Freshman Plans Year-Off Seminar Near University

A dissatisfied member of the freshman class is organizing a "seminar" of College students to take a year off and live in Cambridge.

The plan, outlined by Robert Malts '64 in a prospectus sent out confidentially to about ten freshmen and sophomores, would allow participants to take advantage of University facilities and not be "hemmed in" by the requirements of institutional learning.

Malts said the idea occurred to him as a result of a meeting of students and Faculty members arranged by Byron T. Stookey, Jr. '54, associate director of Advanced Standing, to discuss student complaints about the College.

"Grade-Grubbing" vs. Research

In the meeting, Matls and others expressed dissatisfaction with concentration requirements, "grade-grubbing," and excessive reading, which, they felt, interfere with independent and interesting research.

The nature of the seminar will be determined by the participants, but "it is expected that it will be oriented primarily toward social sciences and social relations," said Malts.

His proposal is to rent rooms in Cambridge, to attend University lectures, and use libraries. In this way, participants "will be as nearly as possible in the main-stream of Harvard undergraduate life."

Plans are still very tentative, Malts said, but one faculty member, whose name he would not disclose, is "definitely interested" in the project.