Hundreds of students were forced to alter their course schedule yesterday after discovering that several government junior seminars and two Core Curriculum courses were among 31 canceled classes for the spring semester.

Juniors looking over syllabi in the government department tutorial office yesterday said the cancellations created problems for concentrators needing seminar credit for an honors degree.

"We're all scrambling for fewer and fewer spaces," said government concentrator Harry B. Kargman '98. "All the classes are jam-packed."

"It's one of those Catch-22's that's normal for Harvard. You have to pray you get into one of these classes, and if you don't get in, you don't graduate," Kargman said.

Other students appeared more deeply affected by the cancellations. Government concentrator Osvaldo E. Pereira '98 said that he had been looking forward to taking one of the canceled seminars and was now deeply hurt.

"Now I'm near to suicide and thinking of dropping out of Harvard," he quipped.

The government department canceled the classes for a variety of unrelated reasons.

Associate Professor of Government Michael G. Hagen, who was scheduled to teach Government 90vs: "The Voting Rights of African Americans," said that he had canceled his seminar in order to become the government department's head tutor.

Government 90mg: "Law and Morality" was canceled by Professor of Government Dennis F. Thompson in order for him to assume the role of Associate University Provost.

Assistant Professor of Government Christopher Gelpi, scheduled to teach Government 90mn: "Crisis Bargaining Strategies," is on paternity leave.

Associate Professor of Government Ashutosh Varshney, who was to teach Government 90hc: "Ethnicity and Nationalism," canceled his seminar as well.

Associate Professor of Government Celeste A. Wallander, who was supposed to teach Government 90an: "The International Relations of Post-Soviet States," could not be reached for comment.

According to Hagen, the Courses of Instruction catalog went to the printer last April, before any of these developments were known.

Four of the five cancellations were listed in the spring Courses of Instruction Supplement.

"It was just a coincidence of disparate factors," he said. "It was a variety of last-minute things: appointments, a death and the baby boom which is currently going on in the government department."

According to Hagen, the recent death of Markham Professor of Government H. Douglas Price had a "domino effect" on the department, creating problems as other professors shifted to cover Price's duties.

Hagen said juniors who did not get into a seminar this year could apply again as seniors, and that their previous rejection would be "taken into consideration" in next year's lottery.

"The seminars are crowded this year, but they're crowded every year...I'm confident that most juniors will still get their first choice," he said.

But students still expressed concern.

"I'm putting down one seminar that I want and three that I don't want, and I'm hoping for the best," Rosemary E. Scozzafava '98 said. "Unfortunately the one I want is the one that everyone else wants as well."

But government students were not the only ones to be affected by course changes.

The cancellations of Literature and Arts A-12: "The Story of Arthur," and Social Analysis 54: "American Society and Public Policy," caused scheduling problems for students.

Sanjeev K. Swami '98 said that his plan for the semester was affected when he discovered Tuesday night that "The Story of Arthur" was not offered this semester.

"I'm not really sure what I'm going to take now," said Swami. "They already didn't offer enough Cores. I was mostly pissed because I didn't realize it was canceled until last night. It should have been publicized better."

According to Susan W. Lewis, director of the Core Program, Literature and Arts A-12 professor Derek A. Pearsall had to return to England in August for personal reasons.

Professor of Sociology Mary C. Waters, who along with Professor of Government and of Sociology Theda Skocpol was listed as teaching Social Analysis 54, said the course's cancellation was a result of personal scheduling conflicts.

"We're both really eager to teach it, but coordinating the schedules of two professors is hard," Waters said. "We worked really hard to get this course into the Core, and we're going to teach it the first chance we get."

The class hopefully will be offered during the 1997-98 school year, according to Waters