical Explorations of the Studio Arts," is being offered for the last time this fall. The course introduces students to concepts in visual arts through hands-on projects in charcoal drawing, photography and other media.

But in a detour from previous practice, seniors--even those who need to fill the Literature and Arts B requirement to graduate--were not given preference in the course lottery, the results of which were posted in the Carpenter Center on Wednesday morning.

Only potential visual and environmental studies concentrators and students previously denied admission to the course were given priority, according to several students.

Some seniors were miffed.

"I was really pissed off," said Scott A. Rifkin '97, a Leverett resident who needs a Literature and Arts B course to graduate in June. Rifkin was astounded to find he was rejected from the course, which has an enrollment cap of 72 because of the need to keep studio sections small. "I've been trying to figure this out for the past couple of days. I haven't quite figured it out. It's a problem, because study cards are due tomorrow."

Rifkin said it's often very difficult for seniors to juxtapose their Core requirements into busy, thesis-laden schedules. Instead of B-17, he hopes to take Literature and Arts B-33: "Frank Lloyd Wright and Modern Architecture" in the spring--if he gets in, that is.

"By that time I'll be a second-semester senior--maybe I'll have better chances," he quipped.

Three other Core classes, also perennial favorites, are holding enrollment lotteries this semester.

Susan W. Lewis, director of the Core program, defended the practice of offering priority to students--of whatever class--who still need to fulfill a requirement in a particular area.

"Obviously, when you have scarce resources you have to figure out how to prioritize access," she said. "And the usual system is to deny priority to people who don't need it for a Core area."

For classes such as Literature and Arts B-17, however, where even some students who need to take the course to graduate are turned away, the only alternative appears to be to find another course.

Literature and Arts B-10: "Art and Visual Culture: Introduction to the Study of Art and Architecture," has a cap of 293 students, based on the Sackler Museum auditorium's seating capacity. Likewise, Historical Study B-61: "The Warren Court and the Pursuit of Justice, 1953-1969," has a limit of 315 students.

Pellegrino University Professor Edward O. Wilson's class, Science B-15: "Evolutionary Biology," has a cap of 220 students, mainly to limit the size of lab sections.

Large class size caused the University to drop two spots in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings. The weekly magazine ranked Harvard third in the nation after factoring the percentage of Harvard classes with more than 50 students into the University's overall score.

Although the vast majority of Core classes enroll more than 50 students, no changes to the average Core class size are in sight, Lewis said.