St Johns College - Ozanam Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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46 THE OZANAM or influence it may have with the students. Which is precsiely why it has no appeal and exerts no influence. And thus is it failing in one of its greatest functions as a school publication. A little less hypocrisy and a good deal more honesty and sincerity would do a great deal to make school periodicals more what they should be-potent factors in school life. Of course, there is the opposite extreme- the ''college-chap-this-freedom'' type of peri- odical that makes its appearance in some places. The good old faded standby is not half so insipid as this new clever publi- cation. Rarely one of the latter class achieves something positive, as in the case of the recent issue of the Harvard Advocate parodying The Dial. This number was rank enough to be characterized by judge John Duff of the Boston Municipal Court as obscene, pro- fane, unfit for sale or exposure for sale, and sufficient to corrupt the morals of youth. Now many a magazine like that may be bought very cheaply at any news-stand. It is puzzling why certain Harvard students should go to all the trouble and expense of printing one of their own. An interesting new experiment is being made at Antioch College, Ohio, where the students have been asked to grade their pro- fessors at the end of each quarter. The points that the students are to consider in marking the teacher are: fairness in grading, ability to present subject matter clearly, will- ingness to advise students in religious, voca- tional, and religious matters, value of said teacher to Antioch College. Just what this innovation is expected to accomplish is not stated. It certainly affords the student a long-needed protection from the incompetent instructor. But whether this is the best or even a good way to effect this result is another question.

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THE OZANAM 45 Each is backed by a great deal of what we Americans like to refer to as sound com- mon sense. The first of his plans is to be tried out by Johns Hopkins in the near future. It is name- ly the absolute and final separation of the college as it is now constituted from the uni- versity. C-oodnow would make Johns Hop- kins solely a university, rather than a combi- nation of college and university, with the idea that there is in this country room for at least one such institution. Such a sep- aration, he believes, would make for a greater emphasis and seriousness in the pursuit of ad- vanced studies. For American education in general, how- ever, Professor C-oodnow proposes a much more radical change. ln fact, his proposal amounts to nothing less than the entire aban- donment of the college and of the Bachelor's degreeg the first two years of college he would attach to the high school, to make a six years' course, and the work of the last two he be- lieves could very well be achieved in a re- vised university course. The work of the first two years of college, he writes, is in a large measure secondary . . . in char- acter and could be done by the college stu- dent in the secondary school. The rea- son for abandoning the Bachelor's degree would be to discourage those from coming to the reorganized university who intended to study any subject for merely two years. It will, of course, be many years before the real value of Professor Goodnow's pro- jects can be known. It will require many an experiment to test them. But it is our hum- ble opinion that, at least, that part of the plan is valid which proposed to link the stud- ies of the first years of college with the high school course. To one looking back it would seem that much duplication and repetition, as well as a great deal of expense, would be avoided. Either adopt this proposal or change the character of the work done in these years. It could well be more satisfactory. Florence Renan Sabin, Professor of His- tology at johns Hopkins Medical School, has recently been received into the National Academy of Sciences as the first and so far the only woman member. The Order of the Holy Sepulchre was also recently conferred on Mrs. Howard K. Spaulding of Michigan City, Indiana, for her activities in religion and charity. She is the first woman in America to receive this high honor of the Catholic Church. We thought for a moment the good old phrase had slipped our memory, but here it is, as fresh and appropriate as ever: Woman seems to be coming into her own. When the new editorial board took over the Dartmouth, official paper of the New Hampshire institution, two columns down the center of the front page were devoted to a very frank but good-spirited criticism of Dart- mouth students. Let us quote just one para- graph as a sample: Within three years the spirit which char- acterized Dartmouth and Dartmouth men to the outside world has virtually disappeared. The individuality which was Dartmouth has vanished. The College is sinking fast into the rut of stereotype which marks many an- other such institution in the country. Here in the heart of nature we are trying to become cosmopolitan .... Here at last is an example of what this department has long wished to see-the use of the college paper or magazine as a me- dium of criticism of students and school life. Too often, especially in Catholic colleges and high schools, the school publication is almost sickenly prim and proper. Rotarian-wise, it praises anything and everything-its favor- ite heading being Great Success g it prints and says only what in the very best academic sense it is expected to print and say. In fine, it is a small boy of the old school in his Sunday clothes. It is printed more for the edilication of outsiders than for any appeal

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E JQEWS OF THE COLLEGE The Seven Keyg On Friday and Sat- TQ Baldpate urday, April the I7 and IB, the Saint John's College Players rendered George M. Cohan's famous success, the Seven Keys to Baldpate, at the Ursuline Auditorium. There were three performances, an evening show both days, and a Saturday afternoon matinee given for the Sisters, the eighth grade paro- chial school children of the city, and the chil- dren of Saint Anthony's Orphanage. All three performances were well attended by appreciative audiences. The number at the matinee was especially gratifying since it indicates that the boys and girls of the gram- mar schools are taking an interest in our work at Saint ,Iohn's. The players were ably assisted by the or- chestra under the direction of lVlr. James R. Gibbons, S. Mr. Edward F. Madaras. S. J., directed the play, and it is to his zeal- ous efforts that a large share of its success must be attributed. Mgmberg of the The Ozanam takes Alumni Address this 0PP0rl1lnifY K0 Students thank the members of the Alumni Asso- ciation who have appeared before the Society and expressed their views on the subject of the different callings to which they are de- voting their lives. All of these talks have been very interest- ing and instructive to the members of the Ozanam society, which is made up of the three upper classes of the college department. The last three speakres for the year were Mr. lVlcNemey, Dr. Louis Effler. and Mr. Wm. Comte. The latter gentleman has charge of the vocational committee. Mr. McNerney explained the trials and tribulations and also the rewards, financial iz S and moral, of the corporation attorney. Be- cause of his wide experience as assistant sec- retary of the Owens Bottle Company, he was able to answer very satisfactorily the host of questions which confronted him. The following week Dr. Louis Effler ap- peared before the society to give his views on the advisability of specializing in any of the various branches of medicine. l'le presented very vividly the struggles of the medical stu- dent and of the young doctor, speaking very plainly and concealing nothing in the way of hardships which must be undergone by one who expects to be a success as a doctor. lVlr. Wm. Comte closed the program of the Alumni Committee on Vocations with an in- formal discussion in which he asked the opin- ions of the members concerning the good they had received from the various speakers whom he had brought to their midst. Much credit is due the Alumni for the in- terest they have taken in the affairs of the students, not only as to their present welfare and success, but also as to their future posi- tions in the world. High School Stages 011 May 4th Elocution Contest the Hish 5125001 presented its an- nual elocution contest. Each of the four classes was represented by four speakers, who did credit to themselves and to those who have taught them the principles of elocution. John McGowan was the winner from Fourth l-ligh. l-lis competitors were Mar- vin Sauppe, Joseph Gelin, and Vincent Mc- Kinnon. ln Third Year High George Fell was the victor in the face of strong opposition com- posed of Norbert Giebel, James Rafferty and Hector Salvail. Robert Ellis received the medal from