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THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGES THREE
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Little Sketches
Trends in The Awak eing College'
TREATS OF 'EVERY
ASECT INMDRN
COLLEGE61 SYSTEMquS
Advises University-College Plan
to Develop Curiosity for
General Study.I
FORMER PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY
EXPRESSES IDEAS ON COLLEGE LIFEj
AUTO BAN IS
UPHELD
Proposes Deanship be Giver
to Committee of Recently
Graduated Men.
By Lawrence R. Klein
Daily Literary Editor
Te Awakening College, by C. C. Little
W. W. Norton Company, Inc., x. Y C.
Pri&e, $3.00.
Dr. Little's book, long heralded
as being loaded with dynamite, has
appeared on the market. So far it
has not exploded, nor will it. The
reason is simply that there is no
dynamite. And that is a good thing,
for dynamite is very dangerous and
very noisy. I do not imply by this
that Dr. Little's book is woefully
weak and innocuous; -on the con-
trary it is very powerful, but it pos-
sesses the power of common sense
stripped of emotion, and that, after
all, is the most effective weapon.
A statement from his preface
might be taken as nearly indicative
of a "central theme" in the book as
any other. "The attitude toward
youth.to which this book isledged
.... is one of confidence and last-
ing affection." With this thesis al-
ways forming the basis of theory
he sets about to practically every
feature of college life. His proceed-
ure is 'always one of attack, but
never ruthless and always reason-
ed.-
Farewell to Nietzsche.
He attacks Iirs of all methods of
college entrance requirements. He
Would have no hurling of "paper"
students out into the flood of life
reinforced only by a diploma. "From
a splendid, hairy-chested Nietzch-
ean point of view this is all very
fine. It is allowing grim old natural
selection to have his day in the
;midst of an effete civilization which
has almost starved that steely-eyed
old gentleman to death." But, he
goes on to qualify, the professors
themselves would suffer not only
personal discomfort but possible
elimination were they subjected to
the test. Faculties shy at noticing
the incoming material as anything
i ore than material: that is to say,
t ey wish to simplify things at the
expense of bucking up against the
"fluid educational issue where un-
certainties are to be found. The
pressure of population has "forced
humanity, so to .speak, down the
chaste throat" of the institution.-
The most important factor over-
looked is the need for recognition of
individual differences, and this is
accomplished through psychological
tests and the proper analysis of
character and personality.
The Secret!
One burning statement illumin-
ates the path to clarification, a sug-
gestion that must in time be recog-
nized by our high schools even to
the point of turning them in a
strict sense into partial prep
schools: "the tendency, therefore, to
detect college material at an early
age." Another barrier at which fac-
ulties balk is the indubitable fact
that the most tragic and at the
same time most certain and recur-
rent cause of failure is emotional in
nature; and because the correction
of the source and root of this evil
would entail overthrow of system
and, incidentally, much work, the
educators revolt at the proposal of
taking off on such a course.
The plan of procedure of the Un-
iversity College plan, so long with-
held as a "secret" (word is mine)
and consequently viewed as a
quaint phenomenon (a fault of Dr.1
Little's), ,at last comes to light. The
University college grows out of two
fundamental needs: the. first de-
mands at least two years' develop-
ment on intellectual curiosity for a
general study; the second would de-
mand a period of more or less spec-
ialization, a period of "evaluation,
utilization, and creation of oppor-
tunity." The university college pro-
per develops from the first period.
and it is more than interesting to
note that the success of the plan
presupposes the acceptance of his
admission theory; and this unde-
niably is a tribute to the organic
EUROPEAN TOUR
for
STUDENTS of ENGINEERING
and others
INTERESTED IN ECONOMIC
AND INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS
July 5--$695-Sept. I
Visiting Engineeringandustrial Plants iii
ENGLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY i
and SWITZERLAND
ESEARCH OF C. 0. DAVIS USED
LITTE ADD~AT~kE IN_'T HE AW AKENING COLLEGE'
Prof. C. 0. Davis. of the School of
COML ETE CN furnishes some valuable y
statistics in Dr. Little's new book. In
the chapter called Training
Teachers", in which Dr. Little
makes a critical survey of schools
of educations and the courses they
New Book Recommends Many offer, Professor Davis has furnish-
Improvements as Aid for ed statistics that prove more than
Present Situation. 245,000 persons were enrolled in
______teacher training institutions in this
country in 1921-22.
