DEAN ELUCIDATES A FRESHMAN HYDRA

The following article dealing with the Language Requirements was written especially for the benefit of the Class of 1931 by G. G. Benedict '23, Assistant Dean in Charge of the Record Office.

Of the various chimerical requirements and regulations that beset the path of the Harvard student probably there is none regarded with more bewilderment than the so-called Language Requirements. Like the mythical hydra it has several heads, each of which may be lopped off by the forewarned and forearmed undergraduate in one way or another. The purpose of this dissertation is to endeavor to make this monster less dreadful by explaining its several parts and the various ways in which it may be defeated.

In the first place, the Language Requirements must be met before the end of the Sophomore year. Failure to do this means that the student will be inflicted with a term of probation which will endure until he has satisfied the requirements.

In the second place, to be brief, the Language Requirements demand that a student must have shown either: (a) a reading knowledge of French and an elementary knowledge of German (or vice versa) or (b) a reading knowledge of Latin plus a reading knowledge of either French or German.

Urges Students to Take Exams

This knowledge may be displayed, in general, in two ways: either by passing special one-hour examinations in the several subjects mentioned above, or by obtaining certain grades in certain courses in Harvard College, of which more will be said later. The first series of the special examinations will be given on Saturday afternoon at times and places announced on the official bulletin boards and in the CRIMSON.

The courses, and the marks in them, which will be accepted towards fulfilment of the requirements are fully described on page 11 of the Rules Relating to College Studies. Some of the more common combinations are as follows:

(a) towards fulfilment of the elementary requirements: a C or better in French A, German A, or German D.

(b) toward fulfilment of the reading requirement: (1) of French, a C in French 1 or a D in French 2 or any other whole course in French literature higher than French 1: (2) of German, a C in German 1a, 1b, or 1c, or a D in any whole course in German literature higher than the above, and (3) of Latin, by a C in Latin A, or a D in any other whole course in Latin literature.

So much for ways and means. The best general advice that can be given to a Freshman at this moment is to try the examinations on Saturday, guess at the probable outcome with a rather pessimistic attitude, and arrange his course so as to meet some part of the requirements this year. If the outcome of the examinations is contrary to his expectations, he has until October 10 to drop or add courses free of charge.