Evening star., 1923-05-04
Defends College Girl.
Criticism Erroneous, Writer Says
Cites Advantage Of Study.

graduate, full of hope, aspirations
and ambition will leave the high
school. carrying her diploma. She will
Immediately begin to plan and make
arrangements to attend some college
this fall. Perchance. she has read or
heard of some Of the criticism made
against women's colleges and their
students. Then. she may begin to
hesitate as to whether 1t will be the
best policy to continue her education.
In order to clarity any wrong concep-
ton of women's colleges, am sub
hitting this article to show the
erroneousness of the criticism made
against them.
This is a subject which requires
much study and careful investigation
before attempting to answer the ques-
tions asked. There are hundreds OF
girls colleges and CO. educational
who attend these schools whom we
must study before passing our judg-
ment.
1t would be quite unfair for them
to study only few individual cases
from one or two schools, then draw
our conclusions from them by placing
all the college girls in the same class.
Women at one time were thought of
as belonging exclusively in the home
and her dutdes were to care for the fam
lily. We can no longer conflne her to
this small sphere. She now shares
equal rights with the father and
husband in the affairs of life. She
has become partner and co-worker
instead of a mere adviser. Since she
is endowed with all these privileges
and responsibilities to which she is
justly entitled. then. why not let her
prepare for them without perHerSe
criticism?
There are two kinds of criticism
constructive and destructive. Few
are able to criticize an individual or
an institution then follow the criti-
cism by solution to make conditions
better. but many can find fault after
which they leave 1t to others to i'm
prove. That seems to be the kind Of
criticism which ! read and which /
am answering. First, it was amusing
to see how little was known of the
American college girl. Second. in
the criticism made, not single rem
edy was offered. except to put her
to hard work. then the kind was not
mentioned.
The charges Of smoking. swag-
gering. using slang. bold and brazen
in manners and dress" cannot be
whole. A few exceptions may be
found, but they will become the quiet,
unassuming and demure girl as her
college sister when she becomes a
little older and the fad wears away:
therefore. we have not much cause
for alarm. .
1t was charged that her writing
could not be read 1t is my good
fortune to be in a position where ]
can read the writing of thousands of
different persons daily from every
section of the United States. I am
quite sure that the less than l per
cent Of illegtble script read was not
Eternal vigilance Is the price of
good English" Language consists of
two phases. the art and scientific. The
illterate uses only the art phase
whether it be right or wrong. The
correct use of language comes only
through long and careful practice.
Even then. we must be eternaliy on
the alert or we will make a gram
matical error since we come In con-
tact with SO many speaking different
dialects and idioms and using vari-
Gus methods of sentence construction.
The scientific phase deals with the
laws and principles governing correct
sentence construction. Correct Eng
lish will never be spoken or written
until we have a universal language
and each person knowing the tech
nical part of it. then put It into prac-
tice in every day life. Why charge
the college girl more than anyone
else? She will occasionally make an
error unconsciously. no matter how
well she might know good English.
since she hears SO many mistakes in
ordinary conversation.
The psychology. logic and philoso-
ply which she will learn are essen
tial to good wifehood and mother
hood No parent. either mother or
father, can know too much psychol-
ogy. The mind in it's development
passes through many stages. We.
too. have the many instincts to en-
counter. If the mother knows psy-
chology. she can guide the movements
of the mind in it's process of unfold
ing and. too. she will know which
instinct to foster and which to sup
press.
ply and logic is needed every day as
the child comes to her with its many
questions. Each question answered
creates in the mind of the child ideas
which cause many more questions to
be asked. The child wants to know
llc CAUSE anu mere IS
better way of satisfying this desire
for truth than having a thorough
knowledge of philosophy. Then, too.
knowledge of logic will enable her
to answer these questions in a clear.
concise and logical manner, and, too.
direct the child's expressions in like
manner.
The Latin, mathematics and sci
ences which she gets in college dis
ciplines the mind which will enable
her to meet all problems whereby
she can become a better wife, COM
panion and mother.
All our schools whether for men.
CO. educational or girls colleges are
under the control Of board OF trus-
tees. a president, and either a dean
of women or q matron, who look
after the welfare of the girls. These
men and women have a broad expert
ence. a practical knowledge and look
only to the best interests OF the stu
dents. The board of trustees consists
of our best business men and nnan-
ciers. They, too. no doubt, have
daughters in some college. 1 cannot
possibly. think of them employing
professors. matrons or dean Of girls
the school scholastically, morally and
socially.
The days of menial' la Dor for women
have passed. Poor old China with its
1000 years of civilization is a good
example of the results, OF secluded
life for her women and girls who
often become mothers at twelve years
and are premature old women at
thirty if fate permits them to suffer
the hardships Of menial labor and
bearing children that long. Does
any sane-thinaSing. red-blooded Amer.
lean father want to see his daughter
come to the same state Of affairs as
the Chinese girls?
The American college girl is inde-
pendent She is intelligent, practical
and economical. She is modest, de-
mure, chaste and vfrtuous. She, too,
is a perfect type of womanhood, and
she will become and make as good q
wife. companion and mother as those