CONFIDENTIAL GUIDE

With the following reviews of English 22 and Philosophy 3a, the Crimson concludes its review of courses given by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and open to undergraduates during the second half-year.

English 22

Although English 22 is catalogued as a full course it may with the permission of Mr. Hersey instructor of the course, be taken during the second half-year.

The requirements are not at all excessive: 1000 words a week and one long theme of 2000 words every month, on any subject whatsoever, from light phantasmagoria to Socratic dialogue. There is no final examination nor is it necessary to attend the lectures to pass with an honor grade.

In the lectures, however, Mr. Hersey has incorporated two items which make it foolhardy, so far as personal enjoyment goes, to miss any of them. His practice of giving illustrated talks two or three times a month makes the course extremely delightful and a fair target for Vagabonders. The slide-lectures cover a multitude of topics, such as the Wessex of Hardy. The other novelty he offers is the presentation of leading actors and actresses, such as Walter Hampden or Vivian Tobin, to his class. The guests usually talk on some phase of contemporary drama.

Philosophy 3a

There was at one time last year a student in search of a moderately pleasant half course in Philosophy wherewith to complete his requirements in the field of ultimates. He wanted something with "linked sweetness long drawn out", something that would not further injure the brain cells badly shaken by a jaunt through Phil. B. He was the writer of this review. He decided on the survey of evolution given in this course because he had an idea that it would not be connected very closely with philosophic theory. He made a mistake.

It seems that the customary thing for the undergraduate logician to do who has solved Kant, chuckled at Leibnitz and written an original thesis proving that Nietzsche was an obscurantist with disguised nympholeptic longings is to take up this course by way of easement. The reviewer sat among scholars from the start. The one on the left took notes in French and German. The two on the right giggled over puns in the original Greek. All of them smiled when hour exams were announced. It was a disturbing atmosphere, although here and there were scattered other strays like the reviewer who like him at once began to compute the possible costs of the tutoring school.

The pity of it all is that the course has or should have considerable interest. Huxley and Darwin are chiefly considered. Their theories are still of present concern. It is true as well that the efforts of Professor Lewis to force his widely dissociated materials into a semblance of form are as attractive as any intellectual katzenjammer can be. But the reading assignments are lengthy, the quizzes frequent, and the standards high enough to exclude the Man-without-a-Purpose. It is this person's conviction that at some past day a misguided confidential reviewer shouted from the house-tops that here was the course for the gentleman to snare his "C" in, and that since then the gods in the machine have been leaning backwards in their efforts to prove it not so. At any rate, it can now be said, with the movie critics that this is not for the kiddies. If you want to find out about man's relation to the ape look up "evolution" in the encyclopedia and be done with it.