FROM THE UNDERGRADUATE CHAIR
The month has been alternately hectic and serene, with undergraduate opinion and interest fluctuating between the poles of— freshman-sophomore competition (and the new curriculum adopted by the faculty.
The story begins with the vote of the Class of 1927 not to enter the picture contest, following the action of the Class of 1926 last year. This action brought forth comment on the traditions, of the College from The Dartmouth as follows:
Traditions as Such
That the truth be known, The Dartmouth states its its policy with regard to the traditions of the College.
"Last year the undergraduate body accepted the heresy which denial of traditions allows. In many instances we were right in casting aside vestiges of the past. The truth we asserted was the right of our generation to question what had gone before. Eventually, however, the attitude which challenged traditions as such was perverted to one which foreswore traditions as such.
"What we must do in the future, if we would maintain a balance indicative of maturity, is to evaluate traditions. We must look into them, dissect them and determine whether they perform a function or whether they merely hold us in the rut of reaction. We must no longer deny them because they are traditions. It is our duty to the College and to our own happiness to find out their worth.
"If traditions are pleasant or valuable and the time or labor involved in their maintenance does not overbalance that pleasure or value, then intelligence will tell us to preserve them. If they have no worthy function to perform, or if that function is not worth the effort, then we should ignore them.
"It is wrong to follow traditions blindly. But it is just as wrong to repudiate them blindly.
"Let us take our time and use much of our reason and some emotion in judging the pro and con of each tradition before we definitely decide to discard or respect it. Then, whatever we decide, let us be governed by our conclusions."
In the meantime, a growing sentiment in the freshman class sought some kind of a competition which might result in a chance for removal of freshman rules.
This feeling culminated in a challenge from the 1928 class to the 1927 class—which took the form of throwing off their green caps following a hum early in the month.
There ensued a free-for-all scrap between the lower classes, which lasted about thirty minutes. This was the first real meeting of two lower classes in a heated battle which has taken place on the Dartmouth campus for two years.
As a result, Palaeopitus decided officially to acknowledge the challenge. This was done by reaffirming belief in the picture contest. But yet the sophomore class refused to go into it, and they showed their resentment of the action by refusing to enforce the declaration of Palaeopitus that— while all other freshman rules were terminated —the hat rule should remain in force.
Then about fifty undergraduates signed an agreement to constitute themselves a committee to enforce the hat rule. This action was received unfavorably by the College, with the result that the so-called viligance committee has not done a thing. But the Class of 1928. voted to uphold Palaeopitus, and to date they have worn their hats as a rule.
Another interest in tradition has been manifested by an evaluation of the Senior Fence custom. Whereas in the early spring, the Fence was not respected at all; there is more and more indication of the willingness of Seniors to remind underclassmen of the custom and today it is more widely respected.
The other tradition which bloomed in full force this spring was the custom of electing a Mayor. For a long while, prospects for the usual Mayoralty election were gloomy— but suddenly action sprung up just the day before Election Day.
It was decided that while the Barrett Cup, Palaeopitus and The Dartmouth funny elections were going on in the Commons a Mayor's campaign would be held.
The original parties were the Vigor Party (for more vigor in our intellectualism,) and the Beepp party (for clean politics.) Then a third party came into the field, the Aesthetes. As a result, a coalition took place between the Vigors and the Beepps the night before election. This resulted in a hot contest between the Vigorous Beepps and the Aesthetes on election day. The final count was a draw, so that Paul Jerman, Slim Bauman and Fred Webster all were inducted into office.
The Palaeopitus elections found the following four men popularly chosen for the senior body: D. N. Everett, hockey captain this year and a Sigma Chi; G. C. Tully, end on the varsity football team last fall and of Alpha Delta Phi; A. J. Oberlander, whom we all know as an Ail-American halfback next fall and an Alpha Delta Phi; and W. F. Robinson, halfback and hurdler and of Theta Delta Chi.
This brings the next Palaeopitus to its ful! membership. The twelve juniors will be formally initiated at Wet Down.
The following 1927 men are to be the members of the Green Key for the next college year: G. D. Arnold, K. C. Ballantyne, B. Barde, C. W. Bartlett, C. W. Bejlaire, J F. Carey, F. E. Carver, A. Cohen, R. J. Covert, W. C. Cusack, J. A. Davis, H. S. Dey, H. L. Dwyer, W. P. Elliot, W. B. Fryberger, R. D. Funkhouser, J. H. Fuqua, C. L. Hardy, R. C. Hermann, L. J. Heydt, J. H. Holleran, N. M. Horton, A. O. Legacy, W. L. Macaulay, D. F. McCall, R. J. Michelini, R. C. Mix, S. J. Morand, F. M. Owl, W. M. Pepper, J. E. Picken, W. S. Prescott, C. A. Randall, T. Rose, R. H. Slater, R. N. Stevens, J. D. Thees, P. B. Thompson, J. L. Tracy, B. Williams.
W. C. Cusack '27, President of the 1927 Class, was also elected president of the next Green Key.
Undergraduate interest in the curriculum resulted generally in much favorable comment, as was indicated would be the case by the sentiment of the undergraduate educational committee which reviewed the proposed curriculum earlier.
One angle on the student reaction is indicated by The Dartmouth, as follows :
As Milestones Go
'As milestones go, Dartmouth College— once an Indian Christianizing school—has passed another. The Great Case, the athletic heyday—and now Dartmouth moves into a period of intellectual refining. Nestled in the mountains, the College has attracted more and more undergraduates; so that today its enrollment is limited and the process of stabilizing its growth by an improved educational system, a larger and better adapted faculty and more complete physical equipment goes on.
' The first of these is being attempted, and the experiment is bound to result in good health for the College one way or another. In time our faculty will grow to full stature and our equipment will catch up also. Today our concern is the new curriculum.
''Because here is one definite indication of the progressing Dartmouth, we compliment those responsible. First President Hopkins—who felt the need and took steps to fill it; second, Mr. Richardson and his committee—who measured up to the task assigned them; and third, the faculty—who fairly considered the Educational Committee report, judiciously amended it and then accepted it.
"It would be presumptuous for The Dartmouth to criticize the new curriculum in detail, for an undergraduate lacks the experience and the perspective essential to valid criticism of such a reform. Besides— the general plan of the new curriculum has appeared to us highly meritable from the time we first read. it.
"Two of the major objections we then had to the curriculum have been erased by the amendments of the faculty. These were: first, that adequate provisions for changing a major was not made; and second, that membership in the Honors group was compulsory upon the attainment of an arbitrary average.
"The first objection has been removed by the 'provision that in junior year a man may elect two or three courses at will, and may take either one or two courses in his major field. Thus it is easily seen that a major might easily be changed to one of the elected subjects, if such a move is desired. Before this amendment, a man had to take two courses in his major subject in his junior year—making change of a major very difficult, if not impossible.
"The second objection has been removed by changing membership in the Honors group from a compulory basis to an elective basis. The mark requirement wisely remains the same, however.
"One objection which has been voiced by some undergraduates appears to us utterly unjustified. That is —athletes will shy away from Dartmouth under such a rigid educational system. Our answer to such criticism is—let athletes who shrink from hard intellectual application avoid Dartmouth. The College has no need for the type. That athletics and intellectual application are not mutually exclusive was shown by our football team last fall and basketball team this winter.
"Some disappointment has been expressed because opportunity for self-education, that is—doing away with class attendance requirements, etc., is limited only to the Honors group. We would like to point out that only those men who are intellectually alert enough to apply themselves deserve such liberal treatment. Dartmouth undergraduates might clamor until doomsday for more liberal treatment, but so long as they act as children in matters involving freedom and responsibility, just so long will they be treated as children and should be treated as children. The Honors men, we feel sure, will live up to the trust put in them—because they will have necessarily proved their sincerity before Junior year."
In line with its policy. The Dartmouth took a stand for a return of the old time Dartmouth aggressiveness, as follows: Enlightened Aggressiveness
"One characteristic of Dartmouth which should not be lost is that of aggressiveness.
"President Hopkins told the junior class recently that he would rather have aggres- siveness in the wrong direction than have passivity. 'Because,' he said, 'some sort of ag- gressiveness in the right direction is bound to be stimulated by aggressiveness in the wrong direction.'
"Aggressiveness, let us understand, does not mean pugnacity. It does not mean stubbornness. Rather it means the courage of belief, the willingness to conclude intelligently and the initiative to back up conclusions. Physical aggressiveness is stimulated by athletics. Mental aggressiveness should be stimulated by application in study."
As a result of the annual public speaking prize contests, W. B. Sleigh '25 won the Barge Medal for seniors; and G. F. Friede '27 won the Class of 1866 prize of $50 for juniors and sophomores.
Rollins Chapel was crowded recently by the undergraduates and townspeople, on the occasion of a request recital by Professor Homer Whitford. Professor Whitford has given several organ recitals this year, and on each occasion he has had an unusually large and appreciative audience.
