the higher learning in america-第31章

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to　the　student　body；　and　so　it　is　felt　to　benefit　the　corporation



of　learning　by　drawing　public　attention。　Corporate　means　expended



in　provision　for　these　academic　accessories　　〃side　shows；〃　as



certain　ill…disposed　critics　have　sometimes　called　them　　are



commonly　felt　to　be　well　spent。　Persons　who　are　not　intimately



familiar　with　American　college　life　have　little　appreciation　of



the　grave　solicitude　given　to　these　matters。



　　　　During　some　considerable　number　of　years　past；　while　the



undergraduate　enrolment　at　the　universities　has　been　increasing



rapidly；　the　attitude　of　the　authorities　has　progressively　been



undergoing　a　notable　change　touching　these　matters　of



extra…scholastic　amenity。　It　is　in　great　measure　a　continuation



of　changes　that　have　visibly　been　going　forward　in　the　older



universities　of　the　country　for　a　longer　period；　and　it　is



organically　bound　up　with　the　general　shifting　of　ground　that



marks　the　incursion　of　business　principles。



　　　　While　the　authorities　have　turned　their　attention　primarily



to　the　undergraduate　division　and　its　numerical　increase；　they



have　at　the　same　time；　and　largely　with　the　same　end　in　view；



endeavoured　to　give　it　more　of　the　character　of　a　〃gentleman's



college〃；　that　is　to　say；　an　establishment　for　the　cultivation　of



the　graces　of　gentility　and　a　suitable　place　of　residence　for



young　men　of　spendthrift　habits。　The　improvement　sought　in　these



endeavours　is　not　so　much　the　increase　and　acceleration　of



scholarly　pursuits；　as　a　furthering　of　〃social〃　proficiency。　A



〃gentleman's　college〃　is　an　establishment　in　which　scholarship　is



advisedly　made　subordinate　to　genteel　dissipation；　to　a　grounding



in　those　methods　of　conspicuous　consumption　that　should　engage



the　thought　and　energies　of　a　well…to…do　man　of　the　world。　Such



an　ideal；　more　or　less　overtly；　appears　to　be　gaining　ground



among　the　larger　universities；　and；　needless　to　say；　it　is



therefore　also　gaining；　by　force　of　precedent　and　imitation；



among　the　younger　schools　engaged　in　more　of　a　struggle　to



achieve　a　secure　footing　of　respectability。



　　　　Its　bearing　on　the　higher　learning　is；　of　course；



sufficiently　plain；　and　its　intimate　connection　with　business



principles　at　large　should　be　equally　plain。　The　scheme　of



reputability　in　the　pecuniary　culture　comprises　not　only　the



imperative　duty　of　acquiring　something　more　than　an　equitable



share　of　the　community's　wealth；　but　also　the　dutiful　privilege



of　spending　this　acquired　wealth；　and　the　leisure　that　goes　with



it；　in　a　reputably　conspicuous　way；　according　to　the　ritual　of



decorum　in　force　for　the　time　being。　So　that　proficiency　in　the



decorously　conspicuous　waste　of　time　and　means　is　no　less



essential　in　the　end　than　proficiency　in　the　gainful　conduct　of



business。　The　ways　and　means　of　reputably　consuming　time　and



substance；　therefore；　is　by　prescriptive　necessity　to　be　included



in　the　training　offered　at　any　well…appointed　undergraduate



establishment　that　aims　in　any　comprehensive　sense　to　do　its



whole　duty　by　the　well…to…do　young　men　under　its　tutelage。（9*）　It



is；　further　and　by　compulsion　of　the　same　ideals；　incumbent　on



such　an　establishment　to　afford　these　young　men　a　precinct



dedicate　to　cultured　leisure；　and　conventionally　sheltered　from



the　importunities　of　the　municipal　police；　where　an　adequate　but



guarded　indulgence　may　be　had　for　those　extravagances　of



adolescence　that　count　for　so　much　in　shaping　the　canons　of



genteel　intercourse。



　　　　There　is；　of　course；　no　intention　here　to　find　fault　with



this　gentlemanly　ideal　of　undergraduate　indoctrination；　or　with



the　solicitude　shown　in　this　behalf　by　the　captains　of　erudition；



in　endeavouring　to　afford　time；　place　and　circumstance　for　its



