About The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1928)
Pflj?p Four T IIE RED AND BLACK GTije i\eb anb JUads Olllrini o,, u „f th<> AthUtlc AiiMUtlM of thr tJnlvoralty of (Iwrilo Entered at the Pool Office at Athena, Oa , as second rlaaa mail matter. STAFF HKN II.UtDl, JR Editor In chief R K. HAMILTON Managing Editor EDITORIAL STAFF John 8. Candler First Associate Editor Prentiss Courson..Second Associate Editor Oene Baldwin Third Associate Editor Esthrop Mitchell News Editor J. H Napier, Jr Sports Editor Nathan liana Feature Editor Josepliiue Broeka -..Soeletf Editor Charles Hardy staff Manager n c ■ Balia staff Manager HtmiNKNN DEPARTMENT Friar M. Thompson. Jr . Business Manager Carl T. Sutherland Asst. Business Mgr Joe K Hawkins . Circulation Manager I. K llsj First Assistant Nelson dray .Second Assistant Hugh Aderhold Third Assistant A change Is needed. This Is not an effort on the part of stu dents to shirk work. For one thing, under the present system summer school begins a few days after Commencement. Stu dents and, above all, faculty members who partlelpate In the summer session have no time to rest from final examinations and Commencement activities. There is also too little time between the close of summer school and the September opening of the regular session. Moreover, those students who during the summer earn, the means to go to school the next year are handicapped when com petitors from other colleges get to the positions first. Other colleges have realized through actual experience that a shorter school term has many advantages. That Georgia should cling to an antiquated system means one of three things—the students are so stupid as to re quire more time for Instruc tion; the faculty is Incapable of teaching as much as those in other schools in the same length of time; or, a useful reform Is being neglected by those In au thority. EXCHANGES -BY- JOHN CANDLER, II I alk On Science As Religious Aid Given By Foster ICEPOKTOKIAf. STAFF Thomns F. St John, Guy C. Hamilton, Robert 1,. She rrod. Wylly Folk. Mary Claire Brannon. Sadie Myors, It Rosenthal. Naomi Henson. James Hollingsworth, Tom Hamilton. Itene Stuart, Percy Johnson, J. T. Carlton, William Farrel. Sam Hlrseh. H E Fnlllgnnt, Illll Tyus, Marvin Cox. WANTED:REFORM The Red and Black feels safe In making the statement that the University of Georgia calen dar Includes more working days during the school year than does that of any other school of Its standing In the country. There seemH to he no plausible reason for this state of affairs, save that no attention has been given to relief remedies. It has been argued heretofore that the length of the spring holiday period and the number of classes excused to make way for general assemblies have made It necessary to retain the present system. This year the spring holidays have been cut from olght or nine days to five. By means of the assembly day schedule no classes are missed on those days when general meetings are held In the chapel. Christmas holi days ran for not over two weeks, which Is no more than the ma jority of^ American colleges per mit. The only other holiday— or even part holiday—on the calendar Is Thanksgiving Day. And still the faculty and stu dents have to submit to class room work far Into June, when weather conditions are especially detrimental to Indoor tasks and everyone Is tired from nine months of study. A regulation which has outlasted Its useful ness is responsible for the situ ation. The University of Georgia is required by law to begin its ses sions on the third Wednesday of September and close them on the third Wednesday In June. This means that the oarllest pos sible date on which the school year can end is June 15; In most years the date is several days later. The latest date In any year on which school begins Is September 21; most colleges never start before that time, and many of them wait until October 1. AID FOR DEBATERS Debating and public speak ing receive little encouragement at the University of Georgia. Recently when what Is consider ed one of the most Important debates of the year, the cham pion debate between Demosthen- lan and Phi Kappa literary so cieties, was held less than 40 people were present. Later, at the anntversarian exercises, speakers from the two literary societies, after going to considerable trouble In prepar ing for the occasion, were greet ed by only seven people as an audience. Less than 40 per sons heard the recent Inter-col legiate debate between Georgia and Florida. Every college student should receive some training In public speaking. Many of them will have need of It later. But when the student body and the faculty take no more Interest In such matters than is usually manifested, there is little en couragement for the few stu dents who try to train them selves to speak. Georgia has produced some great orators. Grady, Toombs, Stephens, the two Cobbs and many other famous Georgians received their forensic training In Phi Kappa and Demosthen- lan halls and In the chapel of the University. When these men were here debating and public speaking was the outstanding extra-curricula activity. Now, unfortunately, it Is a minor phase of student life. It is not to be expected that debating will rival athletics In interest, but more attention could be focused on forensic events by giving Increased pub licity to the activities of stu dent speakers. The time of day for holding the champion debate. Intercol legiate debates and other pro grams should be changed. A regular special assembly period should be given over to each occasion. Such a step would show that the faculty recog nizes the value of such events, thus Increasing both the num ber of students In the audience and the number who try out for speakers’ places. —C. T. 8. Blaming for his action a faculty marking system that guages rote learning rather than genuine intel- lctual ability, and Phi Beta Kappa for lending its support to such a measure by electing Its members on a basis of grades, Charles Allen East man, '28, refused election to the Dartmouth chapter of the honorary society, according to the New Stu dent News Service. The bulletin goes on to say that Dartmouth has been taken aback, because for years the senior classes have without exception voted the Phi Beta Kappa key a more desirable prize than the “D” for participation in athletics. Eastman is an athlete, having played on the soccer team for two years; he is a member of the campus scholastic society^ of high standing; but when the golden key was tendered him, he turned his back. There seems to have been nothing sensational or spectacular in East man’s refusal, which probably ac counts for the absence of widespread publicity such as followed a similar act at the University of Kansas two years ago. Eastman, in a letter of explanation to The Dartmouth, sug gested that Phi Beta Kappa Is not keeping pace with changes within the college. It continues, he said, to lean heavily on grades based on quizzes and examinations, measures which the University itself is dis eouraglng. This story is unusually interesting here, for the Phi Beta Kappa elec tion is to take place soon. Examina tions are next week, and grades to the hundredth of a point will be turned in. The disadvantages of the grading system with its many vary ing standards, the unfairness of ex aminations, and the inability of a teachers to judge effort or ability are well known. The system of grading Is, however, the thing that Is wrong. It is hardly fair to criticise the Phi Beta Kappa society, one of the very few organizations which makes Its decisions on a concrete basis of merit alone. Grades are the only basis available to the society, and unless the grading system were changed, Phi Beta Kappa would be criticized far more for making Its selections on any other basis. Agnes Scott College, one of the more recent Institutions to Install a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, has a system of grades which divides the students Into three classes; "Fall ing,” "Passing,” or "Merit." There, where the grading system has been improved, the honorary society has little difficulty In selecting Its mem bers on the basis of merit and abil ity, and little criticism has resulted i from any of their elections. In refusing the election to Phi Beta Kappa, Eastman has simply "cut off his nose to spite his face.” Phi Beta Kappa will never miss him, but there Is a possibility that he will miss the society after he graduates. His opposition could have been ex pressed in some other manner and could have been helpful to the col lege. The trouble Is not with Phi Beta Kappa; it is with the marking system. Dr. Allyn K. Foster, noted scientist and lecturer of New York city, spoke to the student body in special as sembly Wednesday morning on "Science and Religion.” A large number of students were present to hear the lecture, clasees having been suspended for the period. Science, according to Dr. Foster, does not work contrary to the inter ests of religion, for each new dis covery of scientist is an aid to re ligion. "Science and Religion,” said Dr. Foster, “are the same game played on a large board.” The need for prayer was stressed by Dr. Foster, as he went into a discussion of the way prayers are answered, and the highly sensitized make-up of the universe. “Every lineament of our character has been built as a process of prayer,” he said, “anid ihas been the greatest factor in the forming of our lives. The greatest machinery is run by the most infinitesimal parts,” said Dr. Foster In opposing the theory that smallness of man should in any way do away with the belief about the efficacy of prayer. “What difference,” Dr. Foster asked, “does it make now big the Universe is, so long as it’s all con nected?” Then the speaker launched his be lief about the answering