THE CHINNING SEASON

The fraternities seem to have reached at last the nearest approach yet achieved to an ideal rushing season. For several years one experiment after another has been tried, each making manifest its peculiar advantages but always leaving a bad taste in the mouth owing to many glaring faults.

Too obvious and well-known are the defects of the course followed for a number of years permitting pledging any time after matriculation. Equally unfortunate have been the effects of a season delayed by but six weeks. The course adopted last year, a post-Carnival season with a full week of rushing, presented many advantages and was, perhaps, the best adopted up to that time.

This year, the interfraternity council, profitting by their previous experience, and at the request of the faculty, moved the season ahead by two weeks, so that it might come at the end of the first semester during the brief lull before the work of the next term began. The chinning season was shortened to three evenings.

Here seemed to have been embodied all the best features derived from experience. It had been found that the freshman class obtained a better start in college, if for the first semester they did not share in the fraternity life. The scholarship statistics announced last year by the college office pointed this out conclusively. Furthermore it has been contended, and in all probability correctly so, that half a year of non-fraternity life tends towards a greater unity of so large an entering class.

On the other hand delaying the season until the week after Carnival was from the point of view of studies disasterous. With Carnival coming the first week of the second semester, but little scholastic progress is made until after the fete is past. If, however throughout the second week upperclassmen and freshmen alike are absorbed every evening with the duties of rushing, two weeks of the fifteen have been practically wasted.

In this respect the system this year was practically ideal. Examinations of the first semester end at noon Saturday, and from then until chapel time Tuesday morning, the college is on a vacation. Tuesday and Wednesday see little more than an organization of the classes. Hence by using this brief period of let-down for the rushnig season, there is no conflict with the work of either semester. Furthermore the six-day period of last year was felt by all to have been too long and tiring, whereas the recent three days of rushing seems to have been ample and at the same time not too strenuous. There is apparently no desire for a return to a longer chinning season.

The one great defect of the system as followed this year was the limited opportunity which was given for acquaintance between the freshmen and the fraternities. Before the serious work of rushing season began each fraternity was allowed two evenings at home to freshmen and one call at his room, not more than three members to be present at the latter. It was felt that this, perhaps, gave undue advantage to acquaintances formed outside of college. It is possible that another year may see some change in. this respect.

Violations of every rule are bound to take place, whether it be a part of the criminal law of the land or merely a regulation as to the method of rushing for college fraternities. On the whole, however, it can be said that the rules this year have been well lived up to, in the spirit as well as in the letter. Petty violations and infringements did occur, but many of these were without doubt entirely unconscious. The interfraternity council seems at last to have hit upon a course which embodies a maximum of advantages with a minimum of disadvantages and which, acceptable to the student and faculty alike, seems to work for the best welfare of both freshman and fraternity.