The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-12
Voice Of the I eople
Women Mt the uni,crslty.

{ Women Mt the UnircrsitH.
70 the Editor of rhe Times Dispatch:
I Sir.-To say that the attitude OF
\ ward the proposed coordinate school
7 Tor women.'' as set forth IN the Univcr-
SHY college Topics has occasioned II
seneEal gasp OF surprise is putting It
Very mildly. Suppose ..the student
body TO man" IS bitterly opposed TO
tbs establishment of such school
IN connection With the university: what
I then? The young men forget that il
/ Is not they. altogether who support
! the university. and who have the right
I" decide the question of admission. AS
state Institution. 1t Is kept up partly
cut OF the pockets of a portion OF tina,
female rifran" OF whom the stu
that rinraff who help to pay for the
tuition OF many OF those Directing
/ young men.
Virginia men once prided themselves
upon their chivalry. Most Of them
DO nov. But here is chivalry with a
vengeance. and OF n new type--for Viz
some day to take their places among
us as leaders OF thought. of action. OF
culture aud Of refinement. Verify, they
are making excellent preparation for
50 exalted Il station, But most of them
are young yet, more or less immature.
ana probably their wisdom and their
chlNairy VIII increase with years
Women would exert "a demoralizing
! influence upon the university by their
presence alone! If this be true, 1t is
time we were extending our home mis-
sionary work into new neld. BY re-
forming our girls and rendering them
ut 70 associate with the godly and in
chances OF being demoralized BY such
association BY all means let us make
our girls 1T for male companionship.
Indeed. such companionShip may even
be a factor in bringing about the de-
sired result one wonders whe Their the
students viii relax their righteousness
during commencement week when
girls are actually necessary to the
SUCCESS Of the social functions CO the
university.
only female rirran would attend a
means females with brains: and some
men 90 not like brains in other people.
as accentuating too strongly their own
deficiencies, II the young men con
time to exploit their bad manners as
.hcy nave done, some girls VIII hest
tate TO come IN contact with them;
Virginia men who have their opinion
OF the woman with SUCK q lack OF mod
| eesty as TO try to get an education in
the best educational institution in the
State. The next thing, it Will be i'm
modest 70 attend church or to 20 to the
Theatre, especially. with 9 man:
Let not the youths OF the university
think for one moment that female stu
dents viii ''unsex themselves and de-
ndocia' e. Womanh9od by seeking an
this. The Virginia girl has her faults.
but lowering her standard is not one
Of them Neither will she feel con,
versity; for lily can grow IN the
mud And really, tho male students
VIII not be compelled TO live side by
side with the dismal BROOD Thev
can Quit and surrender their places 10
others less afraid OF female contami-
nation.
III College Topics would cnlighten the
sympathi@ing public as to the nature
Of those higher ideals. and traditions
for which the university has always
men viii destroy Let us hope the
men VIII live UP to them. And let them
not be afraid The girls Will not
mind how many cigarettes are smoked
nor how many card games are played.
though, perhaps, there viii be other
things that even the Virginia men Will
hcsitutc TO do III the presence Of wo-
men. However. one cannot nc sure,
when one reads in College Topics that
a few days ago Co eds in Washington
and Tint 'thc respectable families Of
Virginia would not subject their daugh-
icrs TO any such possible reatmcnt By
for women These Young men know
full Well that Virginia fathers and
mothers understand how 10 protect
their daughters and how 10 preycnt
such occurrences. Nobody is afraid or
so mild an implication.
The university is the property Of the
state. Why should not women use the
same lecture rooms as the men, and
study under the same professors? If
anybody be injured II will not he the
men. And tho girls are not afraid for
il lakes more than that to ''deprcciute
WOmanhood
At Columbia University there was
in the beginning great opposition to
co-cducation. Nov the college men al
most fall over one another III their
efforts TO gain cntrce to the social
functions OF Barnard College When
"anything IS doing on the Barnard
dows OF the adjacent building.
! Barnard is q fine college. doing fine
1 work. and its graduates take high
! With them co-cducation pays. If right
| ~ conducted II always pays. But the
| people OF Virginia may not be allowed
| to test itE efficacy; for "the obstinacy
| or the student body in this matter
vii, make itself felt"
! stand from under: something is go
! ing 10 happen! Let the public take
notice and beware! Thank Heaven!
| chivalry is not dead in Virginia. even
though we may not so TO the. univcr-
for most OF the protesting men are
| young yet and have n few things more
[ % learn. The state ought to help them
| along by giving them co education
! Thev need 1t. and need it badly. In the
meantime they arc making laughing
j stocks of themselves. One feels like
/ singing TO them the foolish little
trhyme:
"Johnnies mad. and 1 am glad: and |
/ know what Will please him
/ Bottle Of wine TO make him shine. and
Mary Jane to squeeze him!"
| ONE OF THE RIFFRAFF.
ia sl.ttt
\