Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-02
teaching the theory and the history of gov

states their constitutions. administrative
methods and fundamental political ideas.
Amherst IL the first college. I believe, to
offer distinct course in citizenship. and
for those who carry It further, a course In
craftsmanship. which is intended to At
young men for service In and for the state.
When this course was introduced here In
1893 no other college in the United States
regarded instruction In the practical re-
quirements and duties OF citizenship as an
essential part Of an education. 1t used to
be assumed that college graduates would
not interest themselves in politics or the
practical side of civic life, but the expe-
rience of Amherst convinces US to the con-
trary. The practicability of such a course
is no longer an experiment. 1t has been
taken only by such men as expressed desire
highly has It's importance and value been
appreciated that 1t Is the most popular
course in the college and Is chosen by a
larger number than any other The object
is to train young men in citizenship just as
they are trained elsewhere in law or medi-
cine"
You have given your students a practi-
cal training in self-government here?" I
suggested.
Control Of the Students.
THAT seems to be a popular misappre-
hension," replied President Harris. "SOme
years ago President Seelye introduced a
system of college self-government, max
ing the students their own masters. as you
might say, and intrusting to them all mat
tiers of discipline. 1t worked very we'll as
long as President Seelye was here to guide
it. and it liberated the students from what
one might call the parental system that
usually prevails in colleges. With his re-
tirement. however. it fell to pieces over
question OF jurisdiction between the
faculty and the students, was abandoned
and has not been revived. Our present
system is rather simple. democratic and
od-fashioned. In the first place we re-
quire every student to attend to his work.
We have reports about him every six
weeks and II he does not show good at
tention and progress he is admonished. If
he continues Indifferent we give him an
other warning. and then, If he does not
are looked after by the faculty. but we
have no cut-and- dried rules: each indi-
vidual case is judged according to the cir
cumstances. In the second place we have
an unwritten law which requires every
student to conduct himself like a gentle
man. That is about all. We encourage
athletics. Indeed. Amherst was the first
college to have gymnasium; 1t was the
first college to make physical exercise one
of the required courses. Every student
must spend portion Of each day in the
structor in physical culture no matter
what he does outside. and every man who
graduates from this institution must be
able to swim. That Is quite as much a
neve we are the only American institution
in which such rule exists We encourage
foot ball. base ball and every other manly
sport, but we do not permit them to inter
fere with the studies. No student can be-
long to "a foot ball a base ball team
who does not regularly maintain a certain
standard in the classroom. We do not
allow his studies to interfere with his
Harris with smile.
Attendance upon chapel. absences and
similar matters are looked after by Dr.
Hitchcock, our dean. who is the most popu-
lar member of the faculty and the intimate
friend of every student and every member
Of the alumni.
Faculty and Students.
moral influence is exerted by the men,
bers Of the faculty individually. Perhaps
they occupy closer personal relation to
the students than in any other college The
social intercourse between the undergrad
yates and the families of the faculty is
very intimate. The home OF every profess
sor is open to all the students and they take
advantage of the hospitality in a cordial
way. We are one great family here. with
common interests and cordial friendships.
There is an excellent moral atmosphere
at Amherst. Very little discipline is re-
quired: there are very few infractions Of
the rules. because there are very few rules.
and student sentiment frowns upon dissipa-
ClOn. lneTe nave Ouly Deefl nail D. dOZeH
suspensions during my presidency. which
has extended seven years. We have the
honor system in examinations and the stu
dents themselves enforce It. There have
been only four known cass of cheating since
/ have been president. The students made
Investigations and brought me the verdict
with their recommendations They have
established the penalty themselves If a
freshman cheats at examina tons DE Is suS-
pended for one year and then given another
chance II he wants to take 1t, on the theory
that he did not appreciate the enormity of
his offense. If a man cheats after having
been year at Amherst he is considered an
unfit person to associate with and must go.
I'VE mean to keep the college about as 1t
is, with maximum Of about 800 students.
That is enough and not too many to secure
the best work 1t is then possible for them
to maintain personal relations with their in
structors and their instructors able to
know them thoroughly, SO as to influence
their character from the inside as well as
from the outside. Then the class is the
unit and class feeling can be developed to
the highest degree. I think the precep-
torial system recently adopted at Princeton
an excellent one. whereby the students are
divided into groups Of four or five, like the
tutorial system at Oxford. with preceptor
for each group who looks closely after its
members. We expect to increase the num-
Der of our instructors so that we can in
troduce 1t here.
KILLED BY A NEGRO.