Class of '79 Is the Same As the Rest

No one was particularly surprised when the Registrar's office released its preliminary estimate of the concentration preferences of the Class of 1979 last Tuesday. In general, the freshmen showed true to form, choosing the traditionally popular majors that have for years served as stepping-stones to graduate school.

Economics led the "top ten concentrations" list again this year, followed by Biology and Government--completing what one faculty member called the "B-School, Med School, Law School Circuit."

But James S. Duesenberry, chairman of the Economics Department, said after the statistics were released that career interest isn't the sole reason the department continually topes the list of popular majors. The 158 freshmen who opted into the department this year, he said, are also responding the current high level of interest in economics throughout the country.

Harvey C. Mansfield Jr. '53, chairman of the Government Department, offered a similar explanation for the sharp increase in the number of freshmen who choose Government this year. Although it has always been one of the largest concentrations, Government attracted 20 more freshmen this year than last, a jump that Mansfield chalked up to the general interest in politics that marks presidential election years.

"We see this shift every four years," he said.

Howard S. Beltzer '79, one of the 134 new Government concentrators, agrees with Mansfield's estimate. Beltzer said yesterday that although he doesn't plan on going to law school, and isn't exactly thrilled by the prospect of Mansfield's department crusade to wipe out grade inflation, he decided to enter Government on the basis of his personal interest in politics.

Current events didn't play such a large role for all of the Gov students. As one freshman noted as he struggled out of Lamont with an arm-load of Gov 40 readings, "Are you serious? If it weren't for law school, you'd never catch me in this grind."