THE STROLLER HEALTHY OR NOT? WRITING at Columbia," writes Prof. Mark Van Doren in the current issue of The Columbia Review as one of the judges of the short story and poetry contest recently held by the magazine and Philolexian, "writing at Columbia is for the moment in a healthy state." The moment, according to The Spectator, ended last Tuesday night. That is to say it ended if The Spectator concedes that it ever existed at all, since the two persons most responsible for the events of that evening shared first place in the poetry division of the contest and their prize poems were among the main features that night. On the evening in question, 75* or 107** people sat in the dark in the John Jay meeting room, gazing at the flickering flames of two red candles and listening to Philolexian members reciting from behind a screen the poetry of William Shakespeare, John Donne, Edna Millay,…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1934-05-01 →

Communications Philolexian's 'lvory Tower' To the Editor of The Spectator: On examining Mr. Giles' letter to The Spectator a great weariness overcame me. Mr. Giles ought to read up on the modern application of Marxism to literature. He would discover the emphasis to be placed on PROPAGANDA, not reflection. Mr. Fitzgerald writes "Tender Is The Night" which reflects our decay as completely as did Proust; and the communists sneer. "Escapism!" they cry—-"he admits chaos and does nothing about it." That is their complaint against the less specious S. Lewis and even against Dreiser. Let us define terms, Mr. Giles. Inquire of The New Masses, of The Communist Review, of The Daily Worker, as to what should constitute literature. They will tell you, not reflection but propaganda for revolution. Literature needs no justification for its existence. The communists shall not "permit" or…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1934-05-07 →

THE STROLLER An Answer THE tumult and shouting about Philolexian's one venture into an experimental esthetic field seemed to have died a fortunate death until the reprise in a recent edition of The Spectator: two communications rather unfairly bristling with errors. Ml"! Bauman's letter is the more erinaceous. To begin with, Mr. Gund does not speak with the certainty of one who does not know. Mr. Gund's father is a prominent radical leader, and Mr. Gund himself happens to be a radical. Therefore Mr. Bauman's "any" seems a bit emphatic. It might be well, too, to point out that Michelangelo's work was biblical, and that of Rodin could not possibly have been further away from an actual portrayal of the times. Praxiteles worked in a period that cannot be compared economically to the present crisis. The reference to astronomy, Mr. Bauman, has set many beards to waving over in the…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1934-05-15 →

PHILO CHOOSES NEW OFFICERS Revised By-Laws Approved By Literary Society MAY PRESENT MOVIE Plans Discussed For Annual, Special Review Issue Philolexian Society elected its officers for the Spriir£ semester last night. The College literary group named Herman Gund '3 SJ, president; Schuyler Lawrence '36, vicepresident; Paul K. Thomson '37, secretary; and Milton Crane '37, treasurer. Lawrence, the retiring head, presided at the meeting. Lawrence read the revised constitution to the Society, which accepted it unanimously. Chief among the new features is the initiation fee of $2.50, includes the first year's dues. Consider Film Showing Treville LaTouche '37 was appointed to investigate the possibilities of presenting "The Age of Gold," a surrealist motion picture. A permanent program committee was selected, consisting of LaTouche, Gund, Lawrence and Graham P. Singer '35. Plans were…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-02-08 →

Philo Nominations Will Close Tonight Candidates for membership in Philolexian have until tonight to present themselves before the Campus literary society and submit manuscripts necessary for election, Herman Gund '3 7J, president, announced yesterday. Tonight's .meeting of Philolexian, which will take place at 8 o'clock, will feature a special literary propram.. Final action will be taken on the forthcoming MorningsideBoar's Head issue of Columbia Review, which , will contain the work of Columbia College, Barnard and University students. Special prizes will be awarded by Philolexian for he. best contributions, Gund said. Membership in the society is open to all those interested in literary activity.

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-02-14 →

MEMBER'S NOVEL READ TO PHILO Book of Graham Singer Deals With Mad Dilletantes 2 NEW MEN ELECTED Society Seeks to Take Over Boar's Head Functions An entire novel, written by Graham P. Singer '35, was read before a session of the Pl.ilolexian Society in the Student Board room last night. The novel, "Fish Out of Water," presents a cross-section of various exotic social cycles. Following a Thorne Smith vein, the book deals with the eccentricities of a fire chief named Joe who finds himself out of place in the modern world. Two short stories, "The Buckboard" by Herman Gund '3SJ and "Meditation on Corruption" by Eugene B. Williams '37, were also read as part of the society's literary program. "Buckboard" portrays a "child's first disillusionment with his parents. Robert Lax '3B and Albert Field j '3S were elected members after a consideration of manuscripts prepared by them. Lax has…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-02-20 →

