The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23

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ally with the oldest colleges
IN the United States. Moreover. they
have each Of them. a distinct college
life the breadth and charm OF which
we cannot fully appreciate until we
visit some of our sister universities
which have not been so fortunate in
location. II is interesting to note the
many differences between our western
college life and that of the middle west
universities, and it is gratifying to see
that we have solved some Of the social
problems, such as co-education, more
satisfactorily than they. But in consid-
ering these differences and similarities
Of student life we must remember that
IN the broadest sense the middle west
q western. too that the type Of men
sid women is much the same and that
q broad line Of distinction can be. drawn
only when we compare ourselves with
the eastern colleges.
For. efter all, west is only relative
term We may think we are going
east when we go to Chicago. but the
New Yorker goes west to rusticate in
that city I knew a Minneapolis girl
who attended a boarding school in
Boston. AT a party she was told that
she must meet the other western girl
who was there. They met and the
other western girl" proved TO be from
Pittsburg.
The three great state universities OF
the middle west are generally conceded
TO be those Of Minnesota, Wisconsin
and Michigan. though Illinois and Ne
braska are rapidly forging into the
first rank In each of these universi-
ties there are about 5000 students and
In Minnesota there are 1900 girls, 6
number equal TO the whole Stanford
student body.
The fact that there are no dormito-
ries TO house this immense throng 0,
students at Minnesota causes many pc
culiar social conditions. When they
leave the campus the students are
swallowed Up in the city life of either
ct. Paul or Minneapolis. and in order
TO make hay while the sun Of propin-
guilty shines you see the beautiful
campus dotted with "queeners" oi
'fussers," as they say. who may bt
pretending to study together. but who
are in reality taking a special course in
coeducation. was amazed when
first saw this general informally
around the campus, for ! had always
thought the life at Berkeley and Stan
ford quite informal and had supposed
one went east. At Stanford one would
perhaps during four years know -four
men well enough TO use their frs
names. and at Berkeley it might be in.
creased 10 nve or six. Moreover, OF
either campus you would pass youl
best men friends, perhaps the one yol
thought you'd marry after you grad
uated, with no more than curt nod
But at Minnesota there is no campus
etiquette, and there is a wholesale us'
Of first names which I never hear,
eaualed outside Of public school.
Home Life at Minnesota
IN reality the Minnesota students ar.
as a whole hard workers. but they d,
their work at home. College is no
such q serious thing with them as it il
with the students at Stanford and tn
University OF California. because mos
OF the Minnesota students live in on
Of the Twin cities and can go to colleg
with less expense and sacrifice than tn
California boys and girls. whose home
are in the country towns at some dis
tance. The fraternity population a
Minnesota is as floating as that at
western mining camp. The fraternitie
---;dom graduate their men. and tn
sororitles arc composed in part of cit.
xirls. xno so out to college for yea
before entering society. But all o
these things arc due to the location 0
the university and in no wise hinder
from exerting a broad and good, influ
encc throughout the whole northwest
True. the college life is not distinct
forced as it is to blend with the life o
the city. but because many Of the grad