The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-20
GRIND AND ATHLETE.
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GRIND AND ATHLETE.
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We have succeeded In exacsinz WITH 40
Guilty certain miaima that tho college. n.
cuire and for which the boys show no a.
thusiasm. The examinations are consd.,
necessary evils. exnctsd a. condition %,
entering college. and 10 be got through via
tho least expenditure OF stfort possibl.
This brings us to . consideration O, Tia
radical difficulty. not here alone, bu, In an
schools and colleges In this country. Ina,
doing well In lessons Ia not regarded .thsr
by boys or by large number OF psr.,,a
te1ceps az examination times) a. nearly "a
important - sxcelling In sports 4 bow
who attends 10 his work In called q "diR- a,
q grind. while the papers and maya ,inss
abound In stories OF the college hero xhs
lives In constant trouble with his unin,.,.
liHent str,ictors. but becomes the darlin,
Of his class or his university hecaus. hs
outpitched or outoan6ht or outkick.d or
outran Yale. Harvard OF Princeton, a. thu
case may be-
In the second place. intellectual success
in school or college seldom brinss such
evident rewards ~ does athletic succ...
he often gets the positions that In oldAa
times wers considered especially the reward
Of the industrious scholar. and II may he
at once admitted hs 10 often better equipped
for them than his more studious rival, BY
his discipline. his knowledge Of men and
his energy.
Until scholarship brings with IL some ma.
terial rewards you cannot expect young
and immature boys TO pursue 10 for it's own
a n Aan ~ nu . hA
arship Of the English and German schools.
I am glad to believe IL exists. but IL Is in
most places stimulated by tho prospect Of
very immediate rewards. IL means The
attainment Of scholarships or fellow .hips
which insure free education In the mos,
agreeable society conceivable. with tho
certainty of further promotion in uni,.r.
sity. church or State At the end Of II, orr
means q commission In the army. navy or
Indian civil service. with an assured posi.
ton. which can be translated into plain
cash. The honor and glory Is OF course
an inducement. but the solid reward 10
something an English boy works for from
has first preparatory school till he is -.
tablished in life.
The situation In which American educa.
ton finds it-elf especially hcre in the East,
IL not q now one. IL was observed some
time ago that the children OF this world
were much moro practical. and consequently
moro successful than the children of light
IL we could lead boys TO practise the self.
denial. tho unselfish subordination OF their
own Wills. the devotion OF present enjoy
ment TO future success In their intellectual
work thar they give 20 their athletics. l BE-
lieve they would obtain the same results.
and IL their work were equally interesting
they would do 30.
Il Ia very noticeable. almost too trits 10
remark. that the work In the graduate
schools Of our univ ersitiss 10 very different
In It's spirit and success than that Of the I'M
dergraduats departments. In them the
student 10 working for definite end and .
definite purpose. The vice Of the under
graduate department. for which the school
prepares. il its indenniteness. exssser-
sted In many places by q great diversity Of
the idea OF general culture. one Of the most
barren conceptions known 10 man. The
boy who works at his athletics the man as
the law school. medical school or graduate
school knows what he wishes to attain. Tho
boy who comes to one Of our preparatory
schools can see no natural connection be-
tween hts lessons and his future life. except
that they are required TO get into college.
We urge them upon him with the mother
knows best" order. that never brought con-
viction 10 any child. however obedienf We
are not Satisfied with them ourselves. bus
i'm pose them. partly because they were i'm
posed upon US in our infancy. but mainly
because the colleges demand them.
IL IL easier to make these criticisrns than
to supply the remedy. but education will
never be- successful until We can bring boys
10 apply TO study something Of the sams
real that they now show In their pastimes
only. My own conviction 10 that far too
many boys who had better be placed In
productive occupations at once. arc forced
beyond the common school education TO
their own great disadvantage and 90 the
great waste OF their parents money: and
that tho higher education will continue to
present q disproportionats number Of fail
urcs until the undergraduate department.
OF our universities 10 abolished. and schools
allowed TO prepare boys In subjects that they
are mentally capable Of assimilating and OF
which they ex pect 70 make practical use.