The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
WAR OF SEXES AT COLUMBIA.
THE MEN STUDENTS JEALOUS
or THEIR PREROGATIVES.
Their Complaint Became the Privileges
Of the swimming Pool Have been
Granted 90 women Only an Outcrop Of
General Feeling Against C~oeducation.

OF the Swimming Pool Have Bee
Granted 90 women Only an Outcrop Q
General Feeling Against C~oeducation
The Columb ia- Barnard trouble seems Il
be a tempest In a teapot. To speak more
accurately, it is a tempest in a swimming
pool, and although the swimming pool II
commodlous. as swimming pools go. 4
isn't. by any means, large enough for the
tempest.
DR.. Savage thought 1t was quite large
enough for tho Barnard girls. The Colum'
bia students. or at least a certain number OF
Columbia students, disa greed with the
proposition. Hence these tears-these edi.
torials in. college papers. these impassioned
h%araugues wherever two or three Of the
dissenting bans are gathered to-
gether.
Careful investigation warrants the con-
chision that the swimming pool fracas has
really nothing 10 do with the case, save as
Il served as cue for a volcanic outburst OF
undergraduate a~ntagonism. The feeling
expressed by the distinctly irrational oppo-
sition to the swimming class has long been
s~mouldering. Possibly there has been fuel
for 1t; but It seoms a pity that the students
should choose as pretext for a natural and
Pofhupo JuSeiho Oo PiObccb q ludNtci VI TO
gard to which they would appear FRA
tional.
Hero is the swimming pool trouble up
to date: Last year. IL was proposed by the
directors of the gymnasium that the wives
and daughters of the faculty, the women OF
the Teachers College and the women OF
Barnard should have the privileges of the
gymnasium. including the use Of the swim
v..t.- @oAl tan~ -. g.. H. .-N1. GAr.A
OF the women had expressed a desire for
this. II would not interfere with the mems
gymnasium work, for very few men care
TO use the gymnasium In the evening, IL
it were free. and pra ctically none would
pay extra for il when the day hours were
open TO them. President Low approved the
plan, approved It TO the extent of con-
tributing generously to the sum necessary
to carry the scheme to success. The gym
nasium evenings were given TO the women
and thoy enjoyed them. II the Columbia
students disliked the situation they at least
made nc loud or formal complaint and
harmony reigncd on tho Heights.
Last fall the Barnard students decided
that II would be wiser not to renew
the arrangements for Gym privileges.
Just why they made that deoisi on, thew
did not explain. Possibly, they knew that
the mon objected and did not care to raise
the issue. Possibly the expense. or the
lack Of time, or the fact that the downtown
could not use the privilege. and the
Hall girls were few, influenced them.
At any rate, they put forward no claim and
The women's evenings at the Gym we're
dropped.
Some OF III women missed them. The
feminine members of the professor families
lamented the loss. A woman
Of one Of the professors said to a
reporter the other day:
I'm afraid wo stirred up the war. /
feel as guilty as though I had some ones
spoons in my pocket. 1t seemed such
A shame that that splendid swimming pool
should be unused every evening, while we
had no place where we could swim or where
our children could be taught to swim. 1t
never occurred to us-I suppose it never
occurred to any one c~oncerned-that there
could be the slightest objection to the |
provided the women paid for the
Empty gymnasium. came and went by a
ade door and didn't wander across the
sacred campus.
Nobody so much as dreamed that a CO.
educational issue was being raised. There
nothing official about Il as there was
year. The college had nothing to do
with It, save as President Butler gave his
consent TO DR.. Savage's plan. Barnard had
to do with IL officially. The girls
asked for IL. They we're invited to
all.
"A notice that they would be welcome
posted on their bulletin board. Some
n them responded. They have been placed
n an embarrassing position and | call it a
'hame. The men have been unfair In repre-
'entlng the girls as pushing their way into
he Gym and in giving the public to under
Shat Barnard girls have claimed
girls have claimed nothing
IN connection with the affair. They are
paddy cut up over h publicity and the
laise impression given, perhaps u%ninten-
Il think. myself, that they behaved with
a great deal Of dignity. They nave not
talked about the affair, Their college
paper made no reference to it. They rave
recognized the fact that the swimming
pool issue cannot be considered as a Barnard
matter, because IL hasn't anything what
ever TO do with Barnard, officially"
MS testimony was backed by that Of
others In practically the same tenor. And
Barnard, mention Of the disturbance re-
iuces even the most %garrulous group TO
IN assemblage of deaf mutes. Evidently
here has been a general agreement that
-ut IRIS. stlu HbOuJ tne row the DETER. |
The girls admit that they are sensitive
upon tho subject and that they feel they
are being unfairly treated. Beyond that
hey are mum.
The officials OF Barnard are even more
ln~communicative. They decline 10 be
interviewed, because, as they state, the
pantter has no official connection with
College. and they consider Il
utterly irrational and foolish. Over at
columbia silence is not so golden. The
are willing TO talk. So are some of
The older mon. The boys admit that the
'wimming-pool episode isn't important,
hat IL is only the last straw which has
broken the back of the collegiate camel.
The principle back Of tho swimming pool
IS what has called forth a mighty kick.
The kick isn't unanimous. A majority of
The students seem to feel that there is too
much woman ia their cosmos. They have
he true masculine dislike for the intrusion
d woman into any place Of their college
lie. They heartily detest even a vague
shadow Of cocducation. But many stu
dents who confess to all that traditional
sentiment, condemn the present agitation
say that they dcprecate the attitude
he college papers and a large number Of
heir fellow students have assumed.
Il wish with all my heart no girl had
ever been admitted within fire lines here"