PAGE TEN 'Ti'Li A/TT(' "Ti- ANT n A TT V mrTr. r^r r^. a rr T.rn rr:°rx x-rv r.. -re n tnn.*."-. 1LTr- TVR~l-TI1-" A ?.ft fl/AILTT_ T7F 7DAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1 25-, t To sum up, we have onthe basis telligent under-graduate work dodg- of te three types of transition re- ers. It included frequently Greek and ferred to: Latin as foundation languages of our first: A period of change from recita- own tongue, mathematics as mental tions in school to lectures, required discipline and as a test of reasoning reading, laboratory periods, section ability, natural science to provide a meetings and quizzes. This is the general introduction to the phenom- information acquiring stage. - ena of nature, literature and rhetoric Second: A period of analysis and cor- to enable the student to read and relation of the information acquired write intelligently his own language during the first stage. (It should and logic which was the nearest ap- of course be pointed out that those proach to what we should today try in this stage can be trusted to ac- to include under general psychology. quire information themselves, in Stiff and unbending as it was, the old their own way, if given instruction system during theepurely preliminary as to where they can find it.) Senm- stage was, I believe, the very best o- nars, discussion groups, problems, tamable. Once its function in relation and projects form the methods of with slight modifications will probably instruction. to later stages of development is clear- Third: A period of investigation and[jly recognized, some such curriculum research (including and continuing reappear in many of our universities. the two previous types of training). 11I1 the process of readjustment we This involves personal conferences, shall admit the weakness involved in individual study, theses, and expo- diversifying the food given to minds ration, not yet ready to "digest" and shall As already stated, the time at which probably reduce and simplify the num- these various transition periods occur hber of subjects and courses offered to isa matter of individual variation, the student who has not passed the Harvard and some other institutions transition from the purely acquisitive are planning to require the first and to the correlative stage. second stages for graduation. Basing In the meantime it is possible, by a their judgment on the average experi- careful study of the electives chosen once of under-graduates they are plan- by those under-graduates whose major ning to bring on the transition at or subject is either athletics or outside near the close of the sophomore year. diversions, to determine programs So far as I am aware it has not yet which should be impossible. As an been decided how to treat those who example of one of the most beautiful are ready for the transition before of these,mosaics built by the combined that time or who are not ready at judgment of several college genera- that time, although working consci- tions of artful dodgers I submit the entiously and to the limit of their following choice of a prominent ath- ability. The very nature of the situ- lete in a small college: appreciation ation suggests a "pass" and an ad- of music, journalism (given by a fra- vanced or "certified" degree to recog- ternity brothier), history of religion, nize the two types of achievement. and fertilizers. The research grade might then be rec- Instruction in the second and third ognized by the award of an "honor" stages, being more advanced, will prob- degree. dereeably become more informal. Instead At present, the last mentioned type of offering, to the -world an enormous of transition has not been fully rec- number of formally organized courses ognized and utilized. Graduate stud- in shining array, groups of students ents naturally come to our mind in with a common interest will be formed. thinking of research. The unfortunate These groups will read, study, correl- truth is, however, that graduate stud- ate and discuss material in a general ents have among their numbers indi- field. At least two or three weeks of viduals classifiable under all three of .hAtmeath th rt hee teekskof these same headings. The mere fact the more than thirty which go to make thatp ir they already have a bachelor's de- u h college year will probably b tha tand are a certain number of passed in deciding upon the person- gree nd rea eran ubrofnel to be included in the various years older than are under-graduates,n os Asing direviou- does not necessarily mean that they groups. Assuming a directive func- have progressed mentally through the of such eapswouldme normally shape various transition stages referred to. f such groups wud somall shape I believe that graduate schools as the course of study, sum up discus- well as colleges should recognize the sions, and at times point out topics three grades of endeavor by some ap- worthy of emphasis. Most of the work, propriate means and that this fact however, should be done by the stud- should be recorded in awarding the ents themselves. master's degree. In the research phase the contacts The present methods determining should, of course, be more individual. the award of distinction appear to be All faculty members -of a department based upon the degree of excellence should be available to the student for shown by the student in the individ- consultation. Most of the work by ual courses taken-in other words any one student would, however, nor- primarily upon grades. As compared nally fall under one or two such men. with distinction based upon an increas- This phase,as I have said, would very ing ability to think and to create, the rarely be reached in the undergrad- present method is neither biological uate stage. Still, if only one per cent nor logical. Our scale of values of our under-graduates were ready for should be reconstructed to utilize nat- such privilegesthey should be given ural stages of mental development the right to work at the level which rather than arbitrary academic grades is commensurate with their mental involving no necessary change in at- ability. Not until the label "open to titude. This should apply at least graduate students only" is removed through the master's degree. At that from research courses shall we be do- point the choice is offered either to' ing our duty by the advanced student, eliminate from candidacy for the doc- the brilliant mind which is, in many torate those who have not shown abil- ways, our most precious responsibil- ity to do research, or else to continue ity.- the separation into classes through the doctorate itself. When a living organism has reached There is not the slightest doubt but a certain size it must either differen- that under the present system the tiate by division of labor and organ-- same "Ph.D." or "Sc.D." "label" is ize into smaller units or it must re- placed upon the revised and embel- main more or less inert; alive but not lished human encyclopedia who as an aware. Two thousand, or four thou- under-graduate by high grades alone sand, or eight thousand boys and girls scaled the dusty heights of Phi Beta of college age form, if left unorgan- Kappa, or upon the somewhat uncouth ized, as inert a group as would a col- and intensified youth destined some ony of single celled animals consist- day to be hailed as a creative genius ing of a similar number of cells. They in some particular field of research. become locally interested in small The unsuspect'ing departni'ent head groups for social or other purposes looking afield for young instructors as just as a group of cells in the colony game, fires the shot of opportunity at of Protozoa might be busily engaged the excelsior dummy of a scholar just in digesting some food particle. All as enthusiastically as at the living that the rest of the undergraduates scholar himself. Experience gained glean from the localized activity is by accumulating the dried bones of what permeates slowly from cell to under-graduates who have tried to cell or is spread by infection. Life has feed upon the excelsior dummy is the always progressed by organization of only way at present in which the two its diffuse elements of this sort into types can be distinguished. This whole some sort of workable unit. In such matter is, of necessity, wrapped up in a unit there should be enough diverse the reorganization of curricula and elements to give a fair opportunity for in giving more individual attention to 1 the development of a great number students. of different types of activity. What For the mind still occupied solely has held true of life in general since in the acquisition of facts, the freedom it first began its upward climb to of the modified elective system is, I greater socialization of function is believe, too great. The old prescribed surely true of man-supposedly the curriculum was designed to meet the highest of social organisms. needs of such minds. It was a selec- The freshman or other "group" dor- tion made by those responsible for mitories tried at various universities teaching rather than one left to the are a wise physical attempt to meet combined judgment of a number of in- the problem. they serve to segre- 3 r 1 r 3 T 1 . T i i 1 . t t t l l l i I f _ I I gate a group whose contributory units should have problems and interests roughly comparable to one another. So far everything is well conceived. Unless, however, experienced and in- spiring persons are put at the head of such groups, in residence, thus pro- vidiag a directive agent, mere geo- graphical proximity in a group of freshmen may engender quite as much time wasting activities as desirable habits, and as many hatreds as friend- ships. One real need for the college boy or girl is intimate contact with young - men and women of from thirty to sixty years of age,-(I mean spiritual- ly young))--who are before every- thing else their guides, advisors and friends. How can one expect group loyalty on the part of two or three hundred young men or women living in a dormitory-no matter how beau- tiful a building it may be-if no ef- fort is made to make life there mean something more than walls and floors? We have shamefully neglected the obvious value of the intimate friendly leader as an example to col- lege youth. The time is ripe for ef- forts to utilize him in his proper place. Men or women in charge of such groups need not necessarily be facul- ty members or world-renowned schol- ars. If they are fine and outstand- ing human characters, familiar with the institution, they will have fulfilled all that is needed to arouse the force of hero worship inherent in every boy or girl, who for a term of years is separated from the natural object of that hero worship, the parent, or otherf older relative or guardian. With the coming into being of such a process of sub-organization of un-. wieldy student bodies there would come a natural relief of petty police duty from the office of the Dean. Under, a reorganization into unts of about five hundred or less students, discip- line and advice would, in most cases, fall upon the shoulders of the leader of the group. The leader living with the students, could administer such matters at short range, and with' a de- gree of intelligence impossible under the present system. To bring about: such a reorganization of an existing, institution is tremendously difficult, but is, I believe, worthy of the at- tempt. If the principle is sound, we can begin to work toward its estab- lishment gradually and carefully after deliberate study of the material and psychological factors which, in any one institution, are to be considered. The social adjustment of the college student in relation to sex, liquor, and automobiles is another matter of ex- treme importance at the present time. The usual reaction of administrative officers of universities appears to fall under one or two types. In some cases the attitude is one of severe restriction and chastisement of the offender who is suffering from over-emphasis of social interests not wisely conducted. An example of this sort is to be found in the case of a dean of women who! is reported as having recently said that it is immoral for girls to be! beautiful and immodest for them to! ride in automobiles with men. Un- doubtedly she has been misquoted toi some degree, but the statement as given typifies one treatment of the' problem. The other reaction frequently met with is one comparable to that of the biblical gentlemen ,who "passed by on the other side of the road." It is typified by the college administratorl who once said to me "My girls arei all wonderful, they never do anythingl they ought not to." Upon being asked I E I l E I i .E E f t t" 3 I i Z I' 1 I' 4 I f' 4 I1 Ij {7 !f by me through inexcusable ribaldry striction of athletic privilege rather as to how they passed their spare time than toward aanore complete analysis evenings, the gentleman (I regret hav- of the underlying factors which should ing to confesst his sex) looked deeply be the real matters of concern. pained and said "Why, I haven't theI Few of us wh3 really think the mat- remotest idea-that's never worried I ter through carefully will, I think, de- ne.~"Iny the great value of athletics in Between these two extremes Ithere teaching lessons of self-control, judg- seem to be courses of some degree of ment, rapidity of thought, power of promise.' Let us try to analyze for ajdecision, team play, good sportsman- moment the elements in the situation. ship, and other most essential traits.? First, we may all, I think, agree to Many of us, however, are aware of the general proposition that the time certain unpleasant sentiments within to undertake the solution of any im- us, when we consider the great busi-' portant problem is when it can be nor- ness organizations which have grown mally presented, clearly perceived, up in almost all American universities and freely, and if necessary, uninter- to handle the hundreds of thousandsl uptedly pursued. All of these things of dollars paid by the spectators for} are true of the academic phases of the privilege of witnessing the varidus higher education during the student's forms of intercollegiate contests. Let residence in a college or university. us for a moment try to analyze the It is the focal point of his whole ca- situation by asking and attempting to[ reer in this respect. Let us see whether 3 answer certain questions. this is true of his social problems, as The first question to be asked is above defined. whether "earning power" is one of Can such problems be normally the chief objections to intercollegiate presented at a university? Can theyt athletics and if so, why? be clearly perceived? Can the stud- A moment's thought shows that ent without interruption give his time "earning power" or amount of moneyl to their solution? I believe that for received from the public is a very real college students all these questions factor in shaping a great deal of ad- must be answered in the negative. verse faculty and alumni opinion. The environment of care-free, finan- Thus we find no very great faculty cially vagrant, imitative youth which opposition to intercollegiate rowing characterizes our large under-grad- which has, for the colleges involved, uate groups does not fairly present practically no earning ppwer. On the probleris of automobiling, liquor or other hand, football with a tremend-I sex as they will have to be met in ous earning ability is accursed. later life. In all probability nowhere Why is this attitude so general again will such a large group of ir- among faculties? responsible contemporaries with so I think that several elements are much excess energy be met with. involved. First, organized athletics The environment of under-graduate make no financial contribution to ac- minds, untrained in judgment of Val- ademic expenses. It shows little inter- ues, untrained in the causes of human est in academic excellence but much j suffering, untrained in self-discipline, and most effective interest in main- is unable to give a clear picture of the taining the minimum eligibility re- true magnitude or importance of some quirements. Second, the salaries of of the problems to be faced, the de- coaches, paid largely from the receipts cisions to be made, or the habits to be I from athletics, appear large to the fac- formed. The problems, therefore, can- ulty member who considers the rela- not under these circumstances be tive length and expense of his owni fairly perceived. period of training compared with those Finally, it is obvious that the stud- of the average athletic coach. Both ent cannot give his or her whole time of these things trace back to a feel- to the study of these social problems, ing akin to jealousy. A man, who for without neglecting academic work and 1 years has been begging for a $5,000 thereby, defeating the prime purpose of piece of equipment with which to their attendance at a university. conduct some experiment dear to his With these facts in mind it is logi- heart, cannot but become slightly cal and I believe imperative to in- green when the receipts from a single sist that some other locality besides football game total, let us say, twenty our schools, colleges, and universi- times that amount. In such situations ties, be selected as the battle ground as this, there is a constant pull away of social and sex adjustment. We from the rational and toward the emo- cannot train a mind in the develop- tional treatment of the problem. . ment of its greatest and highest schol- The second matter of inquiry is on astic powers in an atmosphere of a the ground of the amount of pub-, veritable Gettysburg of social activi- licity. Does this produce adverse ties where after a prolonged artillery sentiment and if so, why? preparation of jazz- and fast-travelling I Once again, I believe, the answer joy-rides, a Pickett's charge of "dates" can be given in the affirmative. Little and of petty but absorbing gossip re- publicity is; given to the fact that the suiting therefrom, and relating there- number of men engaged in rowing to, is in progress. may, and sometimes does, exceed; Over-emphasis of, and intemperance i greatly the number playing football.t in, autmobiling, use of liquor, and pet- It, therefore, is not so' generally not- ting among the students of our uni- iced. In playing football; however, versities must be stopped because it is men are siLgled out and marked as not the time nor the place to investi-( proficient; in a crew, the eight- men gate or to decide these matters. No are very nearly a unit-with the pos- taunt of impropriety need be chanted! sible exception of the stroke, who as I - that given to the discovery of fossil smothering individual inter- eggs thus proving that certain of the ests. dinosaurs were oviparous, is to cer- 3. Attempt to limit the schedule. to tain minds, anathema. As an after one or ttwo games would probably thought the cry is raised that it is bad be no real rmedy, for an excellent for the boy-it supersaturates his ego way to intenify all the preent until hie crystallizes conceit. This at evils would be by the production of times certainly is true. The publicity i narrowed point of contact which of athletic success is an acid test for naturally pentrtes the under- youth,-the weak dissolve, the strong graduate mind more deeply. A remain. It is one of the few means tremendous clinmax of two games of natural selection of the truly looked forward to for the whole humble and unselfish among youth season would not solve the diffi- that a soft civilization has left to us. culty Moreover, for conceit producers- we 4. Intra-muiral athletics at present should have to eliminate clubs, fra- are alf-hearted because no natur- ternities, class officers, honorary so- al intra-mural units except the fra- cieties, student dramatics, debating, tcrnity have b)ron evolved. rThe and finally even Phi Beta Kappa itself, class is too big ad too di'ffse- if we are to spare our college youth the do ritory hasno0prsoality. from temptation rather than to teach Not until leadership shapes the or- them to overcome it ganization of units and a personal- The third matter of importance is ity is provided, as before stated, to attendance at intercollegiate contests. which loyalty can be pledged, shall (oes large attendance arouse ire and we have true intra-mural competi- if so, why? tion. 'When these conditions are There is no doubt that in many cases provided, we shall have greatly in- the crowds which attend athletic con- creased enthusiasm for comptition tests have a very great influence in within the university; and a chace creating antagonism toward the game to judge its relative value cum& I which brings them. Two main reas- pared with intercollegiate athet ons seem to be involved, first, the old ics. Before that time it is wagted jealousy again. Eighty thousand mnergy to compare the two, for a watch a football game and less than - true type of intra-mural competi five hundred attend a lecture by the tion has not yet been built in this world's greatest living authority on country. the oigin of atolls. It is not right; These are some of the weaker but it is not just; but it is human nature. more recent effort. Others, such aa The second reasons is given as the the limitation of coaches' salariesyn waste of time for thousands of stud- the restriction of inter-sectional con ents involved in the attendance at a tests; the raising of eligibility stand. football game and in their journeys ards; the rigid punishment of profes-. and discussions both ante and post sionalism; and the three-year ruleare bellum. This objection does not seem wise and constructive." . to me to be particularly serious. A Certain other nmodieations ,aro counter question might be pertinent.I worthy of consideration. They are, in. Will the c'ritics guarantee that the Ithe light of present conditions, radi-'" mental energy and physical powers of cal. On the other hand, I believe the thousands of individuals in ques- they are possible and if established tion will be better employed if foot- that they would do much to correct ball and all that goes with it be wiped som6 of the present evils: out? I believe that they cannot do(a) Help to meet the crilicism tht- so. In a day of the highly explosive too few men are aided by inter- mixture of youth, gasoline, and liquor collegiate athletics by having borne swiftly on balloon tires to re-, three teams of each institution" mote retreats; in an era of college compete and awarding the vic- comic publications and terpischorean tory either to the highest total efforts skating on the thimnest possible score or to the institution win,. ice of decency, it would take Her-- ning two out of three. cules himself to guarantee a fair sub- I (b) Ielp to meet the criticism of the stitute and I believe that he would too great importance of the pro- cheerfully admit that the Augean fessional coach by the develop- stables were, in comparison, an early] mert of under-graduates to