Show I HONORING DISTINGUISHED STUDENTS VV It is customary in most colleges during the I spring of the year or in late winter to select some 4 five men or women from the senior class who are designated as s representative students of the school The selection is generally made on an activity basis and the ones chosen are those who have held down the largest number of responsible offices during their college career We arc are inclined to doubt whether this system of oP honoring the students who have done most to distinguish themselves while in college is really a wise practise The commonly accepted function of college education is to develop individuals intellectually intellectually intellectually intel intel- to teach them to think and beco become mentally mentally mentally men men- tally Extra activities are given to provide development for students in other lines than the pure scholastic but the sole sale purpose of or each one whether activity or scholastic is for development If any students are arc honored then would it not be wiser to honor those who have done I most to develop themselves rather those who have I done most to distinguish themselves i These honor societies are in existence so their advocates sa say to encourage all the students to participate participate participate par par- in student activities If they did this their existence might be justified but as a matter of fact they do quite the contrary A few students with talents already quite well developed and eager eager- to obtain membership in such societies covet all the offices while the less forward and less experienced students but none the less sincere are left in the background A student gains experience with each additional office he holds which experience is used b by him or his friends as an argument for his securing securing securing ing additional offices Through this system system we can find an explanation for the fact that all the offices of or importance in college are h held ld by a small group of oC students and the great mass of the student body i is inactive and chastised chastise 1 by the small group for being so Of course an individual is no better for Cor being elected to an honor soci society ty perhaps a little worse for the honor may a add dd to his ego and the student who is not elected to such societies is no worse for being left out However the thc presence s of f these so societies societies societies so- so whether they are arc of benefit to their members members mem mem- bers or not tends to create an en undesirable condition on a u college campus that of hogging of all the jobs by a few v students Equal opportunities should be provided for all students to develop themselves and not for a few to distinguish themselves |