New-York tribune., 1910-03-06

Do clothes and social graces determine
girls standing at college? According to
reports that came from Wellesley last week
Il would seem that they are not without
their influence. TIE question OF the aboh-
ton Of societies is up there. and in the
course of an all day session Of the society
congress. which ended without a decision,
the charge Of snobbishness was brought
against the societies
Girls who have worked for their class
and college go unhonored, while the fash
ionable butterfly reaps the hcnors. a nom
society senior was quoted as saying
The charge has raised storm OF protest
cot only among Wellesley undergraduates
but- among college women generally. That
clothes count in other walks Of life is a
tr1,fsm but that they make any difference
at college few college women seem willing
TO admit.
It's personality that counts. not clothes,
writes a Wellesley girl. only carelessness
In dress is frowned on II a girl falls below
the general standard at Wellesley some
one notices 1t, snd some one makes il pos
sible, perhaps through the Students Aid
Society OF the Christian Association, to
p-cvide what is needed. But theoretically
and practically q girl is judged by what
she is not by what she has. As for that
remark about the butterflies. any one VINO
knows anything about Wellesley knows
that tire college authorities have wisely
made scholarship the basis OF elections
Therefore the butterflies would stand no
chance unless they had something else 70
recommend them.
In other matters Il is true at Wellesley
.s everywhere else, that like seeks like
The butterflies futter together. whether in
g club OF out OF IT, and social ease and
social graces win friends. But these last
Are independent Of immediate circun-
stances and at Wellesley the circufn-
stances make no difference case at
hand is that OF a girl who is working her
way through with a splendid scholarship
record and whose personal charm brings
her so much kindness that she Is even EN-
barressetl by Il, because as she says. she
can't return II. A girl here never suffers
ost-acism because she is working hey way
Nothing could be more unjust than the
charge that colleges are breeding places ot
enobbishness. because they are. in realty
the most democratic institutions ih the
country. That is quite natural when you
stop TO consider that every type OF slfl i
represented-rhe backWoo6s girl, the city
girl the daughter Of the missionary. the
millionaire and the factory worker. the
graduate OF the country SCliycl o-iN VI III
sil--edged boarding school. The girl who
comes with ten evening gowns is likely to
room side hy side or even with girl VINO
has scarcely more than one white muslin
for best and the chances are that before
the end ot the year the girl with ten VIII
have contrived to help the girl with one
that is. if the latter viii allow ii
The butterfly charge probably originates
in the fact that college girls don't like
grinds' 4 grind IS not interesting socially.
Az she doesn't care for society society
doesn't care for her. and hence she some
times sighs that the butterflies get ali the
honors.'
This view was confirmed by graduates OF
number of the leading women colleges
IT is quite true said a Smith graduate
TO a Tribune reporter at the Woman nj
versity Club, No. i Madison Square North.
that clothes don't count al collese as they
do in most other places. \ college is a
UNIQUE place But will say that there
are waves of interest in clothes which pass
over q college and followed bT a de-
-ided reaction. often after class that
had 2 strong leaning toward rItHes ana
fussv clothes has left college there viii
come 2 period of severe tailormade suits
and shirtwaists which viii last for about
four years when there Will proba blI he a
revival Of fluff But. aside from this ten
dercy. clothes play no part in college lie
One ot the class presidents in my DAY was
q girl who worked her way through college,
waiting on tables and doing odd jobs