Shopping Period Blues

THE staff position fails to take into account a number of factors which make lotteries an inevitable part of the Core Curriculum, and glosses over the simplest solution. The proposed plan, increasing the number of courses offered, would not solve any problems; some classes will always be overly popular due to student preferences and word-of-mouth, regardless of the amount of offerings.

Also, there cannot feasibly be a "standard procedure" for lotteries, as there are too many variables, such as when the course will be offered again and how much space is available. Likewise, it would be unfair to exclude concentrators, since departments cannot be expected to offer similar classes both within and outside of the Core.

Lotteries have always been present, especially in the Core, but until this year they were just a nuisance, not a burning issue. The key to the problem is briefly mentioned in the staff position. Return the shopping period to its original length, giving everyone time to recover if thrown out of a course, and lotteries will fade into the background where they belong.