The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-06
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
washinxton. DC
THE COLLEGE woSiAN's BIT.
Washington, DC

Washington, D. c., June 3.-The
American college woman is doing her
share to help win the war. Never
has the need for trained women been
| so great as now, and the college
| woman is responding to this need
with an enthusiasm no less inspiring
than that of the male college student
in khaki Her services are as varied
as her capabilities. College women
are teaching food conservation; they
are filling the jobs of office executives
and laboratory assistants left vacant
by young men taken in the draft and
they are in Europe serving soup TO
refugees. But these are only Few
of their activities.
Before the war there may have
been O doubt in the minds of some
people as to the merits of a college
education for women. Certainly one
often heard the assertion that such
an education was useless in the ca
reef that most of the women followed
marriage There is no doubt now.
College training is constantly justify
ing itself And this year the girl
graduate is not looking forward 10
an idle vacation with possible be-
trothaI at the end; instead. she is
hunting job that Will be OF serV-
ice to her country.
In order to meet the shortage in
trained nurses, which is now acute,
many college women are making ar
rangements to take the summer nurS-
ing course soon to be opened at Vas
sar college under the auspices of the
Red Cross. Graduates of approved
colleges of high standing. who are
members of the class of 1918 or who
have graduated during the past ten
years, are eligible for this course. APP
plicants will be required . to pass a
health is an essential to- nursing. The
student fee for this course is $95, to
cover the cost of registration, board.
room and laundry. The cost of the
faculty, which will be especially dis
tinguished, is to be carried by the Red
Cross.
OF course, this three months train
ing represents merely a preliminary
laboratory course. When it is over
the student will enter hospital and
receive her next eighteen months of
training free of charge. This is the
arrangement now being followed by
several women's colleges, including
Smith, Wellesley and Mt. HolyoRe,
which have opened nursing courses.
Many college women are also pre-
pairing to remain in college all summer
in order to study agriculture. All the
large women's colleges had farms last
year. Vassar had farm tract of 74O
acres which was farmed by twelve
girls selected from thirty-three who
volunteered. 1t was hard work. They
ran the entire farm from June II to
August IL, blowing with tractor and
two-horse pillow, planting crops, milk
ing four cows apiece, mending fences
and doing all the other chores neces-
sary in the administration of a farm.
Mount Holyoke, Smith ana Goucher
also had farms in which the women
made especially good showings.
This year the colleges will not con-
tinue their farming courses, but they
are supplying many superintendent
for the groups of women farm work
ers included in the woman's land
army. Led by girls who have learned
the intricacies of agriculture on col
lege farms these groups of women are
travelling thruout the eastern farming
sections, carrying their own living &C
commodations in tn form OF saucepans
and tents, and are doing the farm
work in sections where male labor is
not to be had
The shortage of teachers is also be-
ing relieved by college women. Many
of them are accepting small salaries
to teach in city schools because those
schools might have to close II they
didn't, such is the scarcity of school
marms. Others are Joining the ranks
of the woman's committee of the
Council of National Defense to assist
in teaching food conservation and the
work of AUGMENTATION. The de-
mand for teachers in food conserva-
ton is especially large. A school of
food conservation was opened In st.
Louis and within thirty days twenty
eight branches had been established.
By the end Of the next month fifty
three schools. working night and day, |
were teaching food conservation to the
people of st. Louis.
Inc H.
rectly into government service. The
draft has left big shortage in bac-
teriologists and laboratory assistants. |
as we'll as office executives and |
draughtsmen, which positions usually |
require a college education. The re-
states relations service of the depart |
ment of agriculture has also offered an |
opportunity for patriotic service to
college women. One college woman |
who recently became a county agent |
has performed particularly valuable |
work in the south, where she has been |
organizing canning cubs. In one |
place she persuaded a number of bust |
nessmen to advance the money to buy
cans by the carload and then got a |
number of wholesale grocers to agree /
to take az market price all the food !
the women canned, provided its quail |
ity was guaranteed by the county |
agent. LII tiiis way ioSdi CoiSuiiptioii
was supplied by local produce. thus |
utilizing all possible waste and at the |
same time relieving the strain on |
transportation. |
College women are also helping in |
training camp problems. They are |
forming leagues and secret orders |
among young girls for the purpose Of |
keeping them occupied and impressed !
with their high responsibility toward /
the nation. Many of these leagues
and societies meet in gymnasiums> or |
at recreational grounds, where they |
play games and indulge in healthful |
exercise.
In Massachusetts, a special commit |
tee from the women's colleges has pro-
vided club houses and homes for SOL |
diers in local training camps. They |
are homes where the men may find |
recreation. friendly interest and con-