The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-10
WOMEN COLLEGE PROFESSORS
DISCUSS CO.EDUCATION
LITTLE SYMPATHY EXPRESSED WITH ANY PROPOSAL TO sEPA
RATE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THEIR SCHOOL
LIFE-ARGUMENTs OF PRoFs HUTCHINSON,
EVANS AND SANFORD.

Of men almost unknown These bad hab- |
it's, she asserted, were generally formed |
during the first two years Of the young |
mans college life. |
If the presence Of pure minded, fastid- !
iOuS young women can keep young man
from these habits for the first two years,
she said, his danger is greatly lessened. |
Tho mutual influence sOf young men and
young women upon each other during the
formative period produces a new type OF
character-manly, and womanly character.
Special masculine virtues are impaired
to the young woman; special feminine viz |
tues make the young man more manly"
Need OF Identical. Training.
Miss Evans suggested that If special |
courses looking to the definite preparation
of women for their future duties as wives,
and mothers are desirable in college, there |
Is nothing to urevent their being placed |
in the curriculum Of coeducational insti- !
tutions, but she also called attention to |
the idea that college is not the place for |
speclalism, and quoted President Thomas
Of Bryn Mawr, a womans college, as say |
ing that much unhappiness would result
if women elected such studies and men
did not. Miss Evans continued: Such
electives are not suited in any case to
the first two years of the course. where
the foundations Of language mathematics
and the general sciences are laid. Women
need the broadcast possible training instead
of special training If they are to be the
companions Of men, who, after their col
lege days, are being continually developed
Intellectually by the professions and by
business affairs. Only when their college
education has given them the same intel
lectual training and the same scholarly as
well moral ideas can they have real
companionshlp and intercourse. Less than
this intellectual development creates that
gap between a mans domestic and his
mental life that leads to many catas-
| trophies in married life II the training
differs in tone and quality in the first two
years, the disparity, which is inevitable,
will with difficulty be removed in the later
years. - ~,
Miss Evans closing point was: 'Tnor--
dinate desire for national prosperity
threatens to become the dominant prin-
ciple with us and will surely bring, in due
season, decay. The education Of women
with men tends to combat this tendency
to commercialism on the part Of man, and
to give to him some Of the ideality OF
women. Women are undoubtedly as fond
Of the results of wealth as are men, but
they are not in danger of loving the game
Of money-getting as men love it."
Individuality Emphasized.
Professor Maria L. Sanford gave with
pointed brevity her reasons for favoring
coeducation, evolved out Of thirty years
| Of experience in such institutions. She
admitted, to begin with, that there were
certain frivolous, pleasure-loving boys and
girls who should never be in mixed
schools, but she questioned the need OF
giving them a higher education. She con-
sidered coeducation especially beneficial
to girls. 1t strengthens character and
develops individuality; it corrects tend
ency to think unduly of the opposite sex
and of it's opinions and makes girls think
OF their work and of their own true de-
velopment; it develops healthy self-re-
spect.
In the matter Of the charge Of coeduca-
ton degrading scholarship Miss Sanford
considered two tendencies. One was that
going to the university, especially a state
institution. is a fashion which induces
many girls to start in solely for social
| pleasures This practice should be dis
couraged by a rigid wedding out of all
who do not come up to scholarship re-
, quirements. Miss Sanford finds girl stud
ents oversensitive to marks and grades
and the minutiae of work. She said she
had never found boy who would study
when he needed a dinner, exercise or
r sleep, but many girls will neglect all
t three AS a result they come into the
classroom enfeebled In nerve power with
resulting tendency to lowered class
o scholarship out of consideration for them
5 She would combat this by encouraging
I better conscience on ones duties towards
n herself. She would establish firmly the
e principle that high scholarship must bt
r based on sound nerves, a good diges
ton and healthful sleep. =
Miss Sanford especially recommended
IS coeducation as giving the best possible
n | opportunity for the most important busl
:. ness Of life, the choosing Of a life part
4 ner. No other relation in life gives 81
= good an opportunity Of discerning tn
s false and the true in character as thu
g intercourse Of school life.