16
U niversity
of
O regon M onthly
true democratic spirit which has an inherent hatred for pretensions
tö aristocracy and selection. They sometimes cause insurrections
against college authorities and are influential in destroying the reg
ular literary societies. They increase the expense of college educa
tion and tend to laxer standards. Thèÿ exalt the social abilities
above the intellectual and, as a result of the too great facilities1 for
idleness, the student drifts out of touch w ith’college activities'
Oh the other hand friends of the fraternity contend that living
in the chapter hbuse brings a healthy sense of responsibility to its
members who nô longer indulge in carelessness, uproar, and destruc
tion which often characterizes dormitory life and that instead of en
couraging dissipation they keèp their black sheep from excess. '
As a result of all the generàl fraternities "becoming national',
they have had by no means an unimportant influencé in causing
the disappearance of sectional lines, especially in the West and South.
Each is coming more and more to stand for a fixed ideal of culture,
either for wealth, literary capacity, all-roiind good fellowship, of
social qualities. In the East the old colleges have characteristics
more firmly fixed than elsewherè and the-samez society'usually has
the same ideal in the different colleges while in the West the samè
fraternity may stand for different ideals'in different Institutions'.
As a further argument that thet fraternity influence is not wholly bad
is shown by the fact that among univèrsity graduates of the last
forty years who have become famous, the majority in their student
days were fraternity men.
'•It cannot be denied that fraternity associations have a definite
influence upon their individuals and also upon their college. Good
societies, without question, are beneficial and bad ones ace injurious.
Everything depends on the spirit and aim of the fraternity and the
influence of its graduates, whether they are going tç>? identify loyalty
to their fraternity with loyalty to their college. I
The university offers equal opportunities to all—i t says ‘"‘choose”
and it is for each, fraternity or. hon-fraternity man to-shape his own
career.
—’08.