I, II, III, IV: distributional groups face off

Group I

Group I is your universal translator—from French or Spanish to languages you didn't even know existed. Language classes are small, often with native speakers as teachers. The classes meet five days a week, allowing you to establish solid relationships with your teachers and your classmates. They're also fast-paced—German students read Kafka during their first year. For those of you lucky enough to already have fulfilled the language requirement, Yale's Group I superiority might very well lure you to become even more worldly by learning another language or to continue in upper-level language courses focusing on conversational skills and untranslated novels.

Group I's other focus is literature. The English, literature, and comparative literature departments are among the finest at Yale and boast an impressive roster of star professors. English professor Harold Bloom, GRD '56, one of the world's greatest literary scholars, wrote How to Read and Why, published in May 2000. For creative writers, Daily Themes offers a small group of students a chance to hone their craft through short daily assignments.

Yale's literature classes represent a range of genres, from medieval Italian comedy to modern gay fiction. As a Group I major, I have the luxury of reading books for class that I'd want to read on my own anyway. The literature major also allows you to combine your love of literature with any other academic interest you may have—politics, women's studies, or even science.

Whatever your style or preference, the languages and literature of the world are more than wide enough to encompass it. Whether you prefer Homer, Ibsen, or Ellison, Group I has courses for you. Detest poetry or love it, like to write or like to read, check out a Group I class and find your literary niche. —Siobhan Peiffer

Group II

Group II is the most diverse distributional group at Yale. Among the departments included under its umbrella are American studies, architecture, film studies, African-American studies, women's and gender studies, theater studies, art, history of art, history, and philosophy.

History and history of art, two of the University's oldest and most popular departments, are home to some of the most highly respected scholars in their fields: Professor Jonathan Spence, SY '61, GRD '65, is regarded as a world-class authority on modern Chinese history, and Professor John Gaddis served as the chief advisor for CNN's popular Cold War documentary series. Sterling Professor Emeritus of History of Art Vincent Scully, JE '40, GRD '49, has long been considered one of the world's premier professors of architecture. The fine arts are also duly represented, as theater studies and art students are blessed with extended exposure to talented professors, many of whom have professional experience.

Additionally, Group II offers a chance to escape from the Western canon, something you might not be able to appreciate until you've suffered through a term of English 125, 129, or Directed Studies. Almost all of the cultural studies courses offered at Yale fall under the Group II heading. For a few brief minutes, you might actually be able to forget that all of the buildings on campus are named after long-dead white men.

Yale may be stodgy, but Group II is where irreverence thrives. Where else could you find classes on suburbia, alcohol, gangs, the mambo, Martin Scorsese, contemporary pop music, and generally deviant behavior (all of which were topics offered last year), in one distributional group?

You are a Yale student; if you're not over-educated already, you will be soon. Isn't it more practical to learn about culturally relevant topics (i.e., things you could talk about at a cocktail party to make people think you're witty and intelligent), instead of obscure topics that interest only hardcore academics (i.e., things you could talk about at a cocktail party to make people think you're a big geek)? Group II courses help you understand the world as it is by teaching you about the roots of contemporary culture and then encouraging you to create new interpretations of them. —Ann Ritter

Group III

Group III majors are the movers and shakers of Yale. They're the success stories that the Yale Alumni Magazine brags about. What group do the future eminent lawyers, governors, psychologists, labor organizers, and social scientists learn in? Why, Group III, of course. Psychology, sociology, political science, and economics are a few of the popular majors included in this group.

Group III majors can expect to write an adventurous senior paper. History majors routinely mock poli sci majors for the shorter required length of their papers—ignore these jealous Group II floozies. After all, courses in departments in Group III are generally smaller than courses in large departments such as English and history, and students thus receive more individual attention.

The wonderful thing about Group III is that its majors combine the realm of the theoretical with that of the practical. Group III majors learn how to analyze, write, and dream without relinquishing the real-world skills and exposure which will one day guarantee that they don't starve. It is no coincidence that the social sciences are positioned between the first two groups and Group IV. Group III teaches us to believe in the idea of a liberal education without getting carried away like the folks in Groups I and II. And, hey, we're not as grim as those Group IV kids trekking up Science Hill.

These areas of study provide a valuable opportunity to explore what really matters: the way people behave. Group III students are on the road to saving humanity, and they are starting their work as undergrads. While everyone else busily studies what is already known, we choose to focus on ever-changing theories and studies.

Group III is one of the strongest and most interesting groups at Yale. Classes offered in the past include Intelligence and Covert Operations, as well as International Drug Trafficking. Constitutional expert and political science professor David Mayhew's book Electoral Connection is one of the most influential works on congressional theory in the modern era. And psychology professor Robert Sternberg's, BK '72, theory of love and intimacy continues to play an important role in social psychology.

So whether you dabble in political theory or biological psychology, remember that taking an occasional class in American studies or history of medicine is okay. But when it comes time to choose your major, go with Group III. —Jay Munir

Group IV

Ever wondered how a whale evolved or why you shouldn't mix ammonia and bleach? Do you want to know why the robot you built as a kid never worked? There's only one place to find out, and it isn't in a history class. Group IV classes will satisfy the voice inside your head that asks the hows and whys that start you thinking about the world.

Group IV has a class or major for everyone, regardless of your past experience with science or math. If you get a thrill out of making pretty purple crystals, perhaps chemistry is the field for you. Did your parents come home to find that you had fixed the garage door, rewired the doorbell, and designed an automatic feeding system for your dog? Engineering classes could be just what you need. If you're planning on going to medical school, Group IV is where you'll fulfill your requirements.

The professors who teach Group IV classes are some of the most intelligent, dedicated, and approachable teachers on campus. They love talking to students who are as excited about science as they are. If you've always dreamed of doing your own research, then college is a great time to start. The facilities, while not extremely close to campus, are first-rate, so the walk to Science Hill is well worth it.

Most people don't think of Yale as a scientific university. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is not unusual to hear a professor casually mention the advanced algorithm she created or see a catalyst in your textbook that happens to be named after a Yale professor. The faculty includes Sidney Altman, a Nobel prize winner in biology, as well as prominent mathematics professor Benoit Mandelbrot. As undergrads, most science majors get the chance to perform research with professors.

Group IV is not limited to the classroom. Last summer, Yale's solar car racing team, Team Lux, traveled to Australia to participate in a cross-continental race. Groups of scientifically-minded Yalies also travel to local schools to help students design and perform their own experiments.

Never forget one of the main reasons to take Group IV classes—no papers. When you've finished your calculus problem set Thursday night and your roommate is on page two of a 15-page paper on the western literary tradition, remember to wave on your way out the door. At 5 the next morning, try to be sympathetic as she curses Group I—and be happy you chose Group IV instead.

—Laurie Randell

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