Spanish Club Offers Unique Approach to Iberian History and Present Scene

This is the thirteenth in a series of articles on extra-curricular activities in the college.

The Harvard Spanish Club was first founded in the year 1900 under the name of La Sociedad Espanola de Harvard, with an initial membership of 40. It was an enthusiastic group, judging by the activities of which we have record. Meetings often consisted of discussions of literary subjects, and about once a year a play was presented. The aim of the group was to foster friendly relations between our country and countries of Spanish speech and culture, and this goal has been kept over since.

The ensuing history of the Club has been varied. Vicissitudes have occurred as is to be expected in a society of which the membership changes as often as must be the case in a University. Under the name of the Cireulo Espanol the Club continued its existence for a while. Last year it was reorganized as the Club Espanol de Harvard under the leadership of professor Guillermo Rivers, as faculty advisor, and Mr. Emilio Aguila as president. At the regular meetings several speakers were presented and they discuss various topics of interest.

The plans for this year are, in general, similar to these of last year. We hope however, to lay more stress on the use of Spanish as a medium for conducting the meetings and shall encourage its use among the members as far as possible. Yet everyone who is interested in things Spanish will be welcomed and will be eligible for membership, subject to the vote of the Executive Board.

At least half the meetings will be informal and will be given over to short plays and readings to be presented by the members themselves. We hope thus to give opportunity to these interested in Spanish to hear it spoken well and to some degree coloquistly, a privilege often difficult to find: and also to use it themselves. We hope, too, to give an approach to Spain somewhat different from that found in regular college courses and complementary to them. Spain is no less to be found in her newspapers and magazines and her modern music than in her literary masterpieces of the past, and we shall endeavor to see something of this side, too.

The officers for the present year are: Erwin Jaffe, 3G, president; Thomas Allen, '36, vice-president: Jose de Varon, '38, secretary; Earle S. Randall, 3G, treasurer; and Edward Coffey, '36, fifth member of the Executive Board. Professor Rivera continues as faculty advisor. As has already be mentioned, all members of Harvard University who are interested in Spanish are eligible for membership. The last open meeting will be held tonight at 7.45 in the Adams House Upper Common Room: at that time a more complete outline of the proposed activities for the year will be given, a short play will be presented, and humorous sketches read