Word: minding
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Dates: during 1910-1919
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...cruel and unusual punishment has been meted out to the student mind at Bowdoin, New York University, and a Middle Western state university. . . . Elementary questions about the war, such as the location of Gallipoli and Saloniki, the identity of Venizelos, Viviani, Poincare, . . . were presented to certain college classes, with the result that Venizelos appeared as anything from a French general to a Mexican rebel. . . . The Dean of Bowdoin questions whether students of New England colleges are very steady newspaper readers. . . . The trouble is that if the proper names mean nothing, the reading is of limited good. The fault...
...College debating is the worst possible training for public life." Certainly, if it is supposed to be an adequate training for public life at all. But, in spite of an occasional disagreeable debating mind and manner to be found, there is no evidence that debaters consider it as anything more than good preliminary practice in the logical analysis and forcible presentation of arguments. A striking instance of intellectual sincerity was afforded by the recent triangular debate on suffrage, in which nearly all the members of the Harvard team were converted to the affirmative, although it was the three negative teams...
This is not to say that all the others are to be classed as "grinds." The term "grind" is, or ought to be, applied to the man whose interests are one-fold, whose mind is literally single-tracked. He fails to acquire the human element in culture. Of course, the scholar whose name appears on no University record besides this list and the Directory, may have varied tastes; the drama, or music, or attempting to create literature may be his humanizing hobbies. And the football player may be a grind as well as the scholar,--if he cannot see beyond...
...will not do to sit back in smug complacency and say "my talk is all right," or "it's nobody's business." Collegiate life in general can bear improving. In a university, if anywhere, ideas should creep into the conversation. And the value of talking, when mind meets mind in frank communion and keen interplay, can be compared favorably to text-book study. The undergraduate could learn more of the satisfaction one feels when he can truly say, as Dr. Johnson said (and Stevenson quoted), "Sir, we had a good talk...
Some professional pacificists see in the move for preparedness the subjection of the individual mind to arbitrariness and military despotism. In answer to this argument the advocate of defense replies that it is not servile submissiveness which work in preparation for possible war induces, but steadfastness, discipline, and respect for authority. The United States will never have in any degree a military autocracy. Its democracy needs, however, an efficient fighting servant, which can be used to defend its members...