The class has since been moved to Paine Hall,which can accommodate an additional 60 students.It could not be moved to Sanders Theatre becauseof conflict with Social Analysis 10: "Principlesof Economics," which is held at the same time, andthe second largest space, Science Center B, isoccupied by Biological Sciences 2: "Organismic andEvolutionary Biology."
"We've been assured by the Core Office thatthis is the biggest room available at this time,"Hamilton said.
Not only does the course meet at a populartime--Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12 noon--itis also viewed as one of the few courses thatprepares students for law school.
Dan Hamilton, head teaching fellow, said hebelieves that "the incredible student demand isdue to the professor being an excellent lecturerand the fact that students are passionatelyinterested in American law and legal culture."Topics covered in the class include landmarkSupreme Court cases, Brown v. Board ofEducation and Griswold v. Connecticut,as well as the broader issues of civil rights andthe evolution of contemporary law in Americansociety.
The number of students who would like to takeHistorical Study B-61 reflects the increasedinterest in "the way law reflects larger changesin American culture," Hamilton said.
According to some seniors, course lotteriesindicate another example of the administration'slack of attention to undergraduate concerns.Jessica R. Taylor '99 said the crowding problemand lottery headache could easily have beenprevented if the administration allowed Horwitz toteach the course each year. "The Administrationknew that there would be a problem, knew that theprofessor wanted to have a more balanced class,and they didn't do anything about it," Taylorsaid.
Taylor compared the lottery system to themove-in process last year, which also generatedmany complaints.
"Both are problems that could have been avoided[and] that decrease the quality of undergraduatelife," she said. But Lewis said the Core Committeenever stops seeking solutions to overcrowdedclasses.
"Lotteries are awful because, leaving aside thewear and tear on the course staff, they askstudents to provide information that they may notknow yet about their schedules," she said.
Foreign Cultures 62: "Chinese Family, Marriageand Kinship: A Century of Change" and ScienceB-29: "Human Behavioral Biology" are the onlyother Core courses being lotteried this fall.
"Everyone hates having a lottery. We hate it,the Core hates it, and the students hate it"Hamilton said.
Some members of the Faculty have argued againstlotteries and in favor of pre-registration, saidLewis. But the Core committee has yet to considerpre-registration as an option