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Page 9 text:
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Custom for Custom's sake in College Life $ Almost as soon as intellectual activity begins in a child we see him commence to imitate the behavior of those about him, and as conscious activities increase we see the habit of imita- tion continuing without diminution. We are all imitators; we were born so; we've always been so; we always will be. And it is very fortunate that we are so, for a world made up of people who went each his own way without regard to custom would be an impossible world to live in. The common customs of society form the social skeleton, giving strength and stability. Without them all would be confusion and no growth would be possible. There is much of truth in the statement of Commissioner of Education, Harris, t1 do not quote accuratelyl Hthat the object of public education is to persuade'the individual to conform to the conventions of the community. Individual self-control and harmonious action in the community are great desiderata. But all progress is achieved by departing from custom and striking out along new lines. Paulls advice to prove all things and Hhold fast that which is good does not have quite the same ring as the quotation from Mr. Harris. But Paul was a reformer, the first great Christian heretic, unable to agree with either the Jews or the leaders of the Christian Church. Paul did not have an altogether comfortable life. Independence of thought and action doesnit lead to the lazy manls paradise. Intellectual acquiescence and conformity in conduct give the life of comfortable ease. It is laborious to try all things ; it is sometimes unset- tling and disturbing tbut its no end of funl. We always have among us the two types: those that fear to be different, who feel con- spicuous and uncomfortable if they are peculiar, who value chiefly smooth and pleasant relations with their neighbors, who have a distaste for discussion; and again, those who think relatively more of the principles involved, who have a satisfaction in searching into things and Ending the underlying foundation, who care more to be in agreement with their own judgment than to be like their neighbors. The extremes of either the eonforming or the dissenting types are likely to be disagreeable persons. There is a happy mean. Each person needs a modicum of each quality. So also does each community, the college community being no exception. I The davor that comes from a body of traditional customs is no small element in the peculiar delightfulness of the college atmosphere, and on the other hand that freshness which comes from originality is something we can not spare.
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Page 10 text:
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One who knew our College in its earlier days must have been impressed with the ease with which customs became established. We seemed to feel our newness and to be very ready to accept as traditional a custom of no more than two years standing. If one class did any par- ticular thing the succeeding class seemed to feel that it would better follow its example, and then the classes coming after felt that it would be sacrilege to fail to conform to the ancient tradition thus established. The class prophet who first used lantern slides to illustrate the prophecy did a bright thing and made the Class Day exercises unique and delightful. The method was so good that it stood the test of several years use, but for a few years it has seemed to some of us that it is difficult to make this feature of Class Day as fresh and entertaining as at first. The pictures recall too plainly those of other years. It seemed a relief last year to have a respite from this custom. Doubtless, there will come a time when such illustration will again be enjoyable. It is a method for occasional use. There are good customs, bad customs, and indifferent customs. A few are so good that they improve and ripen with age, like wine. There are others that become tiresome and lose their flavor. A Chinese egg may command respect for its age, but it is more appropriate to a museum than for present use. We need in our college life some fine old customs, both the more pretentious and the delightful little things that do so much to give characteristic flavor. We enjoy also from time to time other things whose chief recommendation is their freshness. But let us be careful to choose the wine and not the eggs for preservation. I thought it was fun to have 1907 adopt a class bird as well as a class flower, but I sincerely hope no other class will feel the need of following her example in this regard. There are some customs which have been proven good and will stand repetition year after year. Senior dramatics seems to be such an one, as also does the habit of sister classes enter- taining each other. But that all of these entertainments should always take the form of a play does not seem so certain. Nor does it seem assured that in senior dramatics a Shakespearian play should invariably be chosen. It may be well occasionally to choose plays Whose adequate presentation is not quite so dihicult. Should the Class Day program be a stereotyped one, following always the same form, or, would it be well occasionally to depart from the established form either to a minor degree, or perhaps fundamentally? Is this customary program one of the things which become better with age? I think we have very few customs that are inherently bad, but there is one of which I can not help speaking and I can not think of anything pleasant to say of it. I mean tifraternity rushing, It is not altogether unnatural that this custom should have arisen, and when once started it was very likely to be carried to excess, yet it is dimcult to understand how the fraternities can be so blind to the requirements of their own dignity as to engage in any such scramble for new members as we see each Fall. I believe that any fraternity which would do 10
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