Radcliffe's Alma Mater, from Information about Radcliffe College for Prospective Students

And speaking of kindly mothers, one brief point: The Harvard Freshman Register, someone mentioned last week, lists prospective majors and preparatory schools for all those eager young men. The Radcliffe Freshman Register lists only dormitory addresses, also, presumably, for those eager young men.

As to great fulfiller of our dreams, I have no comment.

"Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences is world-renowned.... A Radcliffe freshman may well find herself being taught by a world-famous authority in a given field-for example, by a Nobel Prize winner."-from Information about Radcliffe, etc.

V

IN WHICH the Radcliffe Freshman finds herself being taught.

It's indisputable: the Harvard Faculty is world-renowned. And I just missed being taught by a Nobel Prize winner freshman year by taking the wrong Nat Sci. They're all here, all the Names, and that's what's so TERRIFYING-they're here, and you can meet them, and even they HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SAY.

Go to their lectures-THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. Invite them to dinner-THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. Go to a Faculty meeting, if you can get in-THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY, and say it badly. (How painful to hear Nobel Prize Winner debate Famous China Expert on some fifteenth little amendment to the all-powerful CRR.)

This is not their fault, nor should it be taken as a criticism. I have nothing to say either, and neither do you. I like Harvard's Famous Faculty. But it's so sad: if they can't tell us, how will we ever find out? If they can't find out, how will we ever know?

The only soup I've ever made came from a can.

VI

A word about the House system.

Ideally in the Houses, "historical truth, scientific discovery, mathematical deduction, cosmic theory, medical research, sociological and economic revolution and the gracious humanities appear at the breakfast table as vital and important as the citizen's daily does of crime and disappointment."-David McCord, quoted in Information about Radcliffe etc.

Of course, and Radcliffe pea soup has always been and perhaps will always be terrible.

Historical truth is a concept whose validity I have generally doubted. Scientific discovery is Progress, while mathematical deduction is Poetry, neither category being fitting for anybody's breakfast table. About cosmic theory you shouldn't ask. Medical research is probably a Good Thing, although Michael Crichton is not. To s. and e. revolution, of course, right on. The gracious humanities are My Field at Harvard, and as such inseparable from my daily does of disappointment. Crime is a confusing issue.

Of course, and the soup now comes with two crackers in the little package instead of four. Certainly Not a Practical Reform, someone was remarking at lunch just the other day.

VII

IN WHICH the Graduating Senior says goodbye.