As the 5 p.m. deadline drew closer yesterday, seniors streamed to the Barker Center, home of the History and Literature concentration, with completed theses in hand.

At four-thirty only about half of the seventy theses expected had been turned in. Students rushed frantically into the office, hoping to make the deadline.

"It was pretty drastic," Elizabeth S. Mahler '01 said.

Mahler was up until ten in the morning putting on the final touches. After sleeping for an hour and a half, she printed out her thesis on the federal music project of the Works Projects Administration and black musicians.

"Printing was frustrating. Things don't always run as smoothly as you plan," she added.

The weary history and literature concentrators experienced a mix of emotions as soon as the objects of much hard work and many sleepless nights were off of their hands.

"I don't know quite how I feel," said Jody H. Peltason '01.

She had spent the entire night putting the finishing touches on her thesis entitled, Race and Vision in the Early Fiction of Eudora Welty, pausing only to sleep from 6 to 8:30 a.m.

"We should have a party," Madeline A. Lohman '01

And party they did.

As the first concentration at the University to turn in their theses, the History and Literature department has a long-standing tradition of celebrating with a "champagne bash."

"We get to kind of laugh at the other concentrations," Meredith C. Moore '01 joked as she handed in her thesis, Stirred By Stories, on immigrant girls, middle class culture, and Americanization.

Students mingled with thesis advisors and tutors, eating refreshments and chatting about the past year.

"I feel very numb," Mahler said. "I never thought this day would come. It's weird--almost anticlimatic after so many months of build up."

Seniors said their plans for the rest of the year include catching up with classes and hanging out with friends.

When asked what she would do now that her thesis was done, Moore grinned.

"I'm going to Disney World!" she laughed.