The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-09
SOPHOMORE SOCIETIES.

|
 be changed. We take the liberty to sa.
 that, but without authority. The groun'
 for our saying it is simply this:-tllt
 society men, who can change things il
 they will, realize that change is 1T
 order in the interest of the college
 Convinced that that feeling exists, wt
 are confident in making the statemen
 that a change is coming.
 Few have it clearly in mind what is
 actually the best thing, and among those who are determined to do some
 thing and who are bound to move most
 intelligently and effectively in the mat ter, there is a feeling that the details of reconstruction are not so important at this point as the general agreement on the principle which should underle
 the change. That principle of change of course, is to remove the element of injustice now in the situation and tc make the conditions of undergraduate life in Yale college those of equal op- portunity as far as social honors and privileges go.
 The conviction grows that the only way in which these results can be &C., complished is by graduated society | " have no societies. whatever in sopho- more year, believing that two years are none too many to leave the class to | themselves for purely natural associa- | tions among their own members, and believing also that the more free you can leave the first two years of college, | the better on the whole for the under graduate who has enough to do any way, and who already finds it difficult, if he is an active man, to keep up with regular work and put in modicum of sleep and exercise. There is something to be said on this line also for the up- per classmen, especially the senior so- | ciety men, who, if they be members of | the two underclass societies also, find at least four out of six of the nights of the week taken up by their societies. This means, in the case of most of them, an attempt to live on a shortened sleep appropriation, and the results are always more or lesa unsatisfactory. | On the other hand, there is a feeling that there will be something in sopho- more year and that 1t is better to make sure that it is the best thing possible. Different plans have already been dis 
 purpose is to practically transpose the position of the two underclass societies. i As it is now, the sophomore society is in an environment which is least adapted for it and in which it serves least fa- vorably the common good. The same is true of the junior society. With the class distinctions which every one wants to see kept up, practically the only way for the upper classmen to know the underclassmen is through these societies. Of course, this excepts the accidental associa tons of athletics and religious work. It is naturally the desire of those in the upper classes to get as much acquainted as possible with those in the lower classes and the feeling is reciprocated. It is perfectly ma atural and right, because one of the principal reasons for going to big col lege like Yale is to meet as many good men from as many different places and of as many different traits as possible. As it is now, outside of the members of Zeta Psi, this privilege is restricted to fifty-one men in the sophomore class, which is just six more men than are taken in in the three senior societies.
  of such situation one of the answers is, that the membership of sophomore societies compasses about all the first rate men that can be found at that stage in their course in college, and that as the others develop and show real claim for social recognition, oppor- tunities are given them in junior year. This answer is well meant. but it does not answer. The three leading junior societies are as poor apologies for so- cial organization as have ever cun- bered Yale. Of course, they have lots of good members and good chapter houses. They are parts of great frater- mites with honorable histories and a strong fraternity feeling-outside of Yale. But, as far as we can find out they have here no life or character worth speaking of. It is wonder that Yale has put up with this state of things so long. It means that society membership that is worth anything in Yale college is restricted to from fifty to sixty men. Of course, such a lini- tation is altogether inadequate and properly disappoints large number of men fitted for social recognition and so- cial life and is getting to be an argu- ment of force against sending @ boy to Yale college.
 We don't destate to speak this way about junior societies because we have seen enough of their elections. They take in many good men first and last, of course. But 1t Is impossible to say what is their principle of choice, except that they indulge in large number of con- spicuous and regrettable omissions. Two years ago all the eight Ten Eyck speakers were outside of any junior so- ciety. Of course they were men of ability; indeed that year they were men of unsual ability. What is more, they were men of excellent character and of good social disposition. If q hundred better men could have been shown in that class, or a good deal less than hundred, we will eat the words of this editorial.
 The situation in junior societies comes from the fact that they are killed by sophomore societies. If any man be- fieved that, under the present situation, they could be revised and made some