UNDERGRADUATE SYMPOSIUM

College Problems and Policies Discussed byProminent Student Leaders

By Thomas H. Lane Jr. '35 Editor, The Dartmouth, 1934-35

THE WORTH of the College, it was stated by an undergraduate contributor in last year's ALUMNI MAGAZINE, is measured by the number of radicals it contributes to society. It is my contention that the worth of the College is measured by the number of conservatives that it contributes to society.

Both statements, obviously, rest on the assumption that a comparative handful of college men, some acting as leaders, the rest distributed among the followers and thus giving fiber to the mass, can exert telling influence on the destiny of their fellow men. The issue, then, concerns itself ultimately with the form and direction of society. And as such it is all a question of tremendous importance.

It is a foregone conclusion that rapid changes in our economic and political structures will confront the next genera- tion. As I use the term conservative it does not necessarily mean opposition to progress or change. When social change is desirable and imminent the conservative will end full weight to the movement. But he will be ever vigilant to the nature of the change The primary charge of the conservative will be to safeguard and preserve the original values on which this country was founded and under which mankind en masse has prospered as never beforeliberty, equality, and freedom.

As material of greatest interest toalumni for presentation in this "Undergraduate Issue" of the MAGAZINE,several members of the senior classwere asked this question by the editors:"What do you think of Dartmouth College?" They were asked to limit theirpapers in reply to about 1000 words.Further than this limitation, they wereonly requested to confine themselves totwo or three general subjects of discussion of their own choice, such asthe curriculum, social life, athletics,greatest needs of the College, extracurricula activities, alumni relationships, and related topics. The men wereselected to contribute to this symposiumbecause of their variety of interests,their demonstrated ability in playingmajor roles in current wider graduatelife, and the promise of thoughtfulconsideration which they would giveto their answers.