PHILO TO REVIVE POETRY SOCIETY Joint Committee of 3 Groups Will Reorganize Boar's Head, Says Gund Boar's Head Society, defunct since 1 932, will be revived this Spring - by joint action of Philolexian Society, the Barnard Literary Society and the Columbia Review, Herman Gund •35J. president of Philolexian, an- j r.ounced yesterday. A committee consisting of representatives of the three organizations will meet in the near future to choose a Faculty board of critics to determine the award of the prizes which will be awarded after the poetry reading that will be held in April. All poems read at the i Boar's Head reading will be published in an expanded copy of the Columbia Review, also to appear in April. Dean Giluei'.sleeve Approves Dean Virginia C. Glldersleeve of Barnard has given her consent to the participation of the Barnard Literary Society in the Boar's Head project. Barnard's…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-02-28 →

PRIZES LISTED BY BOAR'S HEAD To Give Eight Cash Awards At Poetry Reading ERSKIEN IS INVITED Special Meeting of Philo Is Called for Tonight A first prize of twenty-five dollars will be awarded at the Poetry Reading in Casa Italiana April 25, Herman Gund '3SJ, chairman of the Reading and President of Philolexian Society announced yesterday. Three second prizes of ten dollars each, and four third prizes of five dollars each, will also be awarded. The enthusiasm with which Faculty members and students have responded to the poetry reading was making the substantial prizes possible, Gund added. All prizes will be announced several days before the Reading. Poems Selected All poems for publication in-the Boar's Head issue of The Columbia Review have been selected. Twentysix poets will be represented, four of whom are Barnard students. Most of the poems printed will be read by the…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-04-15 →

Philo Poetry Deadline Fixed for Thursday Thursday has been set as the deadline for all contributions to the Philolexian membership prose and poetry contest, Herman Gund '3SJ, president, announced yesterday. Two prizes of twenty-five dollars each will be awarded in each division, he added. 'Dr. Jacques Barzun, professor of history, has accepted the position of judging the manuscripts which are to be handed to Milton Crane '37 before Thursday. At this week's meeting an unusual program will be featured. Good and bad poetry will be read without identification and the members will be asked to distinguish between the two.

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-04-30 →

Barzun, Westbrook To Act as Judges In Prize Contest Dr. Jacques Barzun of the History department and Mr. H. Theodoric Westbrook of the Fine Arts department will be the judges in the forthcoming Philolexian Society prize contest, Herman Gund '3SJ. president of the society, announced last night. The deadline for all manuscripts to be submitted in the contest is noon May 6, and no manuscripts will be accepted after that date, Gund emphasized. Only members of Philolexian whose dues have been paid are eligible to compete in the contest. There will be 110 meeting of the society tonight, as had been scheduled, Gund declared. It has been caucelled in favor of the opening night performance of "The Tempest," which is being presented by the Columbia Laboratory Players at McMillin Theatre.

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1935-05-02 →

Review Appears - Minus Critical Articles; Christmas Issue Features Stories, Poetry The Columbia Review, Campus literary publication, completes its swing away from the critical attitude which dominated last year's issues, in the Christmas edition of the publication appearing on S. A. F. at noon today. This issue, the second of the year, is devoted exclusively to poetry, short stories, editorials and reviews. There are no critical articles. The inside of the front cover carries an announcement of the $5O prize contest sponsored by the Review in collaboration with Philolexian Society for undergraduate compositions in verse or short story form. Contributions by three Sophomores, one Freshman and the editor-in-chief, Harold H. Friedman '34, comprise the fiction list in the issue. "Prelude" by Robert Giroux '36, "Involution" by Robert P. Smith '36, "Panegyric" by Allen B. Ericson '37, "Man…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1933-12-18 →

Communications An Answer for Mr. Gund To the Editor of The Spectator: In today's Spectator Herman Gund, with a certain amount of bravado and an attempt at airy persiflage, attacks Mr. Giles for his communication of last week. As an interested onlooker of Philo's "experiment" I do not object to Mr. Gund's manner but to his matter. Mr. Gund, with the certainty of one who doesn't know, in speaking of three of the Communist journals, exhibits gross ignorance or what is even worse, a desire to misrepresent the facts when he says, "They will tell you, not reflection but propaganda for revolution." Any responsible representative of the Communist Party will deny such a statement and will try to explain the importance of reflection in arriving at an understanding of the Marxian doctrines. To the sentence "It (literature) may reflect or not reflect our times, as it chooses," may I express my…

Columbia Daily Spectator, 1934-05-10 →