A Centennial View of
the Student Experience at the
University of Chicago
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Phoenix, Midsummer Madness Number, December 1921. A combination of the humorous and the literary distinguished Phoenix as the leading student publication of its kind. The magazine was thoughtfully written and handsomely designed. |
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Pulse, Number Two, October 1937. Adopting the style and range of Henry Luce's Time magazine, Pulse offered its readers sharply written pieces on student politics, sports, art, international affairs, and women's fashion. |
The Student Voice
Other
Student Publications
Chicago Review, founded
by J. Radcliffe Squires (AM 1946) and Carolyn Dillard (SSA 1946), managed
to avoid these cycles and became a durable student publication. The longevity
of Chicago Review can be attributed to a succession of strong
staffs and a reliance on contributions from professional writers.
Poetry and literary criticism have inspired the greatest number of student publications. The appearance of new poetry and literary journals suggested that a niche existed in student life for such creative efforts. Comment (1933-36, 1956-57), Circle (1922-25), and The Forge (1924-27) can be considered among the more important of these efforts. Their brief life spans are indicators perhaps of the creative energy involved in their production, and the tenuous nature of a student body constantly in a state of flux.
There has also been a vigorous attempt to make current events relevant to students. The socialist journal the Student Partisan (1937, 1947-50) advanced a particular student perspective on important national and international news. Pulse (1937-48) was active during the same period, but its style was less political and its subject matter more varied. Similar to the literary publications, most current events magazines were short-lived, unable to maintain a consistent following or a stable staff.
The same pattern characterized student humor publications. With the exception of the resilient Phoenix (1920-37, 1958-67), a life span of one or two years was the rule rather than the exception. From the Daily Granite (1923-24) and Gambolier (1946) to Midway Moron (1979) and the comic book Breakdown (1989), student humor publications have been more numerous than permanent.
Despite their fragile existence, student publications are one of the durable characteristics of student life. Through printed and illustrated material, University of Chicago students have expressed their literary and comic talents, as well as their frustrations and desires. The inspiration behind student publications will also endure, for it is replenished each quarter by new students who have something to say.