Continuing in its policy of publishing a Confidential Guide not only to whole courses but to half courses, the CRIMSON commences this morning a guide to the courses which are continuing after the Midyear Examination period. The purpose and spirit of these criticisms remains essentially the same as that followed in other guides of the past few years.
That they are being published early in December instead of in January, as they were last year, is explained by the fact that the date for the filing of Study Cards for the second half year has been advanced over the practice of former years to December 20.
Comprises Individual Opinions
The CRIMSON endorses in no official manner the criticism in the Confidential Guide. It can guarantee only that they are sincere opinions of competent individuals. The reports are representative only in so far as the critics themselves, who may be considered as representing fairly the undergraduate opinion, are representative of the student body.
An innovation in this particular guide is that the criticisms have been drawn, not only from editors of the CRIMSON, as previously, but from a comparatively wide range of undergraduates.
The courses are listed alphabetically and in numerical order. The Guide will be continued in tomorrow's CRIMSON.
Anthropology A
There are just about two good reasons for taking this course. If you are concentrating in Anthropology it is probably a good idea to have it behind you; and secondly, if you want to ease your program for the second half year it will turn the trick very nicely. Lest there be any misunderstanding let it be made clear that it is not an out and out snap course. It probably used to be; but Professor Hooton found that out, and it has been so stiffened that it is only a very simple course now.
The work consists in two divisions,--lectures and assigned reading. It must be said, in all truthfulness, that they do not both cover the same ground. The reading is tested separately from the lecture material. It consists in considerable assignments of Darwin, Newman and others, but any one of these will cover the ground of the others. The lectures strike a certain percentage of the class as amusing. At the opening sessions there are considerable guffaws, but this soon wears off and you find yourself confronted by the awful reality of having to listen to Professor Hooton read from his little cards in a low monotone.
The material of the course is officially listed as "Human Evolution", and covers the descent of man and his distribution over the earth's surface. There is no doubt that Professor Hooton is a very eminent anthropologist, but when taking the course one cannot help having the feeling that he is not particularly interested in the work in question. With this attitude in evidence on the professorial side, a show of wild enthusiasm on the part of the members of the course is hardly to be expected. In short, it is a half course covering what could be a distinctly interesting field of human knowledge, in a most decidedly uninteresting way. This being the case, concentration in Anthropology or the search for a relatively easy half point toward the degree are the only plausible reasons for taking the course.
Comparative Literature 6b
Any man registering for a course dealing with "the literary history of England from the Norman Conquest to 1500" is probably fully conscious of what he is undertaking. The only thing to be done in this particular case is to extend sympathy and condolences.
Economics 7b
This course, originally intended as a small, intimate course on the socialist economists, when given for the first time last year, proved too popular to be labelled as small. Its intimate nature however was retained through Mr. Mason.
One of the youthful prodigies of the Economics department, with an Oxford education behind him, Mr. Mason conducts the course along lines that are wholly enjoyable. Informal lectures--you may interrupt any time you wish--are the backbone of the course, but there are also occasional sessions devoted to a general class room discussion, with the conservative students standing off their more radical colleagues and with Mr. Mason holding the scales.
