GRADUS AD PARNASSUM
Approving The Dartmouth . . . Anecdotes . . . Harvard'sSociety of Fellows . . . What Color CoverMiscellany and Comment
Under the able direction of E. H. Hymen '33 of Milwaukee The Dartmouth has presented this year a thoroughly readable and provocative editorial page. Vox Pops have flourished as never before. Letters on a wide variety of questions have been provoked by Hymen's sharp editorials. But he has not forsaken good taste to the barbs of criticism. Constructive and thoughtful suggestions and superior writing have rather distinguished his column.
News stories of local manufacture and the Associated Press items, so dry and abbreviated, don't seem to change very much. Dartmouth heelers seldom permit a ray of cheeriness or a beam of intellectual effort to permeate the news columns. But there is a department, in addition to editorials and Vox Populi, that is good reading. Classified Ads doesn't try to be good—it just is. Now is this bluffing, or isn't it? What would you think if you were the thief? "Person who took green ski jacket and tan shoes from south end of Occom Pond yesterday afternoon was seen and recognized by two responsible witnesses. If returned to 30 Robinson Hall by 1 today no action will be taken."
The threat contained in this advt. from The Dartmouth of January 6 is more severe than could be safely disregarded: "If theperson who was seen taking money from a wallet in gym locker yesterday returns same to The Dartmouth office, the matter will be dropped. Otherwise cursory action will follow."
From the columns of the Hanover Gazette one often gleans startling items. There are two that have lived for some years and promise to continue. One concerns the Bowling Green, Hanover's bowling alleys. The Gazette remarked in its weekly bowling news: "Two more groups of local ladies rolled on the alleys last week." From Etna came the information, in another issue, that the minister had been sick the preceding Sunday and so could not conduct the service. His wife stepped into the breach and took as her text for the sermon: "O Lord, What Have I Done?"
John Terence McGovern, author-sportsman, devotes a chapter of his just-published book, DIOGENES DISCOVERS US to E. K.Hall '92. The volume is published by theDial Press, New York. It is a collection ofinteresting biographies of 16 of the foremost sportsmen, and sportswomen, ofthe day including Lord Burghley, SirThomas Lipton, Devereux Milburn, Gustavus Town Kirby, and others. Mr. McGovern shows keen interest in the philosophiesof celebrated figures in the world of sports.He praises Mr. Hall's character and his insistence upon so shaping football rules asto do away with injuries to players, as faras might be possible. At the conclusion ofhis chapter on "Edward Kimball Hall" theauthor says: "E. K. Hall died in November,1932. We shall not soon look upon his likeagain."
More than sweet sometimes are the "uses of adversity." Behold a freshman basketball squad facing a cancelled schedule through shortness of general funds for athletic and recreational uses turning to merrily under the inspiration of a versatile instructor and making considerably something out of nothing. For there came first upon the news of abandoning freshmen sports a feeling of discouragement and resentment, then a determination to make something of the season after all, for necessity is the goad to invention. And here is the invention: the squad already assembled is divided into six parts, each part given the name of one of the six teams in the Intercollegiate Basketball League, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, and Dartmouth. A schedule similar to the League schedule is carried out amidst ever growing enthusiasm, and at the end a winner will be crowned.
The benefit out of this situation and one that opens up new possibilities is that the freshmen had not one team, but six! Every man who wants to play has a chance in the long series of "intercollegiate" games.
Contributors to this issue include HaroldW. Blodgett, instructor in the departmentof English. He graduated from Cornell in1921 and also holds advanced degrees fromCornell. Mr. Blodgett has taught Englishat Cornell, Illinois, and Keuka (N. Y.)College. He joined the Dartmouth facultyin 1929. As the author of several magazinearticles on Walt Whitman, Mr. Blodgettwas particularly interested in finding andtelling the story of Whitman's historic visitto Hanover.
Otto Schniebs and John W. McCrillis '19add another chapter to their "Modern SkiTechnique" with the article on ski waxing,published this month. A new edition oftheir skiing handbook, revised to includethis valuable information, is announced bythe Stephen Daye Press of Brattleboro.
The creation of a "Society of Fellows" at Harvard, announced by President Lowell, is the culmination of his ambition to establish the ways and means of fostering superscholarship by a selected group of extrapromising college graduates. Under the plan a group not exceeding twenty-four picked men, recently graduated from Harvard or any other college, will be selected "for their promise of notable contribution to knowledge and thought." Known as "Junior Prize Fellows," these men will receive, for a three-year term, free board and rooms in the various houses, a yearly stipend of from $1250 to $1500, and free use of all the facilities of the university, such as libraries, laboratories and all privileges of instruction. Under special circumstances, Junior Fellows may be appointed for a second term of three years, but no
longer. It is stated that the Junior Fellows shall "devote their whole time to productive scholarship, and preparation therefor, free from academic regulations for degrees," and that they "shall receive no credit for courses and shall not be candidates for any degree."
The inspiring ideal that is given one by the picture of this group of freed scholars, pursuing their own ideals of research, study, writing and experimentation, calls for superlatives. Certainly the elaborateness of the plan, its thoughtful concept and its generous endowment, mark it as the finest achievement of President Lowell's many. As successive classes of the Society of Fellows complete their residence and as members select a life-work it is to be hoped that college teaching will head the list. Such arrays of talent, so well prepared, must not be lost to the academic world.
Ford Whelden '25 of Detroit writes his enjoyment of Dr. Wheelock's Almanack and of other departments of the MAGAZINE but questions, without further comment: "Is the green color on the cover permanent?" His inference here evidently is not complimentary to the pretty pastel green that the editors and associated experts spent so much time in selecting last year. Every effort was made to make the cover green but not a boudoir shade nor yet the somewhat oppressive (so considered) green-black of the official Dartmouth Green.
But the virility of some thousands of Dartmouth he-men may be offended by this delicate tone of the color we delight in calling our own. Or it may be their esthetic sense—the resulting disapproval is the same. Yet there are those who say they are now getting used to the cover, they like it, and find it quite attractive. Some artistic souls suggest a darker green background with all lettering silhouetted in white and a narrow white strip around the halftone panel. Further comment is solicited. All suggestions involving no additional expense will be welcome!
D. K. Hammond '10, principal of the Santa Ana, California, high school was pleased enough with the December number to want an extra copy. In his note he says: "The MAGAZINE is greatly improved. The book reviews are especially interesting."
Prof. Rees Bowen, monthly conductor of Hanover Browsing, fully merits the compliments that he and we are receiving on this new department. He is glad to answer correspondence asking for information and comment not included in his monthly section. S. C. H.
