New Magazine to Solicit Students' Class Papers

The Harvard College Forum, a new publication of students' papers written for undergraduate courses, this week began soliciting submissions.

The Forum will accept non-fiction works of three to 15 pages originally submitted in an undergraduate course and not previously published, according to founder and president Jeffrey A. Rosen '56. The magazine has placed boxes for submissions on the first floors of Hilles and Lamont libraries and also will ask professors and prize committees to recommend papers for publication.

"We hope to get representation from as many disciplines as possible, humanities and sciences alike," said Rosen."

Dead Brain Cells

"There are thousands of trees and brain cells dying per year to produce great scholarship and it all gets confined to some dusty drawer," said Rosen of his reasons for starting the magazine. "We hope to resurrect them and lead them to a more dignified end."

The magazine, which will not run advertisements or offer subscriptions, is currently seeking from the Undergraduate Council and other channels the $3200 necessary to publish and distribute 4000 copies of a 32-page issue sometime in March or April.

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Steven Ozment has taken on somewhat of an advisory role for the Forum. "I think it's something that both students and faculty can pet enthusiastic about," said Ozment. "How can you not be attracted to an idea that is so obviously an expression if what we're all here to do."

Orment added that there is a possibility of allocating moneys form the Innovative Education funds which his office controls. "The fund is broadly defined for creative faculty student undertakings and I think this could fall under that umbrella."

Rosen said the Forum has not formalized how it will select papers for publication, but will rely on a student-faculty editorial board to read and assess the submissions.

idea Came From Yale

The idea for the publication came from the Yale Undergraduate Forum, which was founded last year, Rosen said, "It will be similar, but we plan on giving it a lot classier appearance. We want to make ourselves Harvard's newest and most elegant journal."

J. Lloyd Suttle, Yale dean of students affairs, said that the three issues of the Yale Undergraduate Forum published last year received "a positive reaction, not only from students and faculty but alumni also." After its first issue, the magazine began to receive funding from outside sources.

Rosen said that the staff of the Forum currently includes about 15 members and is open for anyone who wishes to get involved.