Show Minded Students THE E term business as commonly un- un 1 understood these days refers to members mem- mem bers of business organizations bankers captains captains cap- cap of industry and o others hers in the higher I br brackets who sit at gleaming desks and dictate 0 to stenographers In its its' br broader ader sense it should hould take in all men who are in the wide field of business as proprietors big little or or executives tives tives local representatives of foreign enterprises enter enter- and all who have hav responsibilities larger and and more important than those of menials Used in this sense then businessmen n must have been impressed by the address of Miss Lola Maclean at the Denver meeting of the National Education association as she voiced some new ideas about the placement of graduates in the 4 commercial field It was termed at the time a at ab t b challenge h to high schools schools' and colleges The pith of her criticism of present t tion lion as preparation of students for business is that it turns out graduates who are l minded and a as a result we Hwe have become a nai naf nation na- na f i tion ion of job seekers rather than a nation of job creators Miss Maclean urged that high sch schools t and colleges teach the principal commercial oc occupations occupations oc- oc in order that graduates may reach an intelligent dec decision ion in regard to the occupations they should follow When a graduate leaves high school or college she said without I knowing what occupation he is t to follow he is i like ike a ship leaving port with no destination I Education changes its cO course slowly too slowly too Slowly lowly many believe Miss Maclean has said f something worth more than passing notice One reason many s students choose education for Ifor professions professions professions' pro pro- 4 into which they are bound to b be misfits mis- mis I fits fits is that they do not feel like joining the herd of those who leave school merely to find jobs where and when they may t 4 There is not much to nurture ambition in the thet t I student pursuing a course which in his mind is isI I fitting him hint to fill no particular niche in life he The college graduate forced to accept any sor sort of a job perhaps under the direction of successful suc- suc c men of little form formal l education marking l ms to foe or years eau before he is 18 deemed y worthy o of I I I advancement is pretty likely to regard his years in college wasted When he becomes a father it is not unlikely that he will discourage his sons and d daughters when they want to pursue higher education Miss Maclean has had the courage to say things that ought to have been said long ago Unless colleges are to become sol solely ly schools to train young men mert and w women men for the professions they will have to do something to overcome the growing belief on the part of discouraged graduates graduates graduates ates that a college education doesn't pay There Theres is s overproduction of lawyers doctors engineers and teachers Half of them per perhaps aps should be beheaded beheaded beheaded headed for or business and industry with definite shaping of their aptitudes There arc are few American youths youths' who can afford to spend four years in a a university merely to come forth with witha a high cultural polish and no special l competence to offer in the market Miss Maclean did not label her address as a revelation of one of the causes of the growth of radicalism among students students students stu stu- dents but if she had she would not have strayed very wide c of truth |