The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-07

tie English literature, Z little eec..
omics-that IL what the typical ~.
dicats for : Bachelors Degree -
Now remember that no mar +
going to learn about anytime ~
less he IL interested. How NM
men are you going to find Who =.
interested In oil Of these this,s
He cannot afford to be much ints,.
eoted In any one Of them, IN.
were, he would not learn snon,s
about II to do him any sood. a
must b. just . little interested n
each Of them. But In The nat,,.
Of the case only about one man n :
hundred feels any interest in more,
thAA one OF these things which h.,
must study, and most Of them fssl
no interest in any Of them. They
are there to get degrees. Thsy ID
them. Anyone not . moron can ri,
. degree in IN American universitv
A class in economics lakes nina
moaths to dAwdle Though books
that . man really interested in the
subject would read in his leisurs
In one week. The dullest student
can hardly fail to absorb . fair,
share Of their contents In tAu
time, while the bright boy ~.
PONIES his acquaintance WIN ~
until the night before the ezanI-
nation, then makes . hasty dio>s
in about three hours and palus,
with ease.
MAKING Mediecrities.
This leaves him free for the real
business Of college life, which co..
sists of athletics. . system q
school politics ~ elaborate a
those Of . Chicago ward, . fratern-
ity, dances and social life gener.I
ally. This is the live part Of col.
lege life. 1t is colorful, sponton-
eous, exciting, barbafous. 1t gives
man . good training for social
life, for politics ON its pettier side,
for the life Of human herd and
group generally. But. liks lii
hopelessly standardized course ot
study, It does not develop his indi-
vidual mentality-his tendency, II
he has any, to stand apart and crii-
CHE, to think for himself. 1t teaches
him to conform to standards, Gus
toms, and ideals, not to create o.
OF criticize them. His college life
is pleasant and successful Just in
| sofar as he develops an aptitude for
following and aping leaders, fol-
| accepting . ready made point-of-
view, for being . mental and moral
chameleon
The man Of marked individuAlity
is not comfortable when he gets ID
college. He is not the kind who
delights in yelling in chorus, who
accepts the dictation Of seniors Ia
the matter of neckties and caps
who toadies and truckles to e,
into fraternities, who bows down
before some chunk Of beef an
bone who spoiled a promising ca
reer on the farm to become q foot
bal hero. He is not the chap who
is interested in collecting it'll,
dabs Of irrelevant useless infofma'
ton as q crow collects bright peb'
bles. This chap is an easily rec
ognized type in every freshman
class. At best he becomes the sor,
Of fellow who is known in every
college by the name "sorehead'
That is, he becomes chronically dis.
gusted with himself and with COL
lege. At worst, he is overwhelmed
by the example Of the life around
him, and by painful effort converts
himself into "a good, all-around
man." who looks, talks, yells. and
thinks exactly like all the rest Of
the tribe, spends four years lean.
ing nothing about anything, M
goes forth to gladden. the word
with the spectacle Of one mon
educated gentleman"