Yale University - Sheffield Scientific School Yearbook (New Haven, CT)

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LITTLE SHEFF MASTERPIECES 441 CSpeech given before graduate assembly. Rejvriazt from Almnni Weeklyj THE SHEFF UNDERGRADUATE By Woooroxzn H. DULANEY, 1916 S. Chairman of the Student Council of the Sheffield Scientific School On a day like this when there is not the excitement of a football game to distract the minds of the returning alumni from the everyday working aspect of the University, the undergraduates welcome the inquisitive glances of the alumni, knowing that the graduates are more inclined to receive a favorable impression of us at this time than at the time of those discourag- ing events that occur towards the end of November, which bring you to New Haven joyfully and send you away sadly. The alumnus, no matter how much he may try to avoid falling into a critical attitude, is inclined to think that Yale has deteriorated since the days when his class left college. He joins with Francois Villon, and sadly shaking his head, sighs, Where are the snows of yesteryear? We appreciate this thoroughly, for we feel exactly the same way when we return to visit our prep schools. Various communications from some disgruntled alumni have expressed the rather vivid fear that the Yale undergraduate was degenerating. It is extremely hard to know the conditions in a uni- versity of this size. A great deal depends upon the point of view. The Prom girl of two weeks ago thought that Yale was H simply splendid, but she was looking at Yale in the rose-colored glow of romance. She saw us in our holiday attire. Even to-day in the midst of the college year when we are busied with our everyday routine, you cannot judge us with any degree of exactness. You can see the buildings and the mechanism of teaching, but you see the undergraduate merely as he goes to and fro, and you can't judge his intellectual capacity by the number of books he is carrying under his arm. It is almost an absurdity to try to tell you of the interests and standards of the undergraduate in the short time I have, but anything I can say to convince you that, although Yale did lose her most promising sons when your respective classes graduated, the present undergraduate is not wholly without merit, will help. It is the Sheff undergraduate that I am speaking of and not the College, where conditions are different because of a four- year course-and the stronger force of tradition. The motives which have influenced the present undergraduates to enter college are in the main those that affected you. However, since the time of the older alumni the idea of a college education has become a social factor. Sending a boy to college is now the thing to do. This, per- haps, is thc reason why more interest, real, deep interest, is not shown in the curriculum. The stimulus of study from the home is lacking. There are not so very many men who come here thirsting for knowledge. How- ever, don 't let me give you the impression that the work is neglected entirely, for Nemesis, in the person of the Faculty, is ever threatening. The undergraduate places the emphasis upon the extra-curriculum activities. Athletics still hold their same important place, but the other activities are increasing in importance and size. A glance at the Banner- Pot-Pourri will show you the extent of this over-organization of the extra- curriculum activities. Everyone feels it necessary to organize something and have a picture taken. So much useless activity is of course an evil, but it does denote a healthy desire to be occupied at something, worthless as that something often is. The cause of this undue emphasis on the extra- curriculum activities is a social one. That is the way one makes good in the restricted vision of the undergraduate world. Especially in Fresh-

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442 HISTORY OF 1916 S. man year is this tendency extremely pronounced. Towards the end of Senior year many men wake up to find out that they have been pursuing interesting, but useless quests, and neglecting the opportunity of securing an education of permanent benefit. In these two separated interests the student wants self-government only in the one, the extra-curriculum. In the matters of self-government in the curriculum there is no sentiment for any increase. As you know, we have the Honor System in the Scientific School, which is entirely under the control of the students as represented by their Council. We believe in it and are proud of it, but we want no further extension of our powers, even if the Faculty were willing. As a matter of fact, most student self- government is rather ludicrous. If you do what the powers that be want, that is well and good, but if you do what they don 't want, why, that is an end to it,-you can 't do it. But there is another side to this. The undergraduates don't want to be too closely restricted by the Faculty in their outside relations. The question of students having automobiles, it is often said, should be taken up by the authorities. The few accidents that occur serve to bring undue emphasis upon this subject. The solution does not lie with the Faculty, it lies With the parents. As long as indulging parents satisfy the whims of extravagant sons so long will this question vex us. The increase i11 the spending power of the upper classes in this country is refiected in the undergraduates. Our quarters are more luxurious than you ever dreamed of. New Haven is dull to some and the H Sunday exodus results. This is twentieth-century America and not Yale alone. As a matter of fact parents often handicap their sons by indulging their every whim and then, when something happens, blame it on the college iniiuence. The reprehensible actions of some Yale-men will be put in the paper, but no mention is made of the vast majority, who a1'e quietly leading the normal life. ' The students are often misjudged because of small things. Some. of our alumni, who would see a Japanese iieet in every fishing boat on the Pacilic, think that the brawny lads of their day a1'e being succeeded by quiet, lady-like tea-drinkers. It is very amusing to see these startling dis- coveries of Usomething rotten in the state of Denmark. It is true that some drink tea, but is that a heinous sin? It is merely in keeping with the spirit of the times. Grape-juice is the order of the day. Straight living is increasing every day in the Scientific School and the man who would win the support and coniidence of the undergraduate world finds that a strict moral conduct is of inestimable value. Public opinion, which molds the undergraduates, is standing out for straight living more and more every year, and the standard of student conduct is being raised. With an increase in the standard of scholarship and a little more thought on the concentration of eiort along useful channels, the Scientific School will come into an era of prosperity such as it has never seen before.