The Free lance., November 01, 1887, Image 8

knows something of everything is far
less useful to the world now than he who
knows everything of something. Does
it not then behoove our colleges to con
cern themselves with affording young
men the best facilities possible for pur
suing courses of individual choice,
(which courses, of course, would be chos
en with reference to the best prepara
tion for some trade or profession,)
rather than insist upon the adoption by
all of a universal prescription regard
less of the students future work ?
The technical courses now intro
duced in many colleges are doing much
to remedy the errors of the old
system, inasmuch as they directly
prepare a student for his future work.
But they will not be entirely removed
until it has been supplanted by the elec
tive system. The opinions held by
some, that students would take undue
advantage of the privileges afforded
them by the elective system are ground
less. The faculty in yielding to the
student the privilege of selecting his
own course, need not yield its right to
require of him such an amount of
work,as they may think necessary to
the mastery of his chosen subjects.
We would like to see our alma
mater entertain this subject. With her
many technical courses she is far ahead
of many of our colleges in her facilities
for furnishing a young man with such
education as will best equip him for the
pursuit of some practical work,. But
THE FREE LANCE.
there are many students here who do
not take a technical course, but are
preparing for the various professions,
and wish to make their course here the
best preparatory to a more special and
extended course elsewhere. We think
if the Junior and Senior years were
made elective much good would accrue
from it. We hope to see The Penn
sylvania State College in this, as in
other things, abreast of the times.
THE FOUNDING OF THE MILITARY
ACA DEMY A T WEST POINT.
To each student of early American history,
the “Gibraltar of America” must ever be an in
teresting subject. The strategic advantages of
this point of the .Hudson Highlands were early
impressed upon our forefathers. As early as
October, 1776, a resolution was passed by
the Continental Congress ordering the raising of
a committee of five to prepare and bring in a
plan of a military academy of the army.
In 1778, at the urgent request of General
Washington, the first fortification, Fort Arnold,
afterwards changed to Fort Cljnton, was construc
ted at West Point. After the close of the Rev
olution many of our leading statesmen saw the
necessity demanding the establishment of an
institution for the military education of the
future soldiers.
In April, 1783, at (he request of Colonel
Alexander Hamilton, many opinions were ob
tained in writing from officers of the army as to
a peace establishment. General Huntington de
clared “that West Point has been held as the key
to the United States and ought always to be in a
complete condition of defense.” He further
BY S. S. VAGUE, J.IEUT. U. S, ARMY