The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-28
WOMEN AND THE COLLEGES.

Considerable effort is making to secure
the admission of women to Columbia eel
lege on the same terms and in the same
classes with the male students. All the old
time college element has vigorously OPP
posed every such innovation, but it can
not be denied that the advocates of
women's rights are making more Roadway
among these college faculties than any
where else. 1t is not worth while to dis
cuss the question whether or not the course
of study in the collegiate course is suitable
for women or not. As a matter of fact
many of the colleges have in the past few
years made up SO many courses, combina-
tlons of the classical, scientific and Latin
scientific that student can select almost
anything and form an optional course
which differs little from that of a female
seminary. The boys at college always OPP
pose the admission of women, but the fac
ulty have the say and the faculty in numer
GUS instances have yielded. 1t does not
follow that the young men are less sus-
ceptible to the Establishments of the lasses
than are their sage instructors, but they
see In the innovation a complete revolu-
ton of,customs and practices in the col
lege buildings and on the campus. Doubt
less it is for the very purpose of
getting rid of some of these GUS
toms that the faculty are so prone TO
favor that, change. The University of
Michigan decreed to open its doors to all
about fifteen years ago. The first year
only one young lady took advantage of the
privilege. At first the boys thought she
wouldn't be able to stand it She would
get caught in rush some day and fright
ened or squeezed so that she would never
come back again. But somehow or other
the rlshes didn't occur as the- used to.
Once in q while there would be little col
Iision, but a good old-fashioned rough and
tumble rush that carried away the banis-
tiers on the stairways, stripped the clothes
Off freshmen and Uttered the halls with
wrecked sophomore plugs, was unheard of
thereafter. There were about 800 stu
dents at the university and this one young
lady spoiled all there old ways, Few OF
them knew her, probably none of them
cared for her They voted her nuisance
thousand times, but none of them want
ed her to see him with bloody. nose or
with coat. vest and shirt hanging in shreds.
The faculty had things fixed SO that all the
classes had to pass through all the halls in
going from one recitation room to another.
The young lady was daughter of Prof
James r. Boise. She used TO go quietly about
her business, walking along with the
crowd. She had an excellent preparation
when she entered the class, and being
studious girl, had no trouble in keeping
good standing as a scholar. The first no
ticeabie result of her advent was an al
most total cessation of the loud boisterous
talk and jeering as the classes passed EACH
other between Rotations. Altogether
the transformation was quite wonderful
The faculty were delighted. The boys
were disguised. For several years, how
ever, not rush occurred in the buildings
and probably never has since. The revolu7
ton was not a reformation, of course. The
hoodlumism inherent in college boys,
though effectually suppressed in the college
buildings and grounds became more az
gravated in the form of midnight forays
and depredations outside. In other words,
1t was largely diverted from students to the
people In the village. The worst troubles
ever known have occurred since lady stu
dents were quite numerous. Ceeducation
of the sexes in college may be good thing
for the boys They can certainly stand ii
If the girls can, and beyond doubt it has
the effect to graduate them in a more pol
ished and less vealy condition. A bright
girl In class has good effect in keeping
the young fellows conceit under restraint.
The plan may also do for girls whose pa
rents live in the college town, but We be-
lieve that even of these, experience shows
that the great majority have neither the
inclination or the application TO complete
a college course, much of which leads in
direction widely different from the usual
line OF female education As to sending
girls away from home to board among
strangers and attend classes with lot of
susceptible youngsters, the temptations to
go in and conquer and spread havoc are
such as no spirited girl could ever be ex-
pected to resist. We hope Columbia will
never yield .-Missouri Republican.