1895-] body before the public. The different newspapers throughout the State have pursued their usual custom and have exaggerated a bad thing, making the public believe that the students of this college are a ' ‘ pack of hoodlums and toughs. ’ ’ Some of the recent practices must be stopped at once. The only way to protect the members of our student body from stigina in future is for the students to take such matters in hand. This cannot be done without organization and The Uance pro poses to the students the self-government—Honor System, which has proved to be so successful and satisfactory in many colleges. We consider ourselves men of honor and ability. Why can-1 we govern ourselves instead of making it necessary for the faculty to treat us like children ? An earnest attempt by the students to adopt the self-government honor system would undoubtedly meet with the hearty approval of the faculty. Nearly all of our leading colleges have adopted this system, and with one or two exceptions the scheme has proved satisfactory to students and faculty. With the honor system in examination every man has an equal chance to display his worth. Unreasonable ex aminations cannot be given in this case, for if more than a certain per cent, of students fail in a subject it is obvious that the examina tion was not a fair one and another cannot be refused. Cornell has found the self-government honor system extremely satisfactory. The students elect a ‘‘University Court.” This is composed of one Freshman, two Sophomores, three Juniors and four Seniors, and several of the faculty. If any student proves to be dishonorable his class takes the matter up and brings it to the ‘‘University Court.” It takes a two-thirds vote to convict an accused, and upon conviction the court gives the culprit the option of leaving college quietly or of an appeal to the faculty. Cornell has adopted another very good scheme. Any student who makes a specified grade in his studies is exempt from ex aminations, but everyone is recommended to take examinations. The modern professor does not claim that examinations are for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of knowledge one pos sesses, for in the majority of cases he already is aware of that; but he claims, and there is a vast amount of truth in the state ment, that examinations are good, in that they give a student practice in stating clearly in a limited space of time his knowledge Editorial.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers