There are moments in every class when students' attention wanes, moments when their collective gaze begins to linger on the ornamental drapes, the retro linoleum, that cute blonde in the front row.

Such was the case in Literature and Arts B-55: "Opera: Perspectives on Music and Drama," on the first Wednesday of shopping period.

Granted, opera is one of, if not the, greatest musical forms in the world, and Professor Lewis Longwood is both humorous and entertaining; but at 11 a.m., even the eyes of the most dedicated opera buffs became glazed, straying to the list of musical virtuosos atop Paine Hall's decorative walls.

So it surprised me that, in a room so laced with distraction, a room reverberating with lusty Italian music, one student remained completely calm and collected.

Jessica H. Fong '99 was too busy focusing on the computer in front of her to let her attention stray. Fong, who is hearing impaired, had to "listen" to the music through the ears of the typist who transcribed the words of the opera into words on a screen.

As Fong's eyes shifted between the BOSE speaker and the computer terminal, I wondered whether and why she would be taking the course. What I could not understand were her motives in choosing to shop a music course. How much of the opera was she hearing, I wondered; if she couldn't hear, why shop opera?

"I just find opera fascinating," Fong explains over e-mail. "Mainly for the dramatic aspect, although I'm not knowledgeable about opera in any sense."

Fong, who has been what she terms "profoundly hearing impaired" since she was 18 months old, has a long-standing interest in music, including 12 years of piano lessons, that make her choice to shop Lit. and Arts B-55 seem only natural.

But Fong decided not to take the course "because it has a more significant 'listening portion'" than she had hoped.

"It is not so much that I cannot take [music classes] as that they would require much more effort on my part simply to keep up with the other students," says Fong.

Sign language interpreter Kellie L. Stewart, who has worked at the Student Disability Resource Center since 1992, said all hearing impaired students face potential difficulties shopping for classes.

"Jessica and I discussed options for dealing with [Lit. and Arts B-55]," says Stewart. "This was the first time since I've been here that a deaf student expressed interest in taking a music course."

If the College were to offer Lit. and Arts B courses focussing on music theory, history or dramatic music presentation, Fong would have a valid alternative to the listening-oriented opera core.

But Core Program director Susan W. Lewis said that this is not possible. Lewis insists there are more than enough visually oriented core courses for Fong and other hearing impaired students to take in place of the music classes.

Lewis says the College always tries to accommodate disabled students, but music courses are an exception to the rule.

"Although there are ways, such as sign language or lip reading, of making human speech accessible to people with hearing impairments," Lewis says, "I do not know of any ways of accomplishing this for music."

I suggested to her that hearing impaired students could be allowed to fulfill certain Core areas using distribution requirements. This would allow a student to take classes such as Music Ar: "Musicianship" or Music la: "Introduction to Music I," to fulfill the Lit. and Arts B requirement.

But as Lewis noted, the 1996-97 Courses of Instruction description of Lit. and Arts B is "Courses in music that seek to develop a sensi- tivity to elements of musical language such as rhythm, melody, and harmony and their integration and meaning."

Is this an unwieldy task for the hearing impaired According to Lewis, it is nearly impossible.

"The Literature and Arts B section of the core is intended to provide instruction in the elements of visual and aural literacy," she says, emphasizing that "listening is a significant part of that process in a music Core course as it is in departmental course in music."

Lewis said the College goes to great lengths to meet the needs of disabled students.

The University pays individuals to transcribe lectures for the hearing impaired.

It also commissions readers for the blind, and in some instances, will renovate dorm rooms to fulfill the special needs of disabled students.

"There are a range of handicaps that get accommodated," says Lewis, "This is a part of the institution that most students don't see, but that does a lot."

While Fong emphasizes the lengths Harvard goes to in accommodating the special needs of students, she says she is frustrated by the fact that she is cannot feasibly take opera or some other music courses.

"I think that Harvard has already been incredibly accommodating and is providing all the aides that I might want or need, and since Lit. and Arts B encompasses art and architecture classes too, I don't find the range of courses too narrow," says Fong.

"But if a music history class were to be offered," she adds, "that would be nice.