The sun., 1910-05-08
AINEESS COLLEGE COURSES
DEAN TALBOT ON DEFECTS ~
THE PRESENT SYSTEM.

&aHAAAAA
Given 10 the soelal allle ~ CSllega
LRe-EsIls % ths Elective Pian.
CnErAoo. Nav T.-Mils Marion Tablet.
dean of women al the University Of Chi
caao and author of ~rhe Education Of
'women.' thinks that eduoational aims
and methods Of the day do not adequately
Jakn into accUunt the needs VI girls and
women.
I'm the past, Ehs says In her book. the
Rctiyitisa q womsn have been chiefly
unncerned with the provision Of food and
clothmg and with the comfort and daily
well being oT the young Of the group
within the home. such duties now re-
uslirs large capacity for administration.
TIE AGILITY and the knowlsdgs 10 enter
tAe Industrial aud business life Of the
Rroup, and tho power 10 utilize govern
lnental agencies for constructive purposes
ofwell being. So far az the social and
economic arrangements Of society allOt 70
men and women different tasks. 70 far
must the educational machinery be de-
.Veloped differently for tho two ssxes.'
!. And.' said Dean Talbot emphatically
Ia speaking the other day in her head
guarteFu in 0reens Hall Of the problems
discussed in the book. 1t IA not a sex
SsatteF. though written specifically about
women. u has TO do with questions Of
present day college life--social. hyGienic.
physical vocational cultural. domestic.
&o'
conoerning the difficulties encountered
IN social matters Dean Talbot says in
rhef book:
-An increasingly large number OF young
People 60 % college openly and avOwedly
for a so-called good time They and
their parents talk as Il thess years in col
-lsre irom eighteen To twenty-five were a
respite granted 10 "a convict before enter
ing upon a term 70 penal servitude in.
stead Of years 20 bo sDent in training IN
tellect and character. in learning TO order !
the daily lifo with view to the greatest
enjoyment and usefulness.
-lhe college, often charges the schools |
and the huInes with the responsibility Of |
furnishing 60 il students marked with
mental and moral flabbinsss and with |
Hippant purposes rather thar with ca
paciiy for sustained and well directed
eRort. The college. however. IL not
doing its part to set matters right and re-
mould this material. which Is still to a
considerable extent nlastic.
Faculty and friends eagerly present the
kay and social side Of college life sports
and pasfimes rather than Libraries and
laboratories aro often used TO allure;
the standard good time IN frequently that
.of the inex perisOced and uncultivated;
college estesm is granted on a basis of
social DoisterOusnsss. and mOralsand man
negs are judged by the measure of the
phrases Boys will BE- boys and Girls will
bs girls IL is usually forgotten that the
grandfathsrs and Erandmothers Of these
hoys and girls at their age were carrying Z
hsavy responsibilities in the home and the
community.
-Ths college II largely to blame that
there h a growing doubt in the public
mind AZ 10 tho value of this great educa-
tonal machinery which turns out " many
wesklinws and incompstents. Tho evil
q ~ yst greater among young men than
an,ong young womcn. but tho tendency J
eElstsamong women.
The college has allowed amusemsnt
IN the form Of dissipation 60 flourish. whils Z
amusement which might serve as rscrO- q
asiOn and social agsncies which could bs 7
smpl0yei ~ a part Of the educational
prOoess have bssn neglected
IN writing Dean Talbot places great :
utrvas oQ the need u hygienio education :
fog the unodsrn woman. including physical q
sSerciss. nutrition and dietstics. personal .
hygiene. sOcial hygiene and eugenics: but d
in talking it over she declared all these 3
things should bs equally Il not more
strongly emphasized in the training Of
college men.
There exists at present. she writes.
san impeFativs social demand that girla !,
shssild t.s trained 20 b. wives and mothers Il
and boys % bs husbands and fathers. 7
HeTeit IL impossible 90 draw a line betwesn Il
the sducafiunal nssds of the two ss4ss. q
American homes ars suffering from a lack "
- wisdom in regard % the problems Of a
larenthood and child culture.
The incapacity % husbands and fathers = =
TO contribute their share 20 tho family :
lie is nAnifessly increasing because Of =
cruwine pressure uf the oountsrolaims !,
~ business and professional interests. Vi
Itacs suicide and divorce are symptoms
og a social disorder. doubtless very grave .,
and certainly very evident. whose remedy o.
lies in tho direction of training both boys ?
ard girla fnr parenthoOd.
That women students are beginning 10 %
realize the seriousness Il this matter a
IIeaD Talbot testified TO. saying that fortV ~
cut of ninet six went 20 ths housekeep- b
Ing conference. where Of cOurss they had ~
nothing tO say but went simply 20 listen bl
and hear While talking Dean Talbot OF
ieplOred the TnethOds used tO teach young b,
peopis sOcial hygiene
They should - taught from the stand n
puint Of hsalth.' she said. and not from =
till Ars bAftiing. but We must keep on ~
working and experimenting. y,
None Oi thu colleges has solved the ~
problem yet, and II ] have criticised vaa- Of
.ar College rather sharply and severely q
in my book il II not because thought con- u
iitlOns any worse there than elsewhere y
llin becaiIss ! am attached 20 Il and 4
thought 10 ought TO take leAdership and
sat q standard for other women's col 2
leaes For Il is undoubtedly true that y
wfile conditions and requirements have ~
rons on changing - radically for women y
lbs oollsRes have not kept abreast in their 10
ruricula- ~
"A study Of the motives and infiusnoes ht
nhlch lead students In choosing their %
roursee where the elective ayatsm Drsvaila "
ls.l hEing INTO clearer light the present y
hesdn on the academic side. El
aThsas motives and infi1encas are bv n
10 ineal.s - lew or 20 simple a. s often .