Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1914 — WHY IS A COLLEGE? [ARTICLE]

WHY IS A COLLEGE?

President Howe, of Butler college, must, we fear, be classed as a revolutionist—or is he a reactionary? In an address to the students yesterday he said : The college is no place for fancy dance steps, pink teas or vaudeville, and those students at Butler whose chief interest lies in social life will soon be weeded out. Students come to Butler to work, and it is our Intention to give students enough work to make them healthy and just enough society to keep them from getting "the blues.” If the president of the local institution is not careful he will create the impression that scholarship is really desirable. Possibly he may even succeed in making it popular. If he can get it into “the mores” at Butler he will have succeeded in accomplishing a thing which the heads of other institutions have despaired of bringing to pass. Of course, President Howe is wholly right in his plan to limit extra-curriculum activities, for these in many institutions have become, if not the whole life, at least a large part of it. Certainly they absorb a great fund of interest and energy. The young people must Play, of course, must have some time for recreation. But, after all, the business of getting an education—an education out of books as well as out of life—is the main object of going to college. We shall watch the experiment at Butler with much interest. One other point is important, and that is that the college is designed to serve, not only its students, but the community, which is entitled to get from it young men and young women fit to serve it intelligently. As the lawyers say, a higher institution of learning is “affected with a public use.” Undoubtedly this thought was in the mind of President Howe when he made his very sensible remarks.—lndianapolis Nerws.