The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24
Graystone buildings of New
Connecticut College.
New Connecticut COL
lego Just Opened at
New London a Step
in That Direction
TIFTf years of higher education
" for wcmen-and then what?

lstence early in October and the high
dignltaries OF the academic world were
coneratulating IL on its success and its
achievement. reviewing the past and
So ulatlng about the future. three
~ devices for the further develop
Rcnt Of the woman's college a. It
Exists to-day became disceru!ble on
the educational horizon. The first is
only a suggestion. the secord an en-
pertinent and the third a theory put
into practice. All point to a university
for women.
To begin with. tho last. just bccause
II Is definite and concrete and there
fore less difficult to handle. II is the
curriculum Of the Connecticut College
for Women. a new institution which
opened tie doors of four large gray
stone buildings perched high on tho
banks Of the Thames at New London
with a freshman class of i2I students
this fall. The theors upon which its
curriculum is developed Is that n col
lege should equip It's graduates with
something to do az well as something
to think about. II is therefore adding
vocational courses to the regular lib
eral education which the other cUl-
legcs give their students.
This question of vocational training
n n big issue in the collegiate world
these days-it is almost n schism. II
occupies much thought. discussion and
argument in speech and print on TIE
par, OF alumnw. who both cherish the
traditions by which they were brought
M and have had a chance to test the
IN t.-g,. N-,. IL, tl,l ,rrA-ts
ing and bread and butter earning
world.
One A platitude in calling
attention to the fact that the economic
world is changing rapidly, That 1t is
continuously and continually making
new demands upon men and women
nike. But what il still a moot uues-
ton is whether or not the schools from
the kindergarten To the university will
So modify their curriculums as to meet
these changes and prepare their STU
dents To supply the demands which the
newer civilization makes upon them.
"The family cow has hecom the
dairy. the washtub has developed unto
the commercial laundry. the shell on
the what not Is replaced by tho
museum Of natural history n tho
chrome cNcr the mantel shelf Is to-
tally ~outriNallcd by the museum OF
art" 50 Frederick II. sykes. rrrsi-
don't Of the new college up Connecticut
way. sums up tho economic develop
mont or tho last half century. Tive
wei, with tho old oakcn bucket has
been nj, on, Of business by thc'public
water works. the front yard is Central
Park and the back yard is the public
pis ycrnund. out 81 the family Bible
has developed Tho Carnegie Library.
Now whic al these changes have
heen taking place in the economic
world. what has become of mother
She who nursed us through the measles
and tho ~whoopi.g cough is now ore
Of 90, 900 trained nurses; she who made
Il her business to soc that the food
was we'll cooked, the house clean and
neat and everything in order within
her four walls il now engaged in doing
the work OF the Board Of Health, man
aging Il diet kitchen, perhaps. or ever
building other peoples houses.
How are the women 10 go on with
this sort of work. fitting themselves
20 function powerfully in the clviliza-
ton in which we find ourselves to-day.
unless they are especially fitted and
trained for 1t?
"Many OF our colleges ~to-day-for
men and for women-are not fitting
their students for the life of to-day,
hut for the life which surrounded the
colleges when they were founded
some nifty years or so They "A n
not break themselves free from the
traditions that surround them; they
are afraid to experiment.
What they fear most. however, Is
the possible accusation that they IN
courage h exaggerated spirit of conf
merciaiism which Is abroad in the
land II they prepare their students
moro specifically to meet the demands
al tho world that awaits them after
graduation. They fear that by intro
duoing vocational studies they Will
substitute bread and butter studies for
tho disinterested pursuit OF the truth.
Tn my opinion-and I believe 1t 10
ne the view of those who are advocates
of vocational training-tLero is an i'm
mense intellectual advantr &c in under
stsndins and appreciat'' everything
that Is being done in the world and In
beinS able to do some one thing ex-
cellentIy. L. not the work which will
occupy most of your time In life worth
some study-worth the most inlelli-
gent and thorough study o ear give
II? Can it possibly he a detrimcnt TO
know how to do some thing when you
leave college. as well as how to think
about things? In this curriculum
which we have planned for the Con-
necticut College We have tried to hold
on to all the old studies which We
deemed valuable and to sacrifice AS
little As possible by the addition Of the
new"
The old studies to which they have
adhered include all the cultura. sub
iccts required of students in most col
lcges, with slight notifications. no.
tably that modern languages may he
that mathematics Is not a compulsory
study. The required studies are two
courses in English, one of which must
no IN composition; two courses in
inrcign languages, ancient or modern:
one course ~ history, one social sci
~''r' ono course IN hygiene and phySi-
CA training did two courses in gel
oh''' on" of which mus, bo "A aIura-
'"T! course This foundation for a