The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-05

"-Seontonl on the part OF certain follower
OF icssilized educational ideas who al
perambulating about, figuratively speak
ing, like sandwich men bearing large sig
ooard' on which is written in glarin
pant: How the dickens do all thes
young men, who are singing and dane
ing on the stage and running bases o.
the diamond, find any time to pursu
their collegiate studies?"
Of course this question has no possibl
peTtinence. These figurative sandwich
men represent only a morose and ma.
ievolent sentiment which can see n,
good in anything but life of disma
drudgery. They do not and never vii
appreciate the fact that the battery
of a single University baseball
team is eligible to larger
slice of fame than a half century
ofPhi Beta Kappas and that the inn
pressarios of University opera have
climbed height in the great world of
action that the valedictorian may rarely
presume to reach and only the fellow
that discourses to undergraduates may
| nope To approach. They are not in il in
any important sense.
Yet the fact that they exist and that
minorities should be accorded con-
sideration makes it advisable TO bear
with them TO the extent of
finding out how, if practicable, their
opinions may be assimilated with
the controlling principles of strictly
au fait and up to date collegiate educa-
ton. The unfortunate fact that the
crack baseball player and the leading
vocalist in the opera are frequently
compelled to remain in college beyond
the prescribed four years before they
are accorded degree, is an associated
factor that compels attention TO the
exceptions taken in some quarters to the
prevailing idea that baseball and operas
are the all-important features of the
curriculum-although, it may well be
urged, that the fellows who by reason of
these pursuits do more to boom the
'"h 'hS iolo oi All ine tutors, |
should in any well regulated college be
graduated without the necessity of |
passing any examinations at all.
Let us meet together on common
ground. The time has long since gone |
by when the classics are the absolute
essentials of a college education. This
Is the joyful era of electives and
while we would not urge
that the elective system should
be extended so far as to permit a student
% study not alone such things as he
'hooses, but also only as much of them
md az often as he chooses, still there
night be additional branches added TO
he list OF electives, and these might
veil include the stage and the baseball
Profession. Instruction in the former is
low only attainable through the medium
II limited number of dramatic schools.
many of which are very much only So
allied, and training in baseball is avail.
BILE only on the side, so to speak, while
10Th these branches are pursued at the
isk OF losing the arbitrarily fixed COL
ege honors. The stage, however, and the
ase ball field, too, demand Intelligence |
nd education in their respective lines
nd pay well for ability. And it is. nc
ordingly, eminently worth while !,
nat their claims be given serious con- a
deration. Regularly made part OF i
)liege curriculum, degrees in them Q
light be provided and the student be :
lus enabled to pursue them as legiti- s.
ateiy as he now does his Latin or "
athematics and at the same time be II
heved OF the stigma of cutting recita- :,
ons or skipping prayers, in the interests n
his favorite pursuits, which no student OF
m do without suffering a certain loss q
his quota of moral sense. TIE de- ~
ees might be, for instance. o. LB. ~
chelor of light opera-B r. d.. br
ctor OF base running and the Cd
e. 10 be sure, the bachelors of 4,
mt opera may, in putting their col er
70 education to practical use after Ia
'uuatioh indonIy positions on the dime IN
lseum stage and the doctor of base IN
nning may prove to be unequal. pro. ~
slonally to combat with base th
aners who have acquired their base
education in the back ward
not in college; but in this the sin
1t OF these particular courses would ia
in nowise different from his fellow -. .s
dents, the salutatorians, who have as
ONE horse Car drivers. and the i'm eli
erlshed professional men who are NJ
Beta kappas. While such an argrl- 80
Mt against college training in light A,
ra or baseball may tickle the fancy tol
the tickle masses it can have no eF
ght with thinking men. nm nm
rown University stands today the tn,
onent of enterprise in the college inl
mess. 1t is ever reaching out and as ~, ar
llnW leadership an,c,... ....-..-...-.