Clemson University - Taps Yearbook (Clemson, SC)

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378 THE CLEMSON COLLEGE CHRONICLE interesting in society than others. That they are more pol- ished and better informed as to the usages of society, and that this would enable them to shine as a lustrous beacon in con- trast with their less brilliant friends, and consequently cause them to receive the most attention from the professors and their families. This may all be true, but we can say with equal sagacity that some students shine better in the class room than others, some shine better in literary societies than others, and some shine better on the athletic field than others. One man shines best in one place, and another in still another place. Possibly no one shines very bright in more than one place, so if the man that shines so brightly in society has no opportunity to shine there, he cannot shine at all. I simply ask, is it common sense to deny the entire student body a privilege simply because some have greater abilities to use it than others ? This is an absurdity, a ridiculous idea. You had just as well say that we will have no literary societies and no athletics because some are more fluent speakers or more active athletes than others and will consequently win more laurels for themselves. You had just as well go still farther and say that we will have no colleges because some students will out shine others. I do not claim that such a radical improvement can be ac- complished as would be necessary to convert a sow ' s ear into a silken purse, but I do claim that it would help the students to some extent to feel that ease and freedom and dignity which is expected to characterize college bred men, and which can hardly be attained except by the enobling and uplifting influence of feminine association. Besides this the time could be more pleasantly spent visiting the home of a professor than in a dungeon. And our barracks are no more than a dungeon, so far as its social advantages arc con- cerned. I am not yet ready to intimate that the Clemson students are so uninteresting that their presence cannot in