Bonjour, Professor; Welcome to French

The course catalogue describes French G as the continuation of French F, which is intended "for students who wish to perfect their knowledge of French." But that description ignores the law professor who makes his way to class at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The general spirit of the class, though, seems to keep within the outline in the course catalogue despite the unusual student presence.

"We don't make much fuss about that--he's very discreet," said the course's instructor, Senior Preceptor Anne Slack. "He's very much like any other student."

But unlike other students, he does not have to study for three or four other classes. Professor of Law Alvin C. Warren instead has to worry about planning the curriculum for his two classes, "Corporate Taxation" and "U.S. International Taxation."

Warren's area of expertise led him to study French. He began his study the fall of 1987, when Slack tested him and enrolled him in French F. Occasionally the work has been too much for his schedule; this fall he began French Hb, but had to stop because he did not have the time to do the classwork.

But Warren has pressed on with French, in part because he has a deadline to meet.

"My specialty is tax law and I'm interested in the integration of the European tax laws as part of the integration ofthe greater European economy for 1992," Warrensaid.

If his ambitions for his French seem greaterthan his classmates', they are not sensitive toit. He appears to be acheiving his goal of being"like any other student."

"I didn't know whether he was a graduatestudent or a professor or what for a really longtime," said classmate Michael A. Bender '92.

Warren and Slack both say that the lawprofessor works on the same grade scale as otherstudents, and that he does the same work.

"I've seen him at the language lab a lot, withhis earphones and everything," said Richard P.Cusick '92, another classmate.

But there are still the subtle differences. "Helaughs at us sometimes," said Cusick. "I think hegets a kick out of being on the students' side,hearing us talk, especially ragging on Harvard."

Some students enjoy having him on their side.Allison R. Armour '89 said that she thoughtWarren's class experience probably gave him agreater understanding of his students. She told ofone class presentation when students had todescribe their typical day.

"I think he definitely got a sense of our dayto day," said Armour.

"I think it's great that a professor takes aclass, as long as they don't take something that'stheir area of expertise, where they're going tooutshine everyone else and wreck the curve,"Armour said