South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-21
BY Woods Hutchinson. VI. ID.

1 CeplCreu. IL was quite generally as
sumed and taken for granted that
/ while trying and disagreeable at the
| time. the struggles and deprivations
/ of a boy putting himself through
/ college were really in the long run
q benefit 10 him. both morally and
physically.
They were supposed 10 teach him
10 bear hardship, TO develop his
character. TO provide him with
healthy muscular exercise and TO
teach him 10 value properly both
money and the opportunities for ed
ucation which ne was getting. All
of which was true 20 a certain ex-
tent, hut there was a heavy debit
side TO the account which we are
just beginning TO realize.
On the Debit Side.
The mere routine daily schedule
of a college course, with its four to
six hours of recitatiOns, filled in and
dovetailed with the closeness of a
! Chinese puzzle by study hours, lab
| oratory works, reading up subjects
in the library, class meetings, the
college paper, chapel and other for
NAL exercises. with at leas. two
hours study after business hours,
forms in itself a heavy and exacting
days work. if taken at all seriously
| and cOnscientiOusly.
! So eager is each professor to
/ magnify the importance and en-
! large the field of his own subject
that there is often actual difficulty
/ for the student 10 secure enough
| free time for a reasonable or even
minimum amount of exercise in the
open air, except on Saturday and
! Sunday.
Several times while lecturing be-
/ fore the student body of a college
or university upon hygiene in gener-
| al and the value of exercise in par
| ticular, and advising them TO spend
at least two hours each day in the
| open air, l have had handed up to
me a copy of the college schedule,
with the request to please look at
| il and then tell them where they
could manage 10 get two hours or
anything like il for outdoor exercise
out of that daily program. When
| YOU add to this heavy load. with it's
long hours of indoor confinement,
both day and night, the two. three
or even four extra hours of heavy
muscular or combining mental labor
which must be carried by the boy
who is working his way through,
whether by doing chores or waiting
on table or sweeping out stores or
keeping books or what not, the bur
den is too much 10 be safely and
BEAUTIFULLY borne by any but the
most hardy and robust OF cOnstitu-
tons.
AS every doctor knows. many and
many a case of nervous breakdown,
of anaemia. of chronic dyspepsia, Of
dilated heart comes into his office,
which careful investigation shows to
have had its foundation laid in the
! muscular and mental strain, the
poor and hurried meals, the lack Of
fresh air and wholesome recreation
and the society of his kind involved
in working his way through college.
Takes Edge on Work.
The boy who is compelled 20 de-
vote a substantial share of his ener-
gies to earning his living, instead of
being free to devote everything that
is in him to his college work. is
handicapped and at a disadvantage
| from start to finish All the finest
edge and enjoyment are taken off
his work because he has neither the
time nor the strength to do his best
at il. While some of the tasks which
he undertakes are either compare
| lively light or give him a fair share
of vigorous. wholesome muscular
exercise, yet "beggars can't be
choOsers." anC the boy is Obliged
10 take just whatever job he can get
in that particular town and commu-
nifty, especially if a dozen other am
bilious young chaps are in eager
competition with him for them.
The net practical result is that not
a few Of the positions which the
working student is compelled TO
take involve muscular overstrain,
/ exposure 10 dust. dirt, smoke and
other unhygienic conditions, are ex-
/ tremely combining or interfere with
proper hours of sleee. while some
! of them are so humiliating and
mental as TO be positively degrad-
/ ing.
Get Less Out of College
IL is the almost unanimous opin-
/ ion both of men who have worked
/ their own way through college and
( of thoughtful students and teachers
/ who have watched others doing IL.
/ that while il was better than not
I taking the course at all. the self
supporting pupil got far less out Of
I his college course and life. especial
/ Is upon the fellowship and cultural
and social sides OF il, as they are
/ apt 10 be insuficiently fed and rest
/ ed and 10 start the real LATHE Of
I life after COMMONWEALTH tired
and stale" as the trainers say
I instead of in the full vigOr of en-
I thusiasm and exuberance OF their
/ youthful powers. All honor 10 the
plucky youngsters who are forcing
I their way up the hill OF learning
/ by their own unaided efforts. but
/ the story Of their courage and self
sacrifice ought 20 be a bugle call 10
wake the community 20 see that not
merely free tuition. but free. gen
erous maintenance should be provid-
ed 10 every youngster who has the
ability and the ambition TO try 10