New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-26
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.
NEWS OF THE COLLEGES AND UNIvER
SITIES-NOTES OF INTEREST.

S1IlES-NOIES OF INTEREST.
THE YALE SOCIETY sYsTEM-AN ELECTION
TO SENIOR SOCIETY CONSIDERED THE
GREATEST UNDERGRADUATES HONOR.
New-Haven. Conn. May $50 many items have
appeared lately in the newspapers concerning
Yale's society system and the changes which are
being made In II that impression is created
that society matters occupy the greater part of a
students time. AS a matter of fact. one hears
much OF societies at small college than at
Yale. For week at Yale-the present one
there is little else talked of except society cleo
tons The elections are given out, the men are
initiated and then the college resumes its usual
-ife. Throughout the year trying TO dis
tinguish themselves in athletics. in the college
periodicals. in debating. with the hope of So
oiety election as an ultimate reward Yet the So
cieties themselves 90 not come before the public,
1t must be said In the beginning that large pro-
portion of every class is composed of non-society
men, and the fact that the number is so large
makes 1t disgrace TO be outside of the college
organizations. Yale men not snobs, and no
man has to feel that HIS college career is
a failure II he is a non-society student There is
no gulf of demarcaton. and If Yale lacks frater-
nifty life it lacks the cliqushness which that life
brings.
The Yale system is unique The present societies
are survival of the httest, and the number of ex
and Law schools especially the latter, connect
ed with the students work. Corbey Court and Book
and Gavel. the law societies. holding quizzes for
their members. The societies of the Scientific
School resemble somewhat the fraternities in the
smaller colleges: that is a belong to but
one society. and he is initiated in his freshman
year. The societies not only have halls but houses
in which the members live. and some Of the most
striking buildings Yale the Colony. the
Cloister. St Anthonys Hall and York Hall As there
present dormitories in the Scientific
School. these houses give the society life an added
pleasure and cohesion which an academic So
ciety lacks. for its members do not all live under
the same roof There Is society which unites
academic and scientific students. Academic
elected TO Sigma Chi. the high stand society
OF Shelf but neither Sigma Chi nor Phi Beta
Kappa Is what is termed secret society.
In the academic department there at pres
ent three sets of soceties-sophomore. junior and
senior Al a recent meeting the faculty voted that
the sophomore societies could initiate no men
until further notice; hence, their status is rather
uncertain. but they may be described as they ex-
listed at the opening of the college year.
There are no freshmen societies. and the first
intimation a freshman got that he might become
a society when he received hold off"
from OF the three sophomore organizations
He Boule. Eta Phi Kappa Psi These purely
local institutions. with outside chapters. A
hold off" simply meant that the man TO whom
IL given regarded a candidate for
election. and in June the societies initiated some
cietes for practically two years, hence they had
gained a position of considerable prestige. The
o I b opbo %s 1a fond that
a large proportion OF the members came from
paratory school societies. A boy coming TO Yale
from some unknown high school academy had
often given out before man had a chance to
mans preparatory school record and il seemed at
times as though Yale's social henors were decided
upon before student entered the university. The
faculty recognized that the societies
ing in the best interests of the university and
therefore took action in the matter
The junior societies chapters of the well
ana zcta PSI They maintain their con- Connections rfi
with the other chapters; and send delegates the
founded Yale. and all the fraternities have an
known as Fraternity life n does not exist The
society halls are simply places for the weekly
large the Yale chapters are regarded as heterodox
aq IN general meetings they have been severely
Fraternity life" is impossible in the academic de-
attempts 10 Introduce it failed The fraterni-
mes at Yale number among their members men
the fraternities body dislike Yale's methods
by local societies 1t must be remembered that the
nof baUe q 4se life t are peculiar Yale will
have aye always WAYS been sharply drawn:
to Skull and B soGa h sG0 at Yale is election
HIeaoxihe three Iior societies in the order of
society is distinction coveted by every one and
e e,,4 TO forIy-tye men The elections are given
and the spectacle is dramatic and zen men, men
omitted, not unmixed with tragedy The 49,
chosen are generally leaders in the class men WSn
nave distinguished themselves o' i'-eH WIN
II is notable that while the sophorore coo,o.,o
h aNe Deen severely attacked little criticism bos
uIecteu against the senior organzationS 80
,nal II me TACT that despite the mistakes thew
var thelr influence is good in college life
ieafiy' some men elected who do no+ Soear
IT, put IN tne main elections are fairly awarded
nosi,io ness OF the senior societies realize their
h9nor is due That they cannot always recosne
6Di!ty ana that some of Yale's most
saa.ualeS were never elected to a senior societI &c
common knowledge, but in general their ~
just, and they are a powerful incar.S,'s US az e
student TO make something out of himself ~ inc
80 much interest attaches to the PERSONAL ., .. -
elections TO the senior societies that If ;s ,o,h
while repeating from yesterdays Tribrpa ~
names Of the members of the class of ,o1 who me-
thus honored: e
Allen, Ray Morris Robert b. Hixon Iobn 9 FL ~
lanes NJ Carlisle. George A Welch Pbilin fSborI.s'
Thomas L. Cheney, Warren Hoysradt Jobn
Ailpp ~ P RiG6ard H Edwards Alfred p Wright
- scroll and key-Robert l. Atkinson C;aor,a G
sotiIInafI, George p Chittenden William r f9ix,da
r., george v Reynolds. Leonard N. Thomas Viii
,sn w Hoppn. tr., Willard d. Howe Maurine
Mason. Hugh Auchincloss Joseph M 9attare s re
y H. Wear. Julian Day. Paul L. Mitchell and
Volts Head-Alexander Cameron. ir T Mar,,oo
Isooerts9n William g. d Morgan. William Hit
Ssarret b KIP, Roger p. Tyler Eben NJ RYare'
maurice K. Parker, kinsley Twininr ir T1,;;6Ia5.
? BLOSSOM, James /. Mills, Robert w ChandIarr
cameron b. waterman and Harold ChappeII
COLLEGE COMMANDMENTS
PROGRAMMES OF COMING ANNrvEPs.pv