Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-09-19
VOICES OF THE PRESS
College Social Life.

In thousands Of homes in America
today parents are giving serious con-
sideration to the matter of sending
their young men and women away To
begin college course. With the open
ing of hundreds of institutions of
higher learning comes the usual flood
Of protest from the newspaper press
against the growing tendency to 'eX-
traNdgahce ana the evil infiunccS
Of luxurious social life" This buga-
boo is ANNUALLY held up 10 parents as
an argument why college students
should have limited eallowances, the
ancient fiction being revived that the
poorer quarters and food student
has in college the better results he will
achieve.
" lille II is true that in college as
anywhere else. the boy or girl who for
the flrst time III his or her life is free
from immediate parental restraint IS
apt TO Iall into habits of extravaganza.
1t is not ;rlc that more value may be
extracted from Il college education ac-
quircd under renurious conditions than
where 2 decent allowance is given the
student. There is 10 other condition
III American life where true democracy
| exists IN the same degree as in the
average college or university. Any
student who has the inherent qualities
| Oh manhood and wOmlnhOod will find
ali doors open. The social side of col
| iest life is Of vast Importance in the
| development of those grdceS Of char
acter and department that will be Of
manlfeSt help in the world Of activity
ana competition that follow the be-
| slowing Of the scholarship degree. To
biindiy denounce the social side of col
| leSe If, because of its alleged influence
Tor cyl! IS unjust and does great harm
to the student whose PARENTS accept it
| as GOSPEL.
| Tlc young nan or Young woman who
goes % 4 higher institution of learning
| SnoGld have character ANA Judgment
| enough Ia live within the means pro-
Nided by the parents. and any other
| Stud,nt has no business in college or
| any whcf" else. If the parents are un
able 10 provide with such librr:,lity as
| lEi"y could wish. tht son or daughter
| viii undt rStHni. ANA this student will
lut suffer Social o5traciSn because Of
| modest income. If 4 student cannot
afford parties" H. can find some other
|
| version that will suffice.
| The years Of a college career are
often the most important in tn" lif" Of
| q man or woman. If conditions are
such that the student is compelled 10
| spend rs little as possible, it will not
| keep him from learning. But four
years of plcasureless drudgery will not
| better equip a man cfor the battle Of
/
! rultiNating certain social clceancieS
| tiiat will gain him sclf-conldrncc and
| cas-" when lnc"ting men and women OF
1 his own east" in the outer world. Too
| many young men ana women have SIf-
| fcrcd bitter humiliation ana regret be
| cause after leaving college they find
| they have acquired good book edu-
| cation but lack the self-cOnfidcucc
which is essential to the making of
! ones way in the world.
| We do not have to go to the extreme
| of advocating eXtraVagAnt allowances
| tor college students in order to argue
| Tie advantages of social life at college
| There is ca wise middle ground where
! stu,:rnts W i'll reap the best reward from
| theif higher schooling. We are well
aware that Vice President Fairbanks
| "oIhcu HIS way through cOlleSe as q
| carpenter. But this does not argue
| that he would not have turned out fully
| as wei had he not been so reduced
| The maintenance of social life in coll
| lc2e hoes not snake it any harder for
| the boy who has the nerve to work his
way through his course. The social
| life is mere training and finishing
J process that, us Il rule can be taken
| advantage Of by every student who has
| the right stuff in him. Tho protests of
| the newspapers should not BE- made
| against social life as m Institution. but
dga inst those cXtravagant sons Of the
vulgar rich whose designations bring
| rcnrGarh upon the wholesome sensible
| d;nc sS.