The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-05-04
IMPROVING THE BREED" OF STUDENTS.

Chancellor Elliott, in his talk before the Ro-
tary club Tuesday, said that one Of the biggest
problems before the state educational institutions,
including the State college, was to improve the
''breed" of students By that the chancellor
meant the betterment of the quality Of the stu
dents; the getting of more students who would be
a credit to the institution. He commented on the
great numbers of students fOcking to the col
leges all over the country and stated that too
many Of these students lacked serious purpose
too many of them were here, and in other colleges
who had no business in such place.
The elimination of the undesirable college
student is a rather delicate task for what stan
dard is to be used to Judge just who these par
ticular students are? The opinion of one college
professor on this subject will and does differ radi-
caly from that of another. Naturally the first
ones to be eliminated are those who do not pass
in their studies. The student comes here to get
an education; if he does not take enough inter
est in his work to make passing grade there re-
mains no argument as to whether or not he should
remain. But after the failures have been elimin-
ated, what? Does that eliminate all the unde-
sirables? We think not-and yet what standard
shall be taken in to do away with the rest. That
is where the rub comes.
It is we'll known fact that the ga" student
it on his alma mater. Those boys who come to
Bozeman and spend four years here doing little
save study and get high grades do not make the
most desirable citizens. They miss out on part
of college life fully beneficial as the book learn
ing The boy who perhaps makes but Indifferent
grades in his studies often far outdistances them
in the broad highway of life.
There is another phase of the question which
reaches farther than the personnel of the present
student body. Is the Montana State college get
ting the best class of students from Montana high
schools? Do the leading high school students of
the state, and by that statement we mean the stu
dents who have made the most of their high
school course in every way, come to Bozeman to
school? Some of them do. Most of them do not.
1t is a well known fact in all colleges that
the number and the quality of the students in
an educational institution increases in the wake
OF victorious athletic teams. The schools that
has the winning football basketball, track and
baseball teams get the cream of the high school
students In its territory "A winning athletic team
IS stronger inducement to the right class of
high school students than all the A. MS Phi. D s
and other degrees on dozen faculties. There is NO
matter of opinion, it is psychology and statistics
And the Montana State college has been woeful-
ly weak in all branches of athletics save basket
ball. Despite the fact that the college has had
good coaches, its athletic record is not one OF
which anyone can be proud.
There are several reasons for this. In the
first place the college has never made effort
to get good athletes here. It is an almost univer
sal practice among the colleges of the country tC
offer special inducements to athletes to attend
their school, Without entering into an argument OF
the merits Of this practice it is sufficient to say
that it is almost impossible for student to find
job in Bozeman that will permit him to partici
pate in sports. There are some few jobs at tn,
college that could be offered to such students bu
even these are not always available to the mer
who need them. Furthermore, the faculty of thu
local institution is not friendly to athletics
There are exceptions to this, of course, but tina
1t is quite prevalent among faculty members i
proven by the scanty faculty attendance at man,
athletic events. Some men on the faculty 90 ever
further and are openly antagonistic to any stu
dent who takes part in athletics, at least such i
the report. And in consequence the college lose
some of the few good athletes who do come here.
If the chancellor wishes to raise the 'ebreed
OF students at the college, the quickest and bes
way to do it is to get behind athletics at the loca
institution. Turn out few good football team
here and there won't be so many prominent Mon
tana high school students going TO eastern schools
wider participation in college sports is the mex
best thing to closer application to studies i
raising the quality of the college student of today
TWO FUNERALS.