due　inculcation　among　college　men。　It　is　by　no　means　here　assumed



that　learning　is　substantially　more　to　be　desired　than



proficiency　in　genteel　dissipation。　It　is　only　that　the　higher



learning　and　the　life　of　fashion　and　affairs　are　two　widely



distinct　and　divergent　lines；　both　lying　within　the　current



scheme　of　civilization；　and　that　it　is　the　university's



particular　office　in　this　scheme　to　conserve　and　extend　the



domain　of　knowledge。　There　need　be　no　question　that　it　is　a　work



of　great　social　merit　and　consequence　to　train　adepts　in　the



ritual　of　decorum；　and　it　is　doubtless　a　creditable　work　for　any



school　adapted　to　that　purpose　to　equip　men　for　a　decorative



place　in　polite　society；　and　imbue　them　with　a　discriminating



taste　in　the　reputable　waste　of　time　and　means。　And　all　that　may



perhaps　fall；　not　only　legitimately；　but　meritoriously；　within



the　province　of　the　undergraduate　school；　at　least　it　is　not　here



intended　to　argue　the　contrary。　At　the　same　time　a　secure



reputation　for　efficiency　and　adequate　facilities　along　this　line



of　aspirations　on　the　part　of　any　such　school　will　serve　a　good



business　purpose　in　duly　attracting　students　　or　residents　



from　the　better　classes　of　society；　and　from　those　classes　that



aspire　to　be　〃better。〃



　　　　But　this　is　essentially　not　university　work。　In　the　nature　of



the　case　it　devolves　on　the　college；　the　undergraduate　school；



and　it　can　not　be　carried　through　with　due　singleness　of　purpose



in　an　establishment　bound　by　tradition　to　make　much　of　that



higher　learning　that　is　substantially　alien　to　the　spirit　of　this



thing。　If；　then；　as　indications　run；　the　large　undergraduate



schools　are　in　due　course　to　develop　somewhat　unreservedly　into



gentlemen's　colleges；　that　is　an　additional　reason　why；　in　the



interest　of　both　parties；　the　divorce　of　the　university　from　the



collegiate　division　should　be　made　absolute。　Neither　does　the



worldly　spirit　that　pervades　the　gentlemen's　college　further　the



university's　interest　in　scholarship；　nor　do　the　university's



scholarly　interests　further　the　college　work　in　gentility。



　　　　Well　to　the　front　among　these　undergraduate　appurtenances　of



gentlemanship　are　the　factional　clubs　known　as　Greek…letter



fraternities。　These　touch　the　province　of　learning　in　the



universities　only　incidentally　and　superficially；　as　they　do　not



in　practice　enter　the　graduate　division　except　by　way　of　a　thin



aftermath　of　factional　animus；　which　may　occasionally　infect　such



of　the　staff　as　are　gifted　with　a　particularly　puerile



temperament。　They　are；　in　effect；　competitive　organizations　for



the　elaboration　of　the　puerile　irregularities　of　adolescence；　and



as　such　they　find　little　scope　among　the　graduate　students　or



among　the　adult　personnel　at　large。　But　as　part　of　the　apparatus



of　the　undergraduate　division　they　require　a　strict　surveillance



to　keep　them　within　the　（somewhat　wide）　limits　of　tolerance；　and



so　their　presence　affects　the　necessary　discipline　of　the　school



at　large；　entailing　a　more　elaborate　and　rigorous　surveillance



and　more　meddling　with　personal　habits　than　would　otherwise　be



required；　and　entailing　also　some　slight　corporate　expense。



　　　　Much　the　same　is　true　for　the　other　social　clubs；　not　of　an



advisedly　factional　character；　that　are　latterly　being　installed



by　authority　under　university　patronage　and　guaranteed　by　the



university　funds；　as；　also；　and　in　a　more　pronounced　degree；　for



college　athletics；　except　that　the　item　of　expense　in　connection



with　these　things　is　much　more　serious　and　the　resulting



diversion　of　interest　from　all　matters　of　learning　is



proportionally　greater。　Among　these　means　of　dissipating　energy



and　attention；　college　athletics　is　perhaps　still　the　most



effective；　and　it　is　also　t