t Peete eed Page Two “THE COLLEGE NEWS THE COLLEGE NEWS (Founded in 1914) Published woud during the College Year (excepting during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter Holidays, and during examination weeks) in the interest. of Bryn Mawr College at the Maguire Building, Wayne, Pa., and Bryn Mawr College. Editor-in-Chief SALLIE JONES, “34 News Editor JANET MARSHALL, °33 Editors Leta CLews, °33 MoLuiz NICHOLS, "34 ELizABETH HANNAN, 34 GERALDINE RHOADS, : 35. Nancy Hart, "34 ConsTANCE ROBINSON, °34 Subscription Manager Business Manager ELEANOR YEFAKEL, °33 MABEL MEEHAN, '33 . Assistants ——_/ CaROLINE Ber, °33 Preccy. LitTLE, °35 . Copy Editor CLARA FRANCES GRANT, °34 Sports Editor SALLy Howe, '35 , SUBSCRIPTION, $2.50 SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY BEGIN AT ANY TIME MAILING : PRICE, $3.00 Entered as second-class matter at. the Wayne, Pa., Post Office Freshman Quota ‘Having started what we hope is a serious discussion of the quota, we feel that a little attention devoted to an examination of certain of the de- sirable provisions of the present system would not be out of place. - first consider the quota and how it affects the freshmen. Under the present regime an incoming freshman is assigned a room by the registrar, who takes into consideratiofi her preferences as much as possible. There are other freshmen in her hall, but the population is largely The freshman meets many of these lofty creatures and lives in mortal terror of as many more; but what is even more important is that she finds out about Bryn Mawr from them. A freshman learns a great deal from upper classmen which she-can-learn from no other She learns the traditions of the college, and the distinction which arises between the sacred and the profane is firmly rooted in her mind. She learns how to work by watching upper classmen in action, and gradually she herself becomes an upper classman in her opinions and college attitudes. The ordinary student adviser is of little value, because she metes out an hour of advice to her lamb over a tea table and considers her work done. composed of upper. classmen. , source. Let us were not constructed with such a plan |. in view, but we feel that a practical arrangement could be made. The fol- lowing data is roughly illustrative: The room space is as follow: 56 Merion 4 71 Denbigh J 127 Total During the past four years there have been between 127 and 100 stu- dents in the entering class. This is slightly less than the available room space in these two halls, but some of the unattractive, small scholarship rooms in Merion could be turhed back into suites as originally intended, and the few remaining could be used as guest rooms. The room space in the other three halls: 64 Pembroke West 71 Pembroke East 79 Rockefeller 17 Wyndham 281 Total The Sophomores, Juniors and Sen- iors average collectively about 250. This ‘total, however, does_not account for the number of non-resident stu- dents. We, who offer this system are ful- ly aware of its imperfections, but we hope that it will lead to a plan worthy of actual experiment. Above all, we desire action. Yours sincerely, SARA A. D. SUPPES, ESTHER JANE PARSONS. < + Dear Editor: The editorial, entitled “The Quota,” in the News of April 18, voiced the thoughts of a great part. of the col- lege, especially at. this time when rooms are being drawn for next year. We have all found the Quota an ob- stacle in trying to get settled as we wish, and we have all aired our views | The freshman gets most of her advice in the form of observation of upper classmen, whose modes of living may be reprehensible but are also effective. would be completely alone. her existence when she lives under the nose of upper classmen. more difficult would it be if she lived in a separate hall! If, on the other hand, all freshmen lived in separate halls they It is difficult enough for a freshman to register How much Freshmen living apart from the other classes would find it a hard task to adapt themselves to college life and work, because they would have no effective example before them. No incoming student, whether she be from a boarding school or a high school, is capable of coping with college and its routine without | Mawr, but in the case of there not the guiding spirit furnished by the other classes, and the only way for this! being room enough for a whole class union of classes to be accomplished is by having freshmen living in all the i in any one hall; a few people would A freshman will learn to know her classmates in the course of time, halls. but contact with upperclassmen, which must-be established, comes only-as'| a result of hall acquaintance. men. Therefore we feel that any system must | include an arrangement whereby freshmen are divided among upper class- | Letter Column The News is not responsible for the opinions expressed -in—this col- umn. ; April 18, 1932. . Dear Editor: In response to the editorial on “The Quota,” published last week, which clearly defines the pros and cons of the present rooming situation, we sub- mit the following comments and sug- gestions. In the first place, we be- lieve that the present quota system is unsatisfactory as “an impartial in- trument calculated to mix the classes.” In the second place, we con- test. the “inadvisability of allowing class halls: to grow up.” And with these two points in mind, we wish to submit the following plan: We suggest that Merion and Den- bigh be used as Freshman halls, with a complete mingling of the other three classes in the Pembrokes and Rockerfeller. ~The advantages, as they appear to us, would be as fol- lows: 1, The Freshmen would have the opportunity of becoming acquainted with their entire class. Freshman Week, 4s it is now organized, is an in- complete attempt at accomplishing this, because girls do not become gen- uinely acquainted outside their own halls in so short a time. 2. After one year in the Fresh- fran hali, the girls -would know peo- ple with whom they are really con- genial, and at the same time, . would not have become so settled as to ob- ject to a forced move... 8. Three classes_.divided. among three halls will not lead to an ohject- ionably small numberof any one class living in any single,hall... The three halls in question are so large, that it is ineonceivable that.apy person or reg Garam Liner) ; oa persons would be thrown in with a group entirely uncongenial. 4. Hall cliques would be mini- mized, because a more organized class and college spirit would exist. istration now provides so narrowly by confining bits of. each class to each hall. is. 6. With © this plan, tion with upper class-men, and. par- ticipation in all phases of college life. For the college provides innumerable occasions outside of classes, such as Lantern Night, May Day,-sports, and | to those in charge of the quota with-| out offering any constructive idea for eliminating the difficulