STATE COLLEGIAN Published on Thursday of each week during the college year in the interest of The Pennsylvania State College. Entered at the Post Office, State College, Pa. as second class matter. EDITORS, ALEX. HART, Jr., ’O5, Chief, F. M. TORRENCE, T. F. FOLTZ, W. J. DUMM, ’O6, ED. FAWKES, ’O6, F. K. BREWSTER, ’O7 F. B. GARRAHAN, ’O7 BUSINESS MANAGER. P. A. RAINEY, CIRCULATION MANAGER. H P. DAWSON, ADVERTISING MANAGER W. N. LE PAGE, ’OB SUBSCRIPTION $1.50 per year or $1.25 if paid within 30 days after date of subscription. Thursday, MARCH 2, 1905 EDITORIAL In the North American Review Dr. Charles H. Thwing, president of the Western Reserve Universty, discusses the question '"Should col lege students study ?” It is a time ly practical topic and deserves most serious consideration. At first sight many arguments on the affirmative side of this proposition will occur to the average citizen. Butunquestional bly the great weight of authority is the other way. Solomon, the wis est of men, who had expert infor mation, declares in the most solemn manner that he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. It is also proverbial that a little knowl edge is a dangerous thing. How much more dangerous is a great deal of knowledge. Books, studies and lectures are the greatest drawbacks to the pleasures of college life. Without them the life at the university would be ideal. Living in g literary atmosphere, with pleasant THE STATE COLLEGIAN rooms and congenial companions, what could be more delightful ? For mathematics and philosophy to creep in is like the serpent gliding into the Garden of Eden and pro moting the tree of knowledge, the fruit of which brought sin into the world and all our woe. The two most delightful books about college and school life ever written are “Schooldays at Rugby” and “Tom Brown at Oxford.” It will strike the most casual reader that the charming, manly boys in those stories troubled themselves very lit tle about books. They were more profitably occupied in drinking beer, playing football and cricket and row ing boat races. Books in a college distract the mind of the student from his athletic sport. No man can serve two masters : neither can a college boy give his attentions to football and calculus concurrently. He will hold to one and despise the other. It will be noted that Water loo was won on the football field at Eton and Rugby, not in the class rooms. Therefore, if we want to win Waterloos in the future keep the boys out of the classrooms and on the football fields and do not dis tract their attention from athletics by forcing books upon them. It is re lated that a year ago a committee of the House of Commons was exam ining into the conditions of the great public schools of England. At Rugby a boy who was being exam ined by the committee was asked how standing at the head of the school in Greek affected a boy’s standing with his fellows. The re ply was that if the boy was except ionally good at cricket or football the witness did not think it would hurt him to stand number 1 in Greek. But that was before foot ball became a science. It requires a man’s entire time and effort to be come a first-class specialist, and it is impossible to reach the highest honors in football if your mind is in any degree occupied with books. Upon the whole, great minds are decidedly of the opinion that students at colleges and universities should not study. —Baltimore Sun. Open Letters The STATE COLLEGIAN invites letters, but the publication of a communication does not necessarily imply the endorsement of the sentiments contained therein. As a guaran tee of good faith the writer's name must be signed, but will not be printed if so desired. To the Editor of “The Collegian,” Dear Sir: — In the last issue of your paper, was an article in regard to the use of the Auditorium, written over the signature of “A Subscriber.” The article seemed to me a most admir able and an eminently fair statemen of the case in hand. It stated some of the reasons why our student or ganizations, or at least some of them, should be allowed the use of the building. It answered two pos sible objections to such use i. e. wear and cost. But it overlooked one objection. To what was the Auditorium dedi cated ? Here are the words : “To the cause of sound learning ; to the advocacy and promulgation of truth in every department of human thought; to loyalty, patriotism and unselfish consecration to public duty; to the service of Religion, pure and undefiled.” Does not this, perhaps, thiow some light on the reasons for witholding its use from onr student organizations ? Personally, I can see no valid rea sons, even in the light of these words, why the Auditorium should not be used by at least some of our organizations. I do not say all of them, for not all would be in keep ing with the semi-religious character of the building. But I venture the assertion that the Y. M. C. A. is as powerful an agency for the moral uplifting of the student body as are our morning and Sunday chapel services. It would seem, then, that by encouraging and helping the Y. M. C. A. by allowing it the use of Auditorium, the College would be working directly along the lines laid down in the words of dedication, “to the service of Religion, pure and un defiled.” Spectator,
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