Can't Find your English class? Check in DRL

There's a reason why College sophomore Paul Luongo is not an engineer. The walk. So Luongo was a little surprised to find that his 10:30 a.m. course on Ghandi's India was held almost seven blocks from his High Rise North dormitory -- in the Towne Building, home of the Engineering School. Over the years, courses in mismatched locations have almost become a tradition -- a Civil War course in the basement of the Moore School, a Cultural Studies recitation in David Rittenhouse Laboratory, or a Middle East Politics course in the Nursing Education Building. Assistant Registrar Sandy Fagan said last week that the unexpected class locations stem in part from the fact that many departments do not have a designated building. Many large College classes are also relocated to science buildings because of space limitations. History Department Chairperson Richard Beeman said professors often opt for larger classrooms in distant buildings because the rooms which they are allotted -- like those in Williams Hall -- are inappropriate for the nature of the class. And besides, Beeman said, they just don't like Williams Hall. "I wish that someone would blow it up and start over again," Beeman said. "We often look wistfully at Steinberg-Dietrich Hall," Beeman said. "But, we seem to be effectively barred from using those buildings." And, students say the problem with locations is not limited to history classes. Several English courses are being held in the Nursing Education Building and smaller departments and programs like American Civilization, Afro-American Studies and Women's Studies are frequently spread across campus. Assistant Registrar Fagan said she has heard no complaints and does not think that more classes are in distant buildings than in the past. But History Professor Robert Engs, who teaches a course on the Civil War, said that until this semester, none of his courses except those in the College of General Studies have been held in Engineering School buildings. But this semester students of the course must hike to a cramped room in the basement of the Moore School. "Apparently it is because of the size of the course," Engs said last week. "It reflects a really bad situation. It is an awful room -- windowless and dirty." "I keep on walking past those splendid buildings in the Wharton complex and I wonder . . .I think we are being badly served," Engs said. Engs said he has to let students out five minutes early so that they can make their next classes. Engs predicted that the lack of College classroom space will cause departments to limit class size so more classrooms are available. Officials in other College departments said they have not experienced a space problem. Nancy Bonsall, undergraduate assistant for the Economics Department, said few economics classes are actually held in the McNeil Building, the department's home. But she said there are many other classrooms with good blackboards -- necessary equipment for economics courses. "In the Nursing Education Building they have lovely classrooms," Bonsall said last week. Some students say they have been frustrated about scattered classes for years. College senior David Benowitz said last week that he took classes during his first three years that were "a mile from my house." "The big rooms are awful," Benowitz said. "They aren't conducive to learning. You would figure if you are going to pay $20,000 a year you would get more." "Too hot in Towne. It was like 100 degrees," Benowitz said. "It was brutal in that classroom." But Engineering sophomore Tom Yannone said yesterday that College students have no right to complain. "All of my classes are in Towne, DRL, Moore, or Hollenback Center -- which is even further away," he said.

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