edgement made by Capt. Knipe, that "the State
College team 'was too strong for them in their
present condition" is not the shadow of an ex
cuse for any act of discourtesy to our manage
ment. The reception given our manager by
University representatives is deserving of as much
criticism as their shameful way of avoiding a
meeting on the foot-ball field.
14 ANY of the educational institutions of to
day recognize the advisability of institut
inga reform in their commencement ex
ercises. The cid custom of having members of
the graduating class deliver tiresome orations has
long been criticised by the suffering public. The
need of some reformation was apparent to the of
ficers of many of our colleges, but all were nat
urally loathe to abolish a time honored custom.
This necessity for a revision of these exercises has
become so evident within the last few years that a
few institutions have actually departed from the
old rut, and have already reaped benefits by the
exchange. The University at Syracuse, N. Y.;
has long since substituted an address by some emi
nent man of the day, while Yale has recently tak
en a step in the same direction. To say that such
changes would be heartily approved by the stu
dents and their commencement guests would be
but to state but a mild form of their appreciation.
To say that it relieves the student of an unpleas
ant and burdensome duty and the public of unde
served torture would be but to mention two min
or of the many good reasons justifying such a
mavement.
The most forcible reason is found in the fact
that such a change would probably lead to the
abolition of the custom of conferring commence
ment honors on grades received in the class room.
In a recent editorial the Philadelphia Press says,
"The practice of conferring commencement hon.
o:s on those cf the Undergraduates who have se=
c iced the highest standing in class room exercises
has. long since Jost its significance. It was once
THE FREE LANCE.
taken as a reward of merit and as a recognition
by the college authorities and the public in gen
eral of the scholarship and ability of the speakers
and of their probable success in future life. It has
no longer any such meaning. Any one conver
sant with college students knows that the marking
system in use in most colleges is no ade
quate criterion of the brain power or intellectual
attainments of undergraduates and that it is im
possible to devise any marking system that will be
a correct test.''
At many institutions "pull" and "bluff" enters
very largely into the matter of securing grades and
as a consequence into the awarding of honors.
Therefore, if, in determining whether or not a
student is sufficiently well versed in any subject,
it is 'necessary to make use of the grading system
to do so, but let it stop at that : do not carry it in
to awards of merit. Abolish commencement
speeches by undergraduates and commencement
honors.
WEare gratified to note the benefit of the
training table as apparent in the good
work of our foot-ball team this year.
It is probably fair to say that some of the high
scores are due largely to this cause. No doubt
some of the players would have trained just as
well without the training table, others perhaps
would not. With less' indulgence in the way of
diet, and with more faithful practice, greater en
durance is the result. And to play a long, hard,
fast game no little amount of endurance is re
quired.
The effects of the training table are also seen in
the team work. The players are' more often
brought together and the latest plays are taken up
and discussed. It is by this foot-ball talk that the .
schemes are worked up which now and then fur
nish a swprise to the opposing team. Thus the
fallacy that brute strength and avoirdupois alone
are needed, has long since passed out of the an
nals of foot-ball.