The American college has been under fire in recent years. It has been attacked for its emphasis on so-called side-shows; it has been criticized for moral looseness; it has been condemned for lack of responsibility among its undergraduates. Men experienced in affairs and careful of thought--college graduates themselves and men who know--have expressed the opinion that changes must be effected if the American higher educational system is to justify its existence.

Undeniably gross faults stand out. One witty undergraduate gave proof of that fact when he declared that under no conditions would he let his studies interfere with his college education. President Wilson showed his grasp of the situation when he said that he believed the side-shows of college life had diverted the interest and attention of students from the main issue. An author--an alumnus of Yale--puts these word into the mouth of one of his characters: "The American colleges and universities today are splendidly equipped institutions organized for the prevention of learning." One writer refers to the college as an "educational vermiform appendix." . . . .

These faults can be changed, and they can be changed more easily by the undergraduate than through the professor. . . . . We must take a fresh hold, make a new start. We must give up snap courses, stop vaguely dreaming through lecture hours. We must aim at some definite goal--and reach it. We must work for a purpose. Cornell Sun.