Advertisement

COMMENT

It Might Be Well

Harvard University has recently made a new ruling to the effect that some knowledge of the Bible and of the writings of Shakespeare will be required of undergraduates preparatory to receiving a degree from that institution of learning.

President Lowell gives as the main reason for this measure his opinion that no one can be thoroughly educated in English without a knowledge of these two fundamental sources of purest English. In selecting these two works as textbooks, the Harvard Faculty intends that they be studied for the value that is in the language which the writers used rather than for the purpose of teaching religious belief or pure mental enjoyment.

The fact that Harvard should adopt such a measure appears strange to many of us undergraduates among whom the American language has become generally used. The prevalence of slang is so common to most of us that the speaker of pure English almost needs a code in order to carry on a conversation with us. . . .

Doubtless there are times when slang is appropriate but there are also times when the use of correct English is indispensable and it would be well for many of us if we could remember to talk English once in a while. --Daily Iowan, University of Iowa.

Advertisement
Advertisement