Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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the Afensi r is a social one. In that land the sons of men in the lower walks of life meet in the university the representatives of a numerous petty nobility, and the duel has been an important means of establishing and maintaining social equality between the two classes. The son of the baron must respect his fellow-student or fight. In America no need of this kind is felt, since each man stands for just what his character warrants. Looking at the tendencies and influences of the two systems it would appear that the custom of American students is superior in every respect. It may safely be affirmed that no Swarthmore student has ever been taught to drink or gamble by the college athletics; not one has been permanently injured or defaced, or made ungentlemanly in conduct or disposition. On the other hand, our college athletics have given city boys a chance to develop a robust physical manhood, and to cultivate a resolution and a pluck in the face of obstacles that are sure to be of service in the battle of life ; they have furnished the country lad with a means for preventing the decadence of his physical powers while undergoing the rigorous mental discipline of prolonged study. Furthermore, they have given the natural physical exuberance of youth a free, legitimate outlet. Who hears of hazing or fighting, or of outrages upon persons or property at Swarthmore ? Yet our German brothers always make the duel a scene of drinking, if not of dnmkenness ; they slash the head and face with cuts that are often long and deep ; and they take this recreation, not in the open air, but in some remote beer room, dense with tobacco smoke. As a means for physical develop- ment the duel amounts to almost nothing. It develops no college spirit, nor can it be said to promote even indirectly a high type of manly conduct. That some departments of athletics have in our larger colleges developed undesirable features every one admits ; that these abuses will be speedily reformed, everybody believes. It will, however, be an unfortunate day for American virility when our college youth eliminate their physical enthusiasms, and degenerate into dudes of the street or pale recluses of the study ; or when their recreations exchange the manliness of the athletic field for the carousing of the Germans or the gentleness of the kitten chasing its own tail.

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The Recreations of German and American Students. By Charles De Garmo. HE problem of the manual laborer is how to make his recreations Lr cultivate his mind ; that of the student, how to make them develop his body. The best type of modern manhood is not trained muscle with untrained brain, or cultured mind with feeble physique, but the sound mind in the sound body. Students of different nations use various means of combining their amusements and their physical training. The English, as we know, are perhaps as fond of out-door athletic games as were the ancient Greeks, but German students have scarcely any con- ception of such sports. They have all had rigorous gymnastic drill from childhood, but how to play they do not know. The one substitute that the German student has for all that we include under the term athletics is the Me isur, a form of the duel. It is intended to be, not fatal to life, but full of excitement, and stimulative of mental and physical fortitude. The Mensur is looked upon as an amusement, if not to the participants, at least to the observers. The dueling days recur once or twice each week during most of the year, there being usually, at each meeting, a number of couples to try their skill. The actual contest is preceded by several weeks ' training with the Schliiger, a long, straight sword, sharpened on both edges for some twenty inches from the end. Thrusting or striking are not allowed, but the whole play of the sword is produced by a wrist movement, and is confined to the region of the opponent ' s head. Sword-arm and breast are padded, large iron goggles protect the eyes, and the ears are tied down, while a silk scarf wound about the neck protects the jugular vein. The head and face are with these exceptions left exposed. The contest must last for iifteen minutes, exclusive of stops to repair damages. It is difficult to compare justly the merits or demerits of amusements in countries so different in traditions and social conditions as are Germany and the United States. Perhaps the chief reason for German toleration of 9

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Swarthmore College. Its Origin, and Some Notes upon ris Early History. By Edward H. Magili,. CHAPTER n. HE third year of the College opened in the autumn of 1871, with six members of the Faculty, this body having been increased by the addition of Thomas W. Lamb, A. M., M. D., Professor of Chemistry and Physiology. The whole number of officers of government and instruction, resident and non-resident, was 21, and the whole number of students, 236. Only 57 of these were members of the college, 7 juniors, 18 sophomores, and 31 freshmen. The rest were members of the Prepara- tory School. It was at the opening of this third year that arrangements were first definitely made to furnish those students desiring it a course in Civil Engi- neering, leading to the degree of C. E., and Joseph B. Davis, C. E., a graduate of the University of Michigan, was appointed teacher of Physics and Civil Engineering. A provision had been made, and announced in the catalogue for the previous year, and repeated in that of this year, for giving the degree of A. B. to those students who had pursued twelve annual cou rses of study, comprising the studies of four years, with three studies in each year, and had passed in these satisfactory examinations. These examinations were to be considered satisfactory if tw-enty-five per cent, of correct answers were given. Of these twelve courses two at least must have been in Mathematics, one in English Language and Literature, one in History, one in Physics and Chemistry, and two in an Ancient or a INIodern Foreign language. The other four were to be elected from any of the studies presented in the course, and announced in the catalogue. No pro- vision was yet made for giving any degree in science, although quite a full