Yale University - Banner / Pot Pourri Yearbook (New Haven, CT)

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s ti ' ' . ' . StZi ry .- .-W- -W ii.- YALE BANNER AND POT POURRI .»a»ava». ' .».».».».»,». ; trying to maintain the spirit of it, we must define a new situation in which it will be possible for us to gain our purpose. The fundamental fact is that Yale College is built at present — from a social point of view — upon the system of classes which was a perfectly ade- quate basis for democratic solidarity when the classes numbered something less than three hinidred each. Now they number about twice that. The result of course is that class solidarity in the old sense at least is almost out of the question, with a resulting tendency toward the establishment of small cliques and away from the much heralded democracy of the older days. On all sides there is sensed a certain weakening of the old bond that held together men of the same class and through the class spirit nourished the spirit of Yale. In one line Yale has a precedent laid down in the last century for at- tempting the solution of this difficulty. The Scientific School set up a sepa- rate college composed of men with certain characteristic interests which were made the basis of segregation. Herein lies one attractive possibility. We might subdivide further, create in Sheff a College of Engineering and a Col- lege of Pure Science; in Yale College after the same fashion, a College of Classical Humanities and a College of Modern Humanities, assigning to one the old Campus, to the other Harkness, and adding new facilities for each. This would undoubtedly add something to the intellectual stimulus within the group. It would also tend to build up groups of approximately the size of the old College. Experience has, however, seemed to show with some conclusiveness that a greater stimulus may be gained by the contact of a greater variety of interests with each other. In the intellectual realm it seems to matter most that men be interested keenly in some field of study and it seems reasonable to believe that this can most readily be brought about in smaller groups than those composed by the present B.A. and Ph.B. divisions. And if this method of subdivision along the lines of interest were extended to include an Honours College the incentive might actually be reduced in the Pass Colleges. I do not say that it would be, but such is the conclusion of the majority to-day. Such also woidd seem to be the conclusion implied in the English system as a whole. At such Universities as Oxford and Cambridge historical fact lies behind the existence of the separate colleges. They grew up independently and are now semi-independent parts of a syntlietic whole. Yale ' s problem to-day is almost the reverse of theirs, namely, how to divide an existing whole into workable parts. When independent colleges join together, or even when a new college grows up within the larger whole, there naturally attaches to each unit a tradition and an esprit which belongs to it and is inseparable from it. When a subdivision is made of an existing whole there is no such inherent element lending individuality to the part. It is really because of this difficulty that the most obvious suggestion is to divide according to the content of the curriculum. If, however, this method be discarded, as for the time being it seems it certainly must be, it is necessary to look into the future to find those growing traditions which will assure the necessary esprit in each particular groujj. The most obvious beginning then, if we are to disregard subjects of study, is to establish housing units which shall be small enough and intimate 18

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,,,,,,.,...,... YALE BANNER AND POT POURRI J ' avavavj ' s sss enough to arouse a sense of individuality and unity; here, certainly, is the great opportunity for Yale. We are all agreed that much is lost in the extent and complexity of modern Yale life. It is much more difficult to acquire a loyalty toward and a love for a great mass of fellow students than to develop the same emotions toward a smaller group with whom one has more constant and intimate contact. At present therefore those of us who believe in the subdivision of the undergraduate body would hold that the best plan is to establish residential units providing for something in the neighborhood of two hundred men each. Such units must be complete in themselves. That is, if we are to have :uiy real value in living together we must really live together. Instead of trooping over to a general dining hall we must have in each group our own dining hall for it is in dining together that we are most apt to take the first steps toward intimacy and understanding. Furthermore there must be conditions estab- lished, including an attractive lounge adjoining the dining hall, which shall enable us to live like human beings and meet eacli other on natural and sensible terms in a more leisurely way than we do at present under existing dining conditions. We should liave then in each housing unit an attractive dining hall with provision for faculty members and invited guests, and this should be the regular ])lace for all members of a given house to eat. Another element working toward the establishment of a proper atmos- phere would be a rather informal organization of each House. There would be a Head, by whatever title we are to call him, who would live in the House and would have general charge of all its affairs. Probably several other members of the faculty, particularly associated with that House, would live there also and still others might have their offices there. In this way a given group of the faculty would become definitely associated with each House. Further they would be available for natural and easy acquaintance with the men and, without having any specified function as advisors, might be consulted with less formality than officers known to the students only officially. Physically the development of such separate colleges should not prove difficult. The plans now in train for new dormitories, Avhich we must have under any system, contemplate groups entirely suited to this purpose. In the near future there will be started such a group on Elm Street and land has already been allocated for further groups varying in size and accommodating from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty men each. Harkness Memorial Quadrangle would lend itself readily to subdivision of this sort and the buildings of the old campus might, without additions and without en- croachment on the campus itself, be treated as groups, each group being fur- nished with a dining hall and lounge. There is no plan to change the old campus. There remains the question of selection. How are the members of each group to be chosen? As the whole plan is one for the future rather than the immediate present it is not wise to prejudice this question by premature dis- cussion. In general, however, it would appear that there must be a certain freedom of choice on the part of the entering student if the grou])ing is to be really successful. In the second place, it is equally clear that the different groups must be made equally desirable, and, finally, that there must be some 20