NEED PROCTOR SYSTEMVI Further figures by Professor Davis
show that in 1926 summer schools I
Loyalty to University Lessened in the country were offering courses
bNao Vi Aquired to 218,695 teachers. Two years later,
by in 1928, the number had increased,
by Fraternity Men. to 282,068.
i Mr. Davis also shows that the
Each fraternity house should University of Michigan devotes 60
give, at its expense,nboard and per cent of its corses (in the
lodging to a young and able-bod- School of Education) to the studyI
ied proctor appointed by the uni- of teaching history and methods,
versity with powers of an accre- 16.9 per cent to student psychology, C. 0. Davis.
and 24 per cent to supervised or,
dited representative whose recom-k practice teaching. Dr. Little con-I he claims, are not so important as
mendations as to discipline wouldl
bendfollowed adtodct e wld siders this proportion "distorted and practice teaching or a knowledge
be followed, advocates Clarence unnatural." History and methods, of a student psychology.
i ok Little, in, "The Awakenin-g
'College" along with nine other sug-.
gestions to utilize fraternities as .ug .os nrrtrnte
educational units and to cut out Little's Suggestions on Fraternties
their "time wasting activities which j
! militiate against the students ac-
quisition of a more mature, ndi-- 1. There should be no "rushing" or pledging of members
vidual, and independent point of until the start of the sophomore year .....penalty for infringe-
view" ment of this rule might well be closing the offending chapter
Mr. Little, in his chapter on fra- house for a three to five year period.
2. Denial for the ensuing college year -of all social privileges
ternities, cited principally as im- to hold dances or house parties to those houses forming the lowest.
proved living quarters and some ef- ten or fifteen per cent of the scholarship rating. would undoubt-
fort to pledge good "grade-getters", edly be wise.
to their qualities which are acting
as obstacles to the new develop- 3. Each fraternity house should gi o. at its expense, board
ments in education. Fraternities, he and lodging to a young and able-bodied proctor (not a memben
points out in summary, are fre- . appointed by the University...i...and with) power of
quently "breeders of shallowgroup an accredited representative of the Univershy. His recommenda-
psey ology a fase sense of values tions as to discipline should be followed.
psyholgya fls sese f vlue,14. On special occasions such as da nrcs. the efforts of the
soialf dsttonrcoar a proctorshould be supplemented by the rc ployment, at the fra-
tspirit of democracy, and a arrow ternity's expense, of as many assistants a h ra:iy deem necessary
loat o " caer" at the to keep the function within the bounds cI decency. Discourtesy,
1pense of a broader loyalty to the! insubordination, or lack of co-operation towards any proctor
college as a whole." Considering should be reported by him to a chief proctor who upon investiga-
their opportunities, "they generally tin should have the right to close the chapter house for whatever
lack initiative and creative ability period he believes wise.
as educational units, and provide (The following are constructive measures to utilize the house
time-wasting activities" militating as an educational unit.)
against the stud'ent's development. 5. The encouragement of interfraternity scholastic compe-
!NEW BU TIE
INTER COLLE GITE
'CNTESTSTUAIO
Advocates of Fewer Competitive
Events Glad to Raise
Admission Prices.
HITS; COMMERCIALISM
Rare Quality of Humor Is Used
by Little in Discussion
of Modern Colleges.
"It has been a source of quiet
amusement," declares Dr. Clarence
Cook Little in his book "The Awak-
ening College," "to note a peculiar
paradox in the behavior of those
who preach curtailment of number
and importance of inter-collegiate
contests, bemoan the commercial
aspects of those occasions, and then
quietly, but with some degree of
steadiness, raise the price of tickets
to the games. Ears that are too
l sensitive to enjoy the swelling roars
of increased attendance are
strangely able to withstand the
clink of more dollars. Ears are re-
markable organs-their fatigue is
so capricious."
This quotation from the book is
1 representative of the rare quality of
humor that is part of the author's
style.. Similarly amusing bits are
related, particularly the famous
"Suspenders of Henry VIII'.story
and the doctor's thesis that was
written on the remarkably erudite
subject of "Discoloration in Canned
Lobsters.
OPTICAL
DEPARTMENT
Lenses and Frames Made to Order
Optical Prescriptions Filled
STATE STREET JEWELERS
tition in one-act plays (to be co
(theory on the part of the fraterni- poetry, musical composition, fr
ties that they aid in building uni- I sculpture, engineering or archit
versity loyalty, Dr. Little cites an on some phases of law or medicir
example which, if it was not glean- oral examinations in any or all fi
ed from his experience at Michigan, of other similar activities.
certainly applies. He says they 6. Inter-collegiate or inter
oppose the dormitory plan because desirous of pursuing some speci
Dr. Clarence Cook Litre it will offer freshmen (prospective well be done within the membe
Former president of the University, whose recently published book, pledges) equal to those in frater- 7. Funds for a series of ho
"The Awakening College," explains his opinions on student activities nities. Later, when the said dor- visits at the house by distinguisl
and organizations as well as on administrative control at educational mitory plan was postponed, the fra- ties.
