Johns Hopkins University - Hullabaloo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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individuals, whose zeal for athletic sports leads them to reappear, more or less to the dismay of their instructors, in successive classes. But why should not a student, for whom a longer period of study is, for- any reason, advisable, be enabled to take it, without fear of discredit? Why should not an earnest and able man get the advantage of these qualities, in being permitted to reduce the time of his attendance? It is one of the excellent features of collegiate instruction at the johns Hopkins University that there is no rigid prescription in respect to time, that a student is at liberty to take his degree as soon as he can profitably do so, and that one who chooses to prolong his residence beyond theiordinary period incurs no risk of unfavorable connnent. It is important that the class idea be developed among us in harmony with this liberal and admirable feature of our system, so that we may get the advantage of the class organization without its drawbacks. These brief sentences have been written in response to the courteous invitation of the Editors, and they may serve to express the cordial good will of the authorities of the University toward those who are so soon to be graduated from it. Most of the older colleges have certain classes enrolled upon their catalogues in which they feel an especial pride,-such, for example, as the class of I825 at Bowdoin, which numbered Hawthorne and Longfellow among its members, and the class of 1837 at Yale. VVho can say what class will win like pre- eminence in the annals of johns Hopkins? But whatever one it may be, it is safe to anticipate for the class of 'gt a generous measure of honor and usefulness. ' EDWARD H. GRIFFIN.

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THE CLASS SYSTEM AT JOHNS HOPKINS. FRIESHMAN in one of our colleges is said to have paid his first, and only, visit to the library of the institution, for the purpose of finding out what a certain famous author had written about our class. To him, '93 had but one meaning, nor could he doubt that the class would furnish a theme well worthy the genius of Victor Hugo. We may pardon our young friend's innocence of literary history, in consideration of the generosity of his feelings, and the incident, however apocryphal, does not exaggerate the place which class associa- tions' and interests hold in many a collegian's mind. The history of our colleges shows how strong the sentiment of class loyalty has always been among students, the characteristic features of college life, both good and evil, have beenhintimately connected with it. This feeling is carried by most persons into subsequent years, and the fact that a person has been one's classmate gives him a claim, which few will disown, to recognition and sympathy. XVhether this sentiment will be as potent a factor in the academic life of the future, as in that of the past, may be doubted, the introduction of fraternities, the increased size of classes in the larger colleges and their consequent division into sections, the multiplication of elective studies-changes such as these, within recent years, have undoubtedly tended to modify it. One disadvantage of the class organization, which it is difiicult to overcome, is, that it prescribes a uniform length of residence for all, irrespective of differences in acquirement, capacity, and industry. This unifomiity is, at most colleges, rarely disregarded, except by occasional 13

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