Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-20
Can Coll &c Be
Civilized?
ny Frederic J. Haskin.

W AShtf gfbn, ~, u. NOV. 10 he
annual war between the faculties of our
institutions of higher learning and the
students thereof is IN full swing AZ
\nnapols n change ot supcrintendents
has taken place. partly as the result OF
her,rr scandals. Il is said In n southern
university. some students have withdrawn
tn "A body hccausc the faculty backed hy
state law has intcrfercd with their secret
sncictica And IN many other institutions
the efforts of the faculty to interfere with
stutlrnt activities, such as h0zirg fresh
men. forming secret organizations, and
making merry IN general have resulted IN
"A state oi more or less STRAIN
On the whole, the professors seem Ia be
lastrg out They used to invcigh against
dar res and against athletics. hut now the
sacnl aud athletic lite oi most colleges
vnrs an without any reproach from the
ltcultics The authorities have cap'tulat,
"a partlN because they had to do So. ana
nprtlN because they found that athietlCSi
rsr,clallV were an excellent advertise
meat aud thcrehv help IN getting more
studrn,s and IN hudiug up the colleges
Iret.rp,ttes nov flourish IN most colleges
u,,hnut restraint. and the ancient and
honorable practlcc of having. although
n - nlWa,s the subject ot criticism and
pttDtshtnrut h IN no means extinct
he nrnirssnrs are really hound tn lose
o,t m the Anug run. hccausc the students
will no. attend y college where the most
cxeittre and interesting oi activities arr
eurta,led The average college president
vants to make his institution On austcrc
.nd teeihrd stronghold ol scholarship,
hlt hc also wants - get ~ many students
as ts,ssibl, lhr competition Tor students
- lern. AND the students insist ON gong
whcrc they can havt aSood time. h'nc"
me prr~,dcut and hls fellow faculty mem
her, h,d themselves between the devil
a student harhar,sm aud the deep blue sea
al nel,vlou. and The betting IS generally
on ~, lrNt
ruotrssots NNp SIT DENTS DIVER
IN f. man who speut four years IA two
esnlercs visited various others ana Ne
l,,.g,l ~ both "A national and local ira
,,r'it, ~ l.uA. As though this lamcntablc
"a, firt between the professors and the
s,ud.nts IL due to fundamental difference
Of viewpoint m.
A college ~ university IS theoretcaiy
= apla,. Ia su!N Tho student Is supposed
a. comc there because he wants 20 study
Al. ,cles.rd from The close restrictions
q grammar school cducaton because "e :
.uppa,rd Il, lo mature enough rot :" Use
ktN fift'H ttfft i.h Nh'
WIN tur pursuit oi knowledge.
rh.t Il I'll, thcorN upou which the pre-
fessa.. a,i atd tlou which somc ot the
.,,.4. ,>l,erlallv those who are
r.tfur hr0 - college with difficulty
,ud .r4 * some special ~ fcchrlcal
+, vH,b i've, expect 20 make thclT
,t.Y, II = decidedly not the Way II"
tna;prlt 81. dcrg graduates look ~ The
.,nitc- Thc, ~ - collcG" i"r go"d
,p,c They regard 4 as al escape from
aatcrtal ~tpcrv-lnn. and chance -
pcud = httlc # jsd ! morrN without ms
dreci advice " assistance IT. WORD
he aNerrgc undergraduate regards colese
- an nppnttunuN 10 assert hls individual
N. whlch j. essentially harhanc m
INldralHN
nv EAKRARIc ~TIpINT
I, Las hc.7 stated many times hat
-rh individual IA the course II hiS de
-,lormeui repeats all the stages through
uhlrh the rsce has passed. lTohahiy
The ,dea he's heen overvntAcd. Int q lS
cer,atnly suggestive Thus boYs under 10
arc undoubtedly savages ~ inanN ways
rhe> hnrd loosely together Ike savaErs
hev ~ adventluing like saNaRes and
M, nc1 show savage cruelty hofh ~
each other aud ~ animals
This has attcn lccu pointed ont NJ
5ast,j iscou - generally roCugrl7Hd 'S INC
fasi chat tho ho, ,t : ar ~ has mcrclN
adyarred frcm sa>sg,r1 a. the next stage
~ t.Nri,pncrt vE.,h IS barhallSm
-.l ,,.,r-.,s., University. which Is
tNrmuatcd rs tho students ana nor ~
fht. flsaItN > tNpcai bsrhaTi>m
Thus al larhsu~m~ - la i"T cla''nra'c
orra -. nop Ih, loeSc irhal oreanlza-
rs. 81 savage : superseded hN q COM
IeN hierarach, ot paweTs ranei lFom
Y, ~hamnf Ard ncoI nc nfn down
Il common VsrrlerS ZACH u thrSe
A. .fs +. Lsrh' arCaIi1Cd ln secret ana
fn,>IrfIoO. i,~hlou. cHch J. iagh.N Jealous
.I.t. ,Wu c}is and oi - >'ip"foiS
Tht- ~ rNsctI, vha- YOU see !n Coz
.s rh, freshman. Il he Is likely
l.N.v Nth money ~ h!> pocket makes a
-,t-.lts he hrst caI In one typical
e,Gec, b. MA, make 3 certain r,hhon
~,.lrt, ms ~ct,u3 ecar another his third
vcat. a.d stfli higher and NOR osotcTlc
organization his fourth year Etch oi
fhcs, Organizations Is step On me spclaI
adder Terh oi them puts hHn through a
moro az icss herroVlf G initiation ana each
r,,,-,. h,rn the night 70 weer certain decora-
r,,,. a-d fa deal IN certain mystical
-ie.s pas,w. rJs and hand grips Ana
80 o.tef. 81 tnese various organizations
ar ~. high priests of the college. hey
AZ lao.ca uI 70 a-d vencrated by all
Thcv hold tic power Of social hie and
death
COLLECT ROYs LIKE INDiANs
An ni 'hls Is almos; eNactly like the
orr.rl1atloa ui Pueblo Indian village.
The analog, cannot be here described IN
detail but j. Is striking Tho same secret
orgaf ior.s. the same high priests. the
.erno cruel and extraVAgAnt mutations,
and the sam, mNstic gruuts ana grips
AZ found m each
Amoae al barhar.o people. there are
ipri,nerabl, tabuus The same Is true oi
,.U am hesf cllcQe- he barbarian NAV
~ cat ,ht.. nor touch that, noT 10 the
other. - the Vouug midshlpmsu may
~ H. .,... on The street CARVING suit
eas. ~ 4 packAgc az 9 certain southern
college he student, mal not t'c seen with
certain ,l,ngc malien. opposed not 70 be
~ the highest ~ociai status. and IN many
college, = freshman dare uot appear IN
,,,ll,r with hat OH BE- tabooS both
~ ,1llerc ho,- and 81 barbaraus else
Wher. are strargc and many The one
,,s4,r,llt thing that tho aspiring freshman
slvavs learns Il the complicated list Of
hugs that are bad form Bad form
mcv,rs IN college exactly what taboo does
a. me hf, Of barbara tubes