The New York herald., 1922-03-26
Chapel Call, to Most Undergrads, Little More
Than an Alarm Clock Says College Presiden

the college student has grown more
and more devoted during recent years.
One recalls the days when the un-
dergraduate's attitude toward his In
structors, toward intercollegiate ath-
letics, and to considerable extent
toward his fellows rested on a basis
where falsehood had large place. Alb
sence from college tasks for purposes
of enjoyment was charged to illness.
Diseases (which permitted no duties
and forbade no pleasures" were very
prevalent. The choice of the disease
stances on the ability to spell and the
paper on whicl. two or three at
tempted names of ailments had given
way to some simpler term was signed
and presented to the faculty commit
tee with no thought Of the penalties
promised to those who lie. The sick
excuses were varied with fictitious ac-
counts of the death and burial of sup
posedly near and dear ones, the ac-
counts deliberately written and signed.
The multiplicity OF methods whereby
examinations could be passed by trick
cry rather tEan knowledge consumed
much ingenuity and violated every
principle of honor. Intercollegiate
athletics proved a particularly fertile
field for the ripening of ell varieties
of obnoxious fruits. But times have
changed in thirty years. The student
who will lie to college officer is very,
very rare and meets with severe
reprobation from his fellows. A fresh
man who told the dean lie to explain
recent absence was easily convicted
and punished. His senior fraternity
mates suspected him, forced a con-
fession from him, and said: "If you
ever lie the least bit again to any one
connected with this college we viii not
wait for the dean to deal with you, but
will ourselves expel you from college
Immediately and forever. You are to
remember that the one thing that
does not go in this college is lie
That incident is typical of the daily
happenings in many a college.
Little Cheating mt exams"
The examinations have come to be
almost entirely honest, not so much
by reason Of the honor systems, help
full though they are. as because a code
of high honor has grown strong and
brave among the undergraduates.
Stranger still, intercollegiate athletics
have largely purified themselves until
the average youth believes in playing
fair. even against his colleges chief
rival, and at whatever cost TO the
score. Truthfulness and honor have
come during the very years in which
public statement OF religious convic-
ton has passed away: but no UNDER
graduate gives public expression to
his individual high sense of honor:
he only lives it out and finds ready
means of doing so. May 1t not be that
his religion, as well as his idealism
and his honor, wakes strong and that
1t, too, would express itself If IL could
find an avenue not closed by self-con-
sciousness?
The undergraduate not only seeks Ia
do justice but also loves mercy and
practices II daily in quiet and often
undiscovered ways A college sopho-
more was earning his expenses by con-
ducting a poor little boarding house
The boarders became fewer and fewer
the board grew worse and worse, and
the source OF income seemed about 10
disappear. Then stranger came and
bought the business, paying a gener-
Gus amount for the scanty equipment
and far moro for the good will of the
falling establishment, which he inn
mediately closed. Though amazed az
his own good fortune and puzzled by
the strangers business policy, the stu
dent proprietor never suspected that
one of his own classmates had pro-
vided the money which by this means
could be made to pay the way through
college for his friend. Many and large
are the funds which undergraduates
contribute through some college Of
ficer to help out less fortunate class
mates and in scores OF cases not q
single donor let's his identity be dis
closed.
IL fear Il might affect our friend.
ship and could not bear to injure
that" is commonly given reason for
the imposed secrecy.
"Sec thou tell no man" was some
times the command of one Of long ago
TO those whom he had blessed. The
student benefactor counts his offer
ing q gift, but the benefited must be