Cut From VES Photography, Students Send Petition to Bok

Nearly 100 students will send a petition to President Bok today requesting University aid for an overcrowded Visual and Environmental Studies (VES) photography course.

Citing an "overwhelming interest" in VES 40 Fundamentals of Still photography the petition calls for a larger staff and greater funding for the course, which turned away more than 150 people this year.

The problems of VES 40 are not unusual in the department. All VES studio courses, for example, have to turn away students each year and most are overcrowded VES Chairman Louis J. Bakunowsky said yesterday.

"This is a multiple problem of funding, space and equipment that has existed for years and years." he added. "You have to solve it on all [three] levels.

Today's petition was signed by two-thirds of the students who were denied entrance in to VES 40.

"The student interest is there, but the facilities are not. The supply does not meet the demand." petition organizer Gus B. Spanes 84 said yesterday.

But the course's instructor said that although she was supportive of the petition. She didn't know how the course could expand beyond its present size.

"Even if we did make 50 more places, there will still be people disappointed." said Jane Tuckerman assistant studio professor of Visual and Environment Studies.

Bikanowsky cited physical space constraints of Carpenter Center - VES main building--as the chief limiting factor in the department.

"I'd love to have anyone who wanted to talking the courses, but it is just not feasible." he added.