New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-04
NEEDS OF THE COLLEGE
More Desired than Social and
Athletic Success.
SHOULD BE MELTING POT
Dean Keppel of Columbia
Writes of Observations at
Many Institutions.


American colleges must have more than
4 neutral background of social or athletic
success II they are 10 give TO the commu-
nifty the service they should. according
to Dean Frederick p. Keppel, Of Colurn-
bia. who has spent couple Of years In
studying American undergraduate life
both IL Columbia and at other colleges.
His conclusions are printed In 1.-THE Co.
lumbia Monthly" which was published
Yesterday. The college whose students
do not aspire beyond social prestige does
not give the real education that the
spirit OF the times requires, thinks Mr.
KeppeL
There Is no more important factor in
boys collegiate education than tho OPP
portunlty Of rubbing up against boys AND
men Of utterly different points OF view,
says Mr. Keppel. Despite our wealth
and prosperity, the social future OF ths
United States IS none too we'll assured.
and there "a no quality which. as a ma
ton. wc need moro than charity, OF the
poor for the rich no less than of the rich
for the Door. To serve its purpose a col
lege must be O real melting pot. The
clements that make Tor Intellectual fric-
ton and stimulus exist In any good COL
!ege, but they exist IN proportion TO the
breadth and depth Of the human ma
terial there
In any college community the stu
dents will get social practice from their
contact with one another. but otherwise
they will get no more from their rela-
tons than the sum total OF what they
themselves can put into them. The more
irnpreesionable acquire a sort OF insutu-
tionai and social note-good. bad or in
different. as the case may he. II is for
this reason that prov.ncialism IN all its
Sorms-and some OF them are very subtle
is one OF the greatest dangers 20 which
a college can be exposed. The institu-
ton particularly IN danger OF Il IS, on
tho one hand. the college which draws
from local community. and on the other
tho one which, having acquired certain
social prestige. has become sort o.
mecca for the we'll dressed. well groomed,
nice American boy of no very great
INTEL. ctual originality or independence
and. like Mecca, not particularly hos
pitable or attractive place for those who
do not worship this particular prophet.
Al the college which is too successful So
cially the students have in too great
degree common background; rho stand
ards OF coEventionelity tend 10 become
the standards OF college success, and as &
result the youngSter whose intellectual
and moral freedom depends upon his get
ting out OF the picture remains content
eddy within II. II Is hard 10 make them
realize II, but boys OF this type include
some Of the most provincial beings IN the
world. As a class they are likely 10 iu-
herit more than the average social re-
sponsibiity. and II their years in college
confirm them in an attitude OF social and
intellectual complaisance, not TO say
snobbery. the outlook for them and FOR
those whom they should serve is not
hopeful. III It college OF this kind the
students doubtless get great fun from
their social relations with one another
all healthy boys In all colleges DO that
but since these are boys whose corners
require little or no rubbing. such relations
arc relatively an uni,npOrtant part OF
thelr education. and the Friendships they
make are OF the same kind they would
make outside OF college"
THE problem OF how much OF his sdu-
cation student gets from his teachers
and studies, and how much he gets from
other students, IS one which will not be
solved until psychological analysis has
developed into reaches yet untouched. but
Il does not take the expert 10 tell US
that the influence Of the latter factor -
very great The elements entering into
this influence. however, are exceedingly
complex. and am inclined TO think that
this complexity Is very much under
estimated by the average parent and the
average student, and that the relative i'm
portance OF its various elements is not
generally weighed. For 70 many college
life pictures little clearly beyond allur-
ing visions OF sitting about IN converse
with congenlal companions or triumphlal
marchings and pRans over victories II.
athletics I do not wish 20 belittle the
value OF these things even for the boy
who personally contributes little either TO
the conversations or the athletics, but I
DO wish to bear witness that these visions
tell only q part of the story
or tho boys In Columbia University
Dean Keppel has this 10 say:
IL there is such thing as a typical Co.
lumbia student he is a boy born and
reared outside OF New York, whose father,
in the process OF making good in his life
work, has come 20 the metropolitan city
and sends his son to the metropolitan
college. There are boys whose fathers
are at the head of the great industrial
financial and transportation enterprises,
ooys who enjoy every luxury that the
heart OF youth can imagine. Other faith
ers come from the ranks OF theatre mu-
sicaus. pacifsts, professors here and else
where, bishops and other clergy. public
servants. civil and military. brewers. ar
lists, policemen. We have the son OF the
most distinguished hader Of reform in
the community and the son OF a man
whom his enemies denounce as a danger
taA ri,