University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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Are You a Communist? A deep voice from the radio startles the listener as he involuntarily draws his chair closer and tunes up the radio. The program that followed was the University of Chicago Roundtahle, that program which after six years on the National Broadcasting Company without interruption now has more listeners than any Other educational program. In the last year and a half the number of stations on the Roundtable network has doubled and the audience has increased to some four mil- lion American adults. The Roundtable broadcasts try to provide these Americans with stimulating discussions on topics of current interest. These of course vary greatly according to the program, the artists involved, and the immediate news of the times. This recent success was due to the research staff, headed by Sherman H. Dryer, set up by the Uni- versity for the purpose of increasing the audience appeal of the program. Difficulty is encountered with such a program because the experts will not talk in the language of the listener nor have they much time to devote to a minor point. In order to correct these faults a recorded rehearsal of the broadcast is held where participants lose their mike lright and try out the discussion. When this is played hack the errors seem very obvious and suggestions are made for improvement. The ideal group of three consists of two recognized authori- ties and a third experienced round tahlcr who will poke questions at each One and try to keep them down to definite terms. At intervals the director Hashes picture cards lettered in cartoon fashion which admonish the speaker to put his elbows on the table 01' to speed up. In this wa;r the sugges- tions are followed hut treated as a joke and :10 eepted graciously. T0 catch the immediate atten- tion of the listener, the programs have been opened by dramatic news Hashes and startling news questions. The time spent in planning and carrying out the program is rewarded by the response from the radio audience. On the first six days following the recent discussion on the Jewe by Speakers Willey, 'Wirth, and Wilson, one thousand letters a day Were received. Copies of each broadcast are now distributed in pamphlet form to five 01' ten thousand listeners every week. The number of letters received after each week- ly hroadeast is sufhcint testimonial as to the popu- larity of this feature on the airwaves. However, the future of the Roundtahle stood on rather shaky legs last autumn when Vice-President Benton of the University discontinued University broadcasts in connection with other schools. He maintained that any advertising the University was able to do through the medium of radio should he done for the University alone and not for the University merely as one of several institutions. At that time many critics criticized his actions, claiming that the University could never afford hook-ups that would reach such wide audiences, if they went into broadcasting for themselves. Benton felt differently. The result is obvious from the reception the Roundtahle discussions receive from Florida to Michigan. Not only is the Uni- versity successfully advertising itself through the medium of radio, hut is also providing people from many parts of the country with excellent intel- lectual entertainment. e247

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The Human Adventure begun last summer as an experiment is the Uni- versitfs educational variety show. The dramatic program was so well received it returned to the air this winter over CBS. The scripts for the weekly program are prepared at the University by professional writers on any subject of university research; research need not be at Chicago but any American school. It varies from recounting thrill- ing scientiiic discoveries to the lesser known re- search of literary scholars. For example, one pro- gram described the famed Chaucerresearch project of Professor Manley and Edith Rickert; it included the story of their world-wide journeys to libraries to photograph original Chaucer manuscripts as well as to obtain information regarding the content of Chaucerjs stories. Another very popular Human Adventure story was the dramatization of the finding of an old Irish manuscript. This playlet told the story of the Universityis famous scholar Tom Peete Cross. Mr. Cross, who has spent much time studying and doing research work abroad, was made into quite a literary hero through the efforts of the Uni- versity advertisers. The manuscript in question, which was really only a minor contribution of the venerable scholar, was found conveniently for the Human Adventure if not for Mr. Cross in the wall of an old monastery in Ireland. The language in which it was written was of course Old Irish, of which Mr. Cross is perhaps the greatest living master. Human Adventure stories come on the air on Saturday afternoons in conflict with the Metro- politan Opera broadcast. Due to thiS' fact the audience is hardly as great as that which hears the Roundtable discussiorls. However, this perhaps was the idea lurking in the minds of the men who planned the program. Certainly it attracts younger listeners who are more likely not to be interested in opera. From the fact that Human Adventure stories are intellectually toned down to the mind of the average high school student one suspects that these stories are used as bait to lure prospec- tive students into the folds of the University. Cer- tainly they are rather unattractive to more mature persons who would he :in more of a position to donate sums to the funds for which Mr. Hutchins is always praying $.25h