The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-18
Society
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 ->~~~-~~->~>~~~-~-~~>c- ->~-~>--~>~~->c~--~-----~- the Southern Association of College Wom- ell. Numbers of these women had grad uated from these below-standard colleges before taking degrees from recognized universities. They would not have been honest alumnae of these southern schools if they had not come back determined to give whatever of strength they had gained elsewhere to the strengthening of these institutions or the proper placing of them, whatever of wisdom they had won to helping them take their place in the world wide standardizing movement The faculties of those schools which are making a genuine effort to become gen. dine colleges do not resent but welcome the frankest criticism.
 Tor instance, the presidents of the North Carolina colleges invited to their meeting a college woman who had studied their standards, and as a result of her criticism changed some courses material ly. A similar criticism was similarly received by some of our Alabama presi- dents.
 Cannot the women who have been graduated from these schools take the same high attitude2 If all the alumnae of the schools for women in Alabama would band themselves into one organ ization to get at the real truth of the situation: if they would appoint as com-
 
 made a speciality of studying college standards; if they would use as a basis of their opinion not that this school is mine and that thlne but the unprejudiced classification of the United States depart- ment of education; if they would help those colleges which have a real chance to become standard by insisting that those merely preparatory schools which call themselves colleges should stop comforting worthless degrees and should take their proper place before the public, even though those schools might happen to be their own, what might not Alabama be- come? If we could only get away from the personal point of view and forget the personal hurt and look. upon 1t all as just broad educational problem, too im- portant to us all to let our personal de- sires or prejudices creep in Could have my hearts desire I would bring all the college bred and the uncollege bred women of the state together as one mighty educational force. working for a proper adjustment; could we remember the part our mothers took in the effort 10 reconstruct the south forty years ago; could we prove ourselves worthy of them by taking up with an equal courage this educational reconstruction, then. and not until then, fear, will our colleges rise to the position they ought to occupy
 "Then and not until then will we nave in Alabama those great social forces which have always radiated from educa- tional institutions Then and not until then will these regenerative forces reach out from our colleges and touch all life into the semblanee of the Divine. And as the shadows pass and the morning onickeneth, ignorance which is death, will wrap his dark robes closer about him and the glory of the world shall ceme in. Verify, verily, you shall know the truth. and the truth shall make you free Then will our children and our childrens children know how much bet ter is light than darkness, and how sweet 1t is to behold the sun enobling the poor inan's poverty and spiritualizing the rich mans gold"