institutions. At present, Dr. Little is conducting laboratory work in ternities objected to deferred rush- 8. Periodic invitations to a
Maine on cancer research. Preceding his appointment to the presi- in because there were at present non-fraternity students on the cE
dency of the University, he served in the same capacity at the University no dormitories to offer social cen- of democracy.
of Maine. ters to freshmen. 9. Honorary awards, at int
-------"Quaint" Logic. I chapter of their organization r
structure of Dr. Little's system. In their male contemporaries." And The attitude of the auto ban dis- around record.
this plan, large lecture courses; the his consequent theory of deanship cussion can be summed up thus: 10. Awards by the university
impelling force that is at present in would have the office in the hands youth knows his needs, is capable of the finest sense of honor andI
practice to formulate the intellec- of a committee, composed of men i disciplining himself, and does so than to itself.....award shou(
tual interests of the freshmen and recently graduated. "In a small 'but he must not be allowed to do so (for) not only the "house" but
which really bruise more than for- group of broad and liberal .young when the matter of driving auto-
mulate, would serve no further than people, the joint and combined wis- mobiles is considered. What has-- -- -
as guide posts to more individualiz- 1 dom is usually greater and more happened to Dr. Little's pledge of'
c-l study. Grades would be deter- humanitarian than is the individual confidence now? The strained anal- mny member the
ed by a comprehensive exam- judgment of one older pern t" cgy between the chrysalis and the o
y ti& u at the close of the two-year I And He Was a Dean. Etben t cl ining D. A. R., but we can draw a closer
l' 2raxl. The examination would But in his apparent understand- but unfair. The organism incng analogy than he himself drew with
bu1 nar h ogns nn the chrysalis as the other object.
Sim to test the student's maturity, ing of the situation both under the ture must rely on nature for pro- The stuen as the mtalt o
hin .v nrst, and his ability or fit- proposed new and old systems (and tection, and a good humanist like The student has the mentalityto3
no " tO cnter upon the second per- Dr. Little was once a young assis-i Dr. Little should recognize the fact run his country, but alas for his
JoCl. The results of the plan would tant dean at Harvard) he offers L that a more or less rnatured human morality: it does not allow nim to
be tvwo-fo'd: a stabilization of the precious little evidence one way or being, say a student of 21, has a run his autombile. Quaint logic.
ceholai's interest before he entered the other. His summations are too controlling brain and no need of And Gov. Green.
the professional school and feeling brief for so important a topic. So the self-appointed "chrysalis" pro- He urges alumn eeo combat the
of loyalty in tne faculty now "con- far as they go they are illuminat- tection of an auto ban. And why vicious system of universities con-
spicuously abstn'." ing, and the beauty of whole of Dr. not here, too, recognize individual trolled by the governor in one-party
Lucky Posterity. Little's work is that it is so highly differences? Dr. Little admits in an- states. He cites the case of the
A this is the educational Uto- objectified, but at this juncture was other chapter that the student regents in . one university (quite
pia which our grandchildren may needed all the force of his power. "may have his limitations, but he probably Michigan), fearing the
enjoy. Alas for the 1930's! He might, with more effort, have is many times more rational and governor's re-election, refusing the
In his discussion of the office of settled the matte.. judicial about his country and his university's aid in a tax investiga-
dean per se, perhaps the most in- In refutation of the projected future place in the world than are tion.
mposed and acted by members);
eehand dawing, general essays,
ectural dei , articles or essays
ne; research vor in the sciences;
ields of knowledge and a number
national exchanges of students
dal course of study. . . . . might
rship of a national fraternity.
norary lectureships or week-end
hed members of the other facul-
nd entertainment of, groups of
ampus..... produce a finer sense
ervals, by national bodies to the
making the most creditable all-
or college to that house showing
loyalty to the institution rather
d be large and impressive.... .
the individuals within it.
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TOdVIGHT
lJNCLE'
T0Ms_
CAIRIN'.
WHITNEY
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CURB MARKET
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ONLY
teresting idea presented is contain- I
ed in the discussion of the "emo-
tional age" of those occupying the
office, particularly in the office of
dean of women. He brings out the
"psychological fact that women of
middle age are emotionally less
elastic. . . , than are men of the
samechronological level. The fact
coupled with the great difference in
maturity one. . . . finds between
girlhood and womanhood means
that the gap between the average
middle-aged woman and under-
graduate girl than that between
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