New Britain herald., 1927-05-02
Mrs. George P. Baker Hap py at Its Emancipation, Principal Marcus White Pessimistic

"The colleges of today are begin ring to value youths opinion" said Mrs. George Baker of New Haven, former dean of Radcliffe college in an address to the Woman's club and the State Federation of the Associa- tion of American University Women at the Burritt hotel luncheon Satur- day afternoon. Representatives from eight of the eleven chapters of the association were present. including Bridgeport, New Britain. New Lon don, Waterbury. Norwich. Norwalk, Meriden and New Haven.
 There are three ways to meet a problem" continued Mrs. Baker.
 'The first, which has been used here- tofore is that of domination. Age has before today condemned youths views and ideals as immature. You must do this because We say so. and we know has been the standard.
 "The second course is compromise which is unsatisfactory to both sides. There is the third course, in use now in the larger colleges and uni versailles of the country-the method of integration. A new idea engin- eered to meet problem often aptly solves the question.
 "New ideas are meeting problems in the colleges today. The presence of younger alumni on governing boards of the various colleges Is an indication that age is treating youth with a new idea-the idea of respect for its views. Formerly religious exercises were demanded by govern ing boards. Chapel was compulsory. Popular demand has today stricken compulsory chapel from its curri- culum. One has the comfortable feeling when one views the services at these schools that those in at- tendance are present because they want to be present and not because they are made to attend.
 President Angell of Yale has ob- served that a university exists for the generation and release of hu- man power.' The deans of univer- sities today have awakened to the fact that the older generation never knows the generation beneath it. It is trying now to find out more about this younger generation - it is studying it and making new moves to integrate the presen, problem.
 Many new attitudes towards the educational side of university life are being formed. The honor sys. tenn and the tutor system have revolutionized educational standards in this country. The object of tn. faculty today is to make student tutors of their own minds instead Of merely cramming them with certain facts and ideas.
 Authority is not sufficient to deal with today's youth. What is needed and what is being rapidly developed Is keen analytical study of the human relations be- tween the two ages. A transfer of power or authority is not sufficient. Coercive control can never gain the objective - 1t ia coactive control which will save the day. Colleges tumble and stumble as they go along the route towards a finer re- tionship between the student and the faculty but clearer and strong CT every day is the motive of re- spect for youth developing"
 Principal White Less Hopeful
 Mrs. Bakers speech followed aa by Marcus White. principal of the State Normal school. Mir. White took less hopeful view of the situation. dwelling at length on the too highly geared speed of to- days living.
 'I have formed an opinion of the causes of the student depression of today. The suicides which have filled our papers of late have been to an older generation which can see no real cause for them. My opinion in the matter is that life is too different now from what it was fifty years ago-in col leges especially.
 When I graduated from college" Mfr. White added, "I knew nearly everything about everything. Of course there were som" details that I had missed, said to myself upon but l knew about every thing there was to be known.
 "That isn't as funny as it sounds. At that time there wasn't an awful lot to learn. The world. from Adam up 10 the time I went to college. had learned no more about things than has been discovered since then until the present day. There was a narrow curriculum in those days, of the studies in to- days colleges were not known then. VA ohf irt.i ca1oral l-pn,t.taIoo of