To the Editor:
As a Computer Science major, I feel the need to take the time to respond to a few points raised in Kenji Hosokawa's most recent column ["The Harvardization of Dartmouth," April 28].
Although I am a student of one of Hosokawa's "master sciences," I completely disagree with his characterization of their role in the educational process. There is no doubt that the natural and mathematical sciences have an important role to play in modern life -- after all they have made possible the tremendous technological progress of the 20th century. However, even the most dedicated scientist lives in a world under the influence of more human forces. Politics is a condition of life for everyone, religion a motivating force for many, and most of us feel that our lives would be greatly impoverished without art and literature. Given these facts, I cannot see why the humanities and social sciences have to justify their existence. It seems obvious that they deal with subjects that are as much a part of our existence as chemistry and physics.
Secondly, I would like to respond more specifically to Hosokawa's characterization of the Computer Science department. It is hardly surprising that Hosokawa would single out Professor Cormen as an exemplary member of the faculty; he is the co-author of the most popular and widely used computer algorithms textbook. To imply that he is the only significant department member (or one of a very small number) is, however, patently false and ridiculous. Although our program is not as large as that of MIT (where, I am told, 25 percent of all undergraduates major in computer science), it has many extremely well-respected faculty members engaged in very important and exciting research projects. They are also dedicated to teaching to a degree that my friends at larger universities envy. Of course, Hosokawa would dismiss this, since the truly amazing computer science student does not need teachers to succeed. It may be true that a small minority of students can overcome bad teaching, but the vast majority of us need it, and every student, no matter how extraordinary, can benefit from it.
