<p>Was/is anybody a part of this student group? How is it like being in it? What is the criteria of being in the group and what are it’s benefits?</p>
<p>The criteria of being in the group is that you need to attend a meeting. Once entering the door of said meeting… you are a member.</p>
<p>That’s it? Are you sure of what you’re saying? It seems like a prestigious group that would probably require a GPA of 3.0+ to get in. Or maybe that might be for E-board positions. Im thinking of starting a similar literary org on my campus.</p>
<p>There are actually no requirements at all. The joke seems to be that if you even walk in on a meeting accidentally, you’re a “lifetime member”. You can become a full member by undergoing an initiation ceremony. It less a truly prestigious organization (a la Yale’s Secret Societies) than a literary/debate club that humorously takes itself too seriously on account of its history. At least that’s the impression I get from their wiki.</p>
<p>Not only their wiki, but their facebook group and website as well.</p>
<p>I think you might not get the joke. </p>
<p>I learned about Philolexian when my d. was a freshman and complained that she was finding the campus to be a humor-challenged place. So I went online to try to figure out if Columbia had any sort of activities that would appeal to her – and stumbled on Philolexian, which sponsored regular debates along these lines:</p>
<p>Resolved: Having an embarrassing name is worse than having an embarrassing face
Resolved: Penguins deserve to fly
Resolved: Everyone hates America because we are fat
Resolved: Parents have no business raising children
Resolved: The laws of science are unconstitutional</p>
<p>See: [Philolexian</a> Society - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“Philolexian Society - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia”>Philolexian Society - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>
<p>Very interesting. Seems like ultra-liberal people who are interested in non-conformity.</p>
<p>Nah, more like a bunch of kids dicking around.</p>
<p>Hello everyone!</p>
<p>I just wanted to step in and chat a little about Philolexia. I’m Zack Sheppard, a Columbia College junior, and the current Minister of Internet Truth for the Philolexian Society.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that we are “a society” and have our own set of traditions, we have no aspirations to be an especially pretentious or exclusive group. To be a “lifetime” member you only have to attend a meeting for any amount of time. Beyond that you may also become a full member, which requires you pass through the initiation process, but includes a few perks. It is a mostly social distinction rather than an academic or especially exclusive honor.</p>
<p>Overall, I’d say that we are a social club more than anything else. We’re a group of people who enjoy each other’s company and wit, meeting weekly to discuss sometimes philosophically serious topics (Resolved: The meaning of life is irrelevant) and sometimes ludicrous topics (Resolved: Pope vs. Bear). Additionally, some of us are also authors and poets who run our literary journal, Surgam, which publishes student essays, stories, and poems.</p>
<p>So, if you do end up as a Columbia student (or even just near the campus), please do swing by a meeting some Thursday night. I and the rest of the Philolexians will be most happy to welcome you as a lifetime member, and if you happen to enjoy yourself, a full member.</p>
<p>Surgam,
Zachariah Sheppard</p>
<p>Zack,
I’m pretty interested in the Philolexian Society. I’ve been a moderately successful high school debater for the last four years, but I’m getting tired of going to all the tournaments and taking it so seriously. My best friend loves the competition and is one of the top three in the state, and I know he’s planning on doing Parliamentary Debate at Yale. But I think I’d prefer a social atmosphere to a competitive one. </p>
<p>So I’m planning on becoming a lifetime member next year (you are letting freshmen join now, right? I don’t have to re-start the Peithologian Society?) and maybe even a full member, if I can deal with the weasels.</p>
<p>Hmmm seems to me like the term Philolexian Society is a more sophisticated way of saying “Debate team”</p>
<p>Not at all. Columbia has a separate Parliamentary Debate Team. The Philolexian Society (lit. “Discourse-Lover Society”) is basically a social group for students who appreciate literary debate and intellectual discussion, but also have a healthy sense of humor and irony.</p>