of prayers. God does not speak through the stel lar spaces ini answering prayers, but He speaks through one of His mil lions on the earth; He does not sus pend the laws of nature, but extends them in working miracles, was the speaker’s assertion. In concluding. Dr. Foster gave two definitions of prayer. "Prayer is the outreach of the whole being for new levels of power,” and "Prayer is the progressive effort of the hu man mind to discover the will of God.” Dr. Foster’s final plea was, “Stop praying for the things you want, and saying God is not there because He doesn’t give them to you.” Dr. Foster will be in Athens until Friday afternoon and will speak to several other groups, including sev eral science classes in the Univtr- sity, joint meetings of the Y. W. C. A. and Y. M. C. A. In Soule hall, and, a chapel meeting at G. S. T. C. Dr. Foster is speaking under the auspices of the University Young Men’s Christian Association. AST-*RVtSKS -BY— TH$$M$S ST. JfHN It is to be noted that in the plans submitted to Demosthenian literary society, by the Co-op, a University post office is provided for. * * * Recall, if you will, that one of the first editorials of the new editor of The Red and Black suggested that such be done. * * * So here is a record of something constructive brought about by the University newspaper. * * * The editor is too modest to say anything about this. * * * * * * And I modestly add that the Y*ung M*n’s Chr*st**n Ass*c**- t**n has published recently a book let report of its * * * activities. * * * COURSES What They A re-And How! Dean Sanford Is Still Improving Dr. S. V. Sanford, dean of the University of Georgia, who is ill at his home on Cloverhurst avenue, has been improving steadily, according to Dr. Ralph Goss, the physician In charge. ENGLISH 8 This is a -fine thing. This is a fine thing. Do you remember your Freshman math—.well, this course is the cube root of English two. This is a fine thing. “Byron was a fine person. Byron was not a fine person. Wordsworth was a fine person." This is a fine thing. “Mr. Brown, who was Lydia Pink- man?” “Well, sir.” This is a fine thing. “Mr. Roberts, we’re going to have a test this morning. What are you doing here?” "Excuse me, sir.” This Is a fine thing. Miss Sara Fisher, Atlanta, was the guest of Miss Norman King at the Chi Omega house, coming over for Miss King’s dance Monday night. The JAY-CEE building (officially the Journalism-Commerce building) is now open. * * * I venture to sug gest, in a humorous vein, that the board-walks leading to and from the structure be widened and upholster ed. * * * This would be something constructive. * * * The present walks are too narrow, too springy, and too business-like. * * * For various reasons, something ought to be done about it. * * * And there ought to be street car service to the new center of activi ties. * * * The distance is too great from the library. * » * All of us now can appreciate the predicament of the Ag. student with two minutes from Mehre’s to make that un-cutt- able class. * * * • • ♦ Have you a little letter from the Dean of Men? Post office facilities have been crammed this week with impromptu form letters to the many and sundry over-cutters. * * * Mean ing those who have not attended classes regularly. * * * If you have a letter, join me in requesting the authorities to re-ex plain the rules and regulations, re garding cutting classes. * * * Espe cially chapel. * ** Chapel is a fine thing. * * * it should be continued as long as possible, but we don’t want to go to it any more than we have to. * * * * • * The C**k*r, once the humorous University magazine, will appear some time before Easter. * * * A new department, “The Hall of Fame,” nominates me and two others for this exalted position, characterizing your humble servant as * * • an in fluence * * » a politician * * • a poet » » • and a patron of struggling poets. * • * Sinclair Lewis declined the Pu litzer prize, a student recently turned down Phi Beta Kappa, and I refuse to accept the nomination. • * * For these reasons * * * I will not be called an • * * Influence, * * • the Cracker editor Is by far a better politician * * * I prefer a more ca pable critic to pronounce me a poet * * * and as to my patronage of struggling so-called poets, I know of but one who "struggles” • • • The Cracker readers are the best judges. I make no further comment except that the comical editor seems to have sold his mirthright for a. pot of message. • « • • • • 1 esterday I finished a good book * • • Sometimes I measure the months by the good books I read. • • • Sometimes I don’t measure them at all. • • • But I did read a good book « • * The Bridge of San Luis Rey • • • by Thornton Wilder. • • • It goes like this. • • • a good Brother Juniper, in Peru in the year 1714 saw a bridge with five people upon It fall. • ♦ • He wondered why those five were picked out to (Continued on page 8.)
