The sun., 1919-07-13
Panoramic View of Various College Activities

@OLUMBIA has devised new
the old freshmen courses in
modern history and philosophy have
gone into the discard. Spanish has taken
on new dignity. the English Bible has
jects; two sets OF admission require
ments. one requiring proof of brain
power rather than possession of a stock
Of knowledge. have been adopted. and
military training is officially recognized
as part of a liberal education.
These changes are set forth in the
annual announcement of Columbia Col
lege for 1919-1920 issued from the Of
flee of Secretary Frank D. Fsckenthal.
They reflect the influence OF the war
on higher learning. and especially the
stimulus TO solve practical problems
resulting from the commingling Of mil
itary and academic training during the
months preceding the signing OF the
armistice.
Spanish Is now one Of a group of
three modern languages, the others be-
ing French and German. which a stu
dent may offer in satisfaction of the
entrance requirements as well as OF
the prescriptive programme of under
graduate studies. In other words, It
is explained that so far as the student s
programme of studies is concerned
Spanish ranks with French or German
In fulfilling the requirements for the
degree OF ABB.
AS to value OF Spanish as an entrance
element, It is stated student may Of
fer four units in either French or Ger
man, while he may offer but three in
Spanish. 1t Is this slight difference Of
one unit in admission value which now
measures the gulf between Spanish and
French or German. The change in en-
trance requirements is accomplished by
the addition OF intermediate Spanish
to the list OF entrance subjects.
A new method of admission TO UNDER
graduate school and courses Is de-
scribed as embodying several features
which belonged to the old method, but
introduces one which is entirely new
and which involves the so-called psyche
logical tests. officially termed "a test
OF mental alertness and power"
Two methods of admission are now
employed. The first involves the old en-
trance examinations. The second bases
a candidates qualifications on his school
record, his character and promise, his
health record and the test OF mental
alertness. This test. or, more accurate
ly, series OF tests. are like those given
In the United States army They are
designed to select the students qualified
by general ability to profit by college
course. They are not examinations
In the subject matter OF the secondary
school course. They are designed to
test common sense and fitness for COL
lege work rather than preparation in
specific subjects. Samples OF these
tests IL was said yesterday at the uni
versity. will not be furnished. The tests
will he given for the first time this June.
The Bible requirements, to go into
effect this year, are based on the recon-
mendations of the Committee of FIJI
teen, composed Of Biblical instructors In
American colleges and secondary
schools. In part, they comprise the epic
narrative OF the Old Testament, the
memorizing of some OF the more notable
passages of Biblical prose and poetry,
Hebrew history from the Egyptian
period to the destruction OF the Jewish
commonwealth in 70 A. D., early Chris
tian biography and introductions to the
English Bible.
The course In contemporary civiliza-
ton Is the result OF frank attempt by
Dean Herbert e. Hawkes. and his asso-
ciates to work out a new scheme OF
history study as a consequence OF the
lessons taught by the war. They origi-
nally planned 80 to shape the course
that contemporary events would be
studied first, the work of the student in
general proceeding from the present to
the past.
Hrho onnoupcapant .hou. .htg ,1an
has been modified. The aim OF the
course, which is TO be given five hours
a week and Is required OF all freshmen.
IL to inform the student of the more
outstanding and influential factors of
a physical and social environment. The
chief features OF the Intellectual,
economic and political life OF to-day
are treated and considered in their de-
pendence on and difference from the
past
The great events of the last century
| in the history OF the countries now
more closely linked In International re-
| lations are reviewed, and the insisteni
problems, internal and International.
which they are now facing are given
detailed consideration.
BY thus giving the student early in
his college course objective material on
which to base his own judgments u
is thought he win be aided In an In
| telligent participation in the clvillsa-
ton Of his own day. The second hall