'Alexander' Students Ask For Optional Final

Days after a Science Center bomb threat interrupted the final of a Literature and Arts course, the Core office is considering reversing its decision to make retaking the exam mandatory.

Loeb Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology David G. Mitten and his students in Literature and Arts B-21, "Images of Alexander the Great," have asked administrators to allow other options besides a the currently-planned mandatory final exam on Feb. 3, the first Saturday of the new semester.

"This is a unique situation," Mitten said. "It's a crisis. I'm trying to offer as many options as I can as long as I can do so."

The decision is not in Mitten's hands alone. The Registrar, Dean of the College and Core office must decide whether the class can offer an optional final. Those administrators could not be reached for comment over the weekend.

Many students said that it would be unfair to retake the test after the trauma they experienced Thursday, when a homeless man disrupted the original final by entering their exam room and threatening to blow up the Science Center.

"I really think an optional exam would be the best way to go," said Anna Yesilevsky '04. "It's sort of like a punishment to take it after intersession rather than a step towards helping us."

Course teaching fellows stand behind the students' pleas.

"An optional exam would be the best thing to do for students. They can use that to bump their grades up, and those that are bothered by the experience won't have to relive trauma by taking it," said head teaching fellow Lisa A. Buboltz.

Whether the exam is mandatory or not, Mitten said one thing is certain: the test will not be held in the Science Center again.

"I think it's cruel and unusual punishment to force people to relive once more the traumatic experience they underwent Thursday morning," he said.

Within the past few days, students have sent out a flurry of e-mail messages voicing concerns with a rescheduled final exam. Yesilevsky has sent out a petition signed by 50 of the 250 students in the class so far.

"A lot of friends said it's been a very traumatic experience, especially after what happened in Columbine," she said. "A mandatory exam would be putting undue stress on students."

Although Mitten did not organize the petition drive and has not signed the petition, he said that he respects the effort and appreciates Yesilevsky's initiative.

Buboltz has also read and addressed student concerns and said she hopes a compromise can be reached.

"It's going to be impossible to satisfy everyone," she said. "We can never adequately make up for the disruption. I just hope Harvard recognizes the vulnerability of final exam period."

A take-home test has been ruled out because many students have already left town. Students whose schedules conflict with the official Feb. 3 date will be individually accommodated by the Registrar.

Mitten said the revised exam will minimize or completely forego the use of slides. Instead, it will be mostly essay-based and will not test memorization as much as the original exam did.

Students will receive a more detailed e-mail message about the format of the test, just as they received for the first.

In the meantime, Mitten and Buboltz said their main concern is students' mental well-being.

"Some are really bothered by it and will never be completely the same," Buboltz said.

She said she encourages students affected by the threat to seek counseling.

No matter the outcome, though, students and teaching fellows said they appreciate Mitten's understanding.

"He's doing the lion's share," Buboltz said.

--Staff writer Adam M. Lalley can be reached at lalley@fas.harvard.edu.