Popular Race Relations Class Offers Forum to Discuss Sensitive Subject

A sociology course on race relation has doubled in size since last year and already sparked tense moments in some sections.

Several students enrolled in Sociology 60, "Race and Ethnic Relations," say they are taking the course because of interest in its sensitive subject matter.

"It's something that I'm very interested in, especially since I've gotten to Harvard, seeing racial dynamics on campus," says Estella Diaz '97. "There's a bunch of different kinds of people here but they hardly ever mingle. "It's kind of a pretend diversity."

Other students, however cite the instructor, Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences Mary C. Waters as a chief attraction to the course, which has grown from 80 last spring to more then 200 students this semester.

"She's not one of the typical Harvard professors," says Caprice A. Corona '97 "she's really laid back and done to earth. She's really approachable."

For her part, Waters thinks the increase is due at least partly to a change in room size.

"I think last year a lot of people left because the room wasn't big enough " said Waters.

Waters says she is careful to make the class an academic treatment of the issues, rather then just a forum for discussion of hot political topics.

"There's some room for people, especially in section, to talk about their own experiences," Waters said. "[But] I don't want it to be an encounter session. It's an academic class."

Future course topics include how the government should define Native American and free speech codes on college campuses.

"It's a good idea not to get too personal with these things because in a course like this there's a lot of potential for people getting upset," says teaching fellow Paula A. Frederick.

Indeed, Nelly, I. Brown '97 says her section became strained at one point last week as a result of a student's comment.

"Last section, someone told the section how she didn't really like it when white people came to kuumba [a choral group which performs spiritual and African folk songs]," said Brown." It was a little tense, but people responded to it well,"

Despite the occasional tension, students say they appreciate the freedom to express opinions in section.

"Everyone in my sections is really opinionated and no one's really shy to say what they think," says Norma C. Acebedo '97 "We focus on the material, but we also have time to talk about what we want to talk about."

Waters says the course has sparked less intense discussion than when she taught a similar class at the University of California at Berkeley.

"Harvard students tend to be more academic in their approach to things," Waters said. "There is a sense with Berkeley students that there are more politics involved."

The Harvard class was also offered in the fallsemesters of 1989 and 1992. It requires oneeight-page paper, one preparation for a sectiondebate, a midterm and an hour-long, in-classfinal

The Harvard class was also offered in the fallsemesters of 1989 and 1992. It requires oneeight-page paper, one preparation for a sectiondebate, a midterm and an hour-long, in-classfinal