1912–13 Volume 37 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

358 THE SCROLLhave very many excellent students, but that they have a few absolutely worthlessones who do not have energy enough to work nor interest enough in anyother college activity to be worth the trouble they cost the organization towhich they belong. Their failure to return to college at the beginning of thesecond or third year causes nobody pain. The fraternity with poor internalorganization will be likely to have a low general average, since it does notforce the' one or two men who have a tendency to loaf or to devote their timeto trivial social matters to keep up their work.The fact that the grades of the women are higher than those ofthe men may be due in some measure at least to the different reasonswhich induce women to pursue a college course, and to their selectionusually of easier courses than a're chosen by men. Doctor Clark's observationson this point follow:In the first place, relatively fewer women than men are forced to be selfsupportingin college. They are, therefore, freer in the use of their time, andhave more time at their disposal than have men to devote to their studies. Alarger percentage of men than women in college are to be under obligationsafter their graduation for the support of themselves or of others. The ultimatemoney value of individual courses need not for women be kept so vividly andconstantly in mind. They are, therefore, less restricted and handicapped intheir choice of a course, and in their pursuit of individual studies. A largemajority of the men in the University are in distinctly technical courses, suchas engineering or law, in which they are allowed little or no choice as towhat they may elect. If unhappily the course contains anything that for themis difficult, or distasteful, they must still make the best of it,The young woman, on the other hand, often finds it possible to side-stepthat which is not pleasing to her taste, or in accord with her talents. If shedoes not like mathematics she may avoid it; if physics, or mechanics, orChemistry 13 A do not appeal to her, there is always a way around it. Theman who chooses the course in which these subjects appear has no alternative;he must take his medicine, bitter as the dose may sometimes be. The majorityof women go to college because of their interest in college w^ork, and becauseof their fitness for it. They are less often sent, than are the young men; tothem it is more of a privilege than a practical duty. For all of these reasons,it does not seem to me surprising that they should be able to hold their workto somewhat higher standards than do their brothers.Of the men on the various athletic teams in 1910-11, 63 per centwere fraternity men and 37 per cent not members of a fraternity.Their grades were as follows:AVERAGES OF MEN IN ATHLETICS, 1910-11Football teamBaseball team80.9180.45Soccer teamTennis team84.1979.67Basketball team81.18 Gymnasium team83.91Track team82.91 Freshman baseball team 80.50Swimming team83-55 Average81.91By comparing the general average of the grades of men, 81.78,with the grades of athletes, it appears that the athletes have morethan held their own with the average student. The grades of menengaged in other college activities than athletics are shown in thefollowing table: