In one of our exchanges we notice a discussion on the "Movability of Students," which is so much opposed to our own ideas on the subject that we must give it more than passing notice. The writer says: "A movement for exchanging professors in American colleges has recently been set on foot. Much would undoubtedly be gained by such an arrangement. Not only would the students, in a far greater degree than now, be accustomed to independent judgment; but their views on any subject would be broadened and their tolerance of other people's opinions would be increased by listening to lectures by different men of varying opinions." The exchange of professors, however, the writer concludes, is impracticable. "A constant change" he says, "might impede or even prevent the original researches of many professors," besides putting them to great inconvenience by change of residence and social relations. "But," he continues, "this same object, viz., the extension of the independent judgment of the students, might be furthered in a slightly different manner. When we cannot conveniently move the professors, why should we not move the students? The average student, having no family, might almost as well spend one year in New Haven, another in Cambridge, etc., as stay all the four years of his college course in one place, if he could only be enabled in any case to count the work done toward his degree."

Here is a project indeed for the bettering of a college course! It is true that the average student is without family ties while in college, but family ties are not the only ties that would bind him to any one place. To ask a college man to leave one college and go to another is to ask him to be a freshmen over again, to go through the trials of learning new ways and making new acquaintances a second time - trials which no one hungers after. But these are not the worst features of such changes. If it is hard to go to a strange college, it is still harder to leave the college where one has formed friendships and attachments. It is harder, too, to give up all the feelings of college loyalty which form such an important part of student life. College spirit and college friendship give inestimable value to college life. Of an inferior sort indeed we would regard the students who could easily and willingly break their connection with a college that in truth they ought to look upon as their alma mater.