Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-30
THE COWNSMAN
The Return to College

L that on which he returns to college, back
again to work and play, back again among
the old associations, among his friends and
fellows, on the dear old campus, which 10y
atty makes to imaginaton's eye the most
desirable spot on earth in word, back
home once more. Hall. quadrangle, every
nook and corner fill with glad young faces,
and the corridors, dumb for weeks save for
the hammers Of repair, now re echo again
to happy voices. Hand shakes hand or
claps an old chum heartily on the back.
Groups gather and there is multiple talk OF
the jollties OF vacation the whereabouts OF
classmates not yet turned up Of arrange
ments for rooming. likelihoods In sport-it
Is not good college form to discuss studies--
and everybody is brown, buxom in the fine
old meaning of that word, and happy. There
is no day such to the collegian as that on
which he returns to college.
T ESS vocal In his eation is the newcomer,
- the freshman, harmless and necessary as
Shakespeare's cat. His joy in putting away
childish things in becoming a man, college
man. is tempered by n certain becoming
apprehension as to the unknown. IL he be
wise in his generation he will keep his mouth
carefully buttoned up and his eyes and his
ears well open, that he may see what Is to
be seen and hear what It is proper that he
should hear. Since the classic days of Mas
ter Nerdant Green the freshman's un-
life has been theme for merrment and nag
ging, with the pbullition of hazing as an
occasional result. We have gone many
strides in academic conduct since these old
times, howsoever boyish mischief still breaks
out whoesomely enough at times in the
waggishness of the practical joke. This
year we are given to understand that the
upper classes at Pennsylvania, for example,
have established committees of information
and welcome In order that the newcomer
among the University's ten or eleven thou
sand students may be advised in matters in
which he may need assistance. Members of
these committees have met incoming trains
at the stations to receive new arrivals.
With an accreton Of literally thousands of
new students, some of them. in the profess
sional schools. men of maturity, come seri-
ously to work and not to play--even football
many of these newcomers women, con-
siderable proportion of them foreigners, the
old type of Nerdant Green fades away into
a curious irrelevancy. The callow, pre-
sumptuous, impertncnt youngster, the most
important part of whose education consists
in being frequently and vigorously sat on,
has Unconstitutional not quite wholly--dis-
appeared in our major colleges.
ITO HIM who has spent long years in the
l. classroom and laboratory administering
to the needs of youth and communicating to
the young idea such proficiency in gunnery as
he may himself possess. the opening of an
other college year is much like the return of
another spring-and spring. however we may
have forgotten it now, is always a new Won
der. Many are these youthful and budding
minds as the leaves Of Nallombrosa, each
putting forth and full Of promise. We
know by the experience of years that some
of them will fall early and immature, but
that the trees on which most of them flourish
will in good time yield their accustomed
fruit. and more. as they are properly tended
and fostcred. There is something touching
to the elder man in this annual accretion of
youth. ardent, keen acQuisitve, hopeful.
May they keep their ardcncy, their acquisi-
tivcness, above all their hope.
THE return Of the college year finds the
i colleges and universities of the country
more than ever popular and bCsct with stu
dents. Several things have concurred to
bring about this condition. Cnquestionably
the war has demonstrated the practcabilty
of American education. not only in specific
training. but in creating that temper of mind
which is adjustable and capable both in war
and in the affairs of peace. Again, the en-
franchsemcnt of woman has brought with
it opening doors in many places where the
doors have been hitherto locked and barred,
and with opportunity come those who can
take it, IT, indeed, this whole matter be not
really, as to cause and effect. the other way
about. The practical equivalence in the
rated scale of cductional values of all topics
offered for entrance to college Is another
cause of numbers. Whether this will prove
maintainPr Of quality in education is still
much in question among the old fashioned,
in the number of whom the GOwnSman
frankly confcsSeS himself to be lingering.
There are and always will be both men and
even women in college who were the better,
for themselves and others out of it. And
bv ol
The idle poor-and some of them are very
pOor-are quite as idle. Or rather the un-
ideaed, those incapable. whether of one class
or another of recognizing anything in educa-
tion except its material, its utilitnrian
values. Education as means of increasing
income is legitimate if mundane point of
view. Education as a means of improving
social opportunities even is not so frankly
avowable, but is far from blamcworthy.
Education for either or both of these things
solely and for nothing else is alike selfish,
unworthy and futile; for the real thing is
not in such education.
WE ARE told by some who seem to think
w that they know that politically we can
repudiate our obligations, avoid the Pntangling
alliances which are founded on the essential
brotherhood of mankind and live SeltiShly
and ottishy for ourselves, letting the devil
take the hindmost among our fellow nations.
This is impossible in education, aS it Is in
morals, in religion, in decenCy-in every
thing except politics. In education In a
democracy we must be interested in each and
in ALL 1t is sign of the times that the
desire for higher education should have
spread as widely as it has that there is felt
to be n need for it in. the business walks of
life as well as in the professions. for women
as well as men, and that those who have
come recently among us as well aS those of
n long American descent are eager to know,
to understand and to be armed with the
weapons Of knowledge The furnishing Of all
this need not be leveling process, There
are leaders in the republic of letters and
thnrn will nlMnYs be lealorS hy the diyinn