New-York tribune., 1920-08-02

What Smith Gives f'c, Students in
Return for Their -Four Years

Return tor 1 heir l. our cars
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Once upon n time there were
seven thousand women who differed on
most things under the sun, but agreed
unanimously on one point: that the best
use girl can make of the four years
of hcr youth that center about twenty
is to pass them in n certain elm-shaded
town on the shores of the Connecticut
Rivcr-in other words, to go to Smith
College. They were 80 sure of their
statement that with "ininite resource
and sagacity," not to mention labor, they
gathered together $4,o00,OO0 that the
college by tho Connecticut might con-
tinue to grow in strength and useful
ness. In the course Of the gathering it
occurred to them to find out just why
present and future generations for
whom they were working wanted to go
to college, to discover what they got out
Of those four years which made them
worth while, to see why college edu-
cation is, anyway. So they sent ques-
whom there are some two thousand, and
one of the questions they asked was:
"What is the biggest thing Smith Col
lego has done for you?" Not all Of the
two thousand found time to answer, but
enough of them did to make it possible
to generalizc, and particularize, effec-
lively
The answers have, on the whole,
properly feminine variety but four gifts
of the college stand out prominently: a
broader outlook, friends. sclf-reliance
and knowledge of how to think. The
juniors and seniors, those who arc near
ing the end of their college courses, are
particularly grateful for that widening
Of their horizons which is surely one of
the chief purposes of liberal education.
1t seems to be not only a mental broad
enng, but spiritual and social one,
springing from contact with many wom-
en- Of many minds, from all parts of the
country and all ranks of society.
Friends, Of course, are among the
great gifts Of life of whose value there
is no need to speak. If four years gave
one nothing else than the friends Of
lifetime they would be we'll spent.
The self-relance, which takes various
forms, independent thinking, poise, abil
ity to act on ones own initiative, self
confidence, is particularly marked in the
sophomore class, lately emerged from
the repressions of q freshman year. AS
tho student advances, apparently, her
self-relance, though it does not fail her,
slips into a secondary place.
The thinking takes variety of forms.
In many cases the "biggest thing Smith
College has done for me" is stated, sim
ply and without apologies for the past,
as taught me how to think" There are
girls who have learned to think inde-
pendently to think clearly, 10 think crit
icaly, to think constructively, to use
better methods Of study and thought.
"a sense of responsibility is another
favorite answer which seems to mean in
most cases a sense of responsibility to
society "Has made ME an interested
and active citizen of the world,' writes
one senior. HAS made me realize the
Importance of group action says an
ether made me realize what opportu-
mites there are for work after college,
also that | ought to make use of them"
is a juniors summing up of tie case.
"Shown me how much there is to be
done in the world,' says sophomore,
while another answers the question,
What are you going to do after you
graduate? with Something useful"
Then there is the vastly important,
especially to an American, question of
time. Smith seems to have given some
highly appreciated lessons On thas sub
ject. "Taught me to use spare mo-
ments," "taught me to plan my time to
the best advantage,' taught me to
eliminate,' taught me the value of
time, taught me that time goes so fast
| can't afford to waste it,"
Taking them all in all, it looks as if
Smith College might fairly claim. to be
all things to all women.
MARGARET l.. FARRAND.
South Orange, N. j., July 80, 1926.
n