Part of his acceptance of the new requirement, Sacks says, is the type of classes the Core offers.

"Some of the classes are kind of interesting," he says. "They aren't real math classes. It's not like I have to take calc or stats."

This is certainly not an accident. Catering to a group of people who are not "math people," Professor of Mathematics Joseph D. Harris says that his course is not meant as a foundation for future study of the subject.

"Basically, I see QR28 as a sort of 'mathematics appreciation' course, to be taken in the same spirit as a music

appreciation course," he says. "This is not a practical, pre-professional course, and we are not going to expect the students to master complicated mathematical techniques any more than you'd expect the students in a music appreciation course to learn to write a symphony."

"What we do hope is that students will come out of our course with an enhanced awareness and appreciation of the mathematical mode of thought," he writes.

Even with all the attempts to make math managable, there are, of course, students who will be unhappy, and professors are aware of the challanges facing them.

"To be completely honest, I am indeed worried about students resenting the imposition of an additional requirement," Harris says.