Evening star., 1927-11-17
COLLEGE SOCIETIES
DEFEND ACTIVITIES
Fraternities Claim Character
Demands Are Assets to
Campus Life.
BY LEMUEL r. PARTON.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, November II.
College fraternities are so intent on
maintaining high standards of charac-
ter and scholarship that they some
times even resort to the use of the
paddle in making the boys behave.
This statement, with others, is the
reply of fraternity leaders to the
charge of the Yale News. which has
just started a hot argument ihere by
asserting that fraternities are de-
teriorating influence in college life.
The reply of the fraternity men is
based on a survey of fraternities at
Amherst. Colgate, Allegheny College,
Denison University. Dartmouth, Uni
verSity of Maine. Louisiana State Uni
versity. University of Pittsburgh, Uni
versity of Illinois. University of Mis-
souri,. University of Michigan and
several other colleges. The following
was one of the number of questions
sent TO 100 college fraternity chapters
throughout America:
What relative weight do YOU give
to the following in determining
whether a@man should he invited to
Join your fraternity: Scholarship
athletic ability. popularity, character.
honor and integrity, financial ability
fellowship. friendship and agreeahil-
tty; relatives. son or brother of former
member"
Character Rig Factor.
The QUESTIONABLE. which was con.
Quoted by Prof. H. r Stone, dean of
men of the University of West Vir-
ginia. showed that character and
asreeahility We're rated first by the
great ma iority Of the chapters, with
scholarship third. although virtually
all insisted that scholarship was
strongly emphasized and that the fra
ternity used every possible means to
enforce high scholastic standards
From some of the chapters there was
An earnest and virtuqus insistence
that hell week" stunts are now
barred and that gambling and drink.
ing are forbidden"
In answer to the charge of the Yale
News that the fraternity system un-
dermines college democracy, the fra.
ternity men cite the following from
Dartmouth
I'm regard to the fraternity si:ua-
tion at Dartmouth there is more OF
less a democratic attitude held in con-
nection with them. For instance. only
16 men are allowed 10 live i'm the
house and no meals can he served in
the house. This tends to give n closer
NOh'dIt p"tWtbH JIdtSi HitN men ann
non-fraternitv men and also between
men of different fraternitiesF'
Fraternity Shortcomings.
One college. the name of which is
not disclosed. discussed fraternites
evils as follows:
FraternitieS are at fault in their
present tendency To build far TOO
expensive houses: in requiring too
much money for social functions: in
having too much competition among
groups for men. political offices and
activities. and in placing too high
q value on outside activities and not
enough on fellowship within the
group. Finally the support of ath-
letes hv the rest of the chapter is
an evil The placing of too great
value on the athlete is not so much
fault of the fraternity as 1t is the
fault nf the presen: tendency to place
overwhelming emphasis on the COL
le-e with the best athletes. Having
mentioned the evils al see them. let
r,e say that | consider fraternity
groups of the utmost value to the
college and the man. and all efforts
should be toward making them better.
rather than abolishing them"
The following colleges reported that
the greatest cause of failure and
OnnOr11Iatlnn among members was
poor schcia rship:
University OF Illinois. University OF
Pittsburgh. Allegheny College. Uni
versjtv of Michigan. Denison Uni
versity, Amherst. Dartmouth and Col
gate.
The reply from the State Univer-
sity of Louisiana was in noticeable
contrast to the other elaborate disci-
plinary measures described: Make
man conduct himself like a gentle
man."
The substance of the replies is that
the fraternities are a wholesome and
stimulating force in college life: that
they are continually raising their
standards of scholarship and general
behavior; that they are trying hard
to eliminate evils of competitive
rushing" involving snobbish and un-
democratic standards.
It is understood here that the ma
tionally allied college fraternities will
use this survey and other recent
findings, to formulate defensive
campaign against the increasing
criticism of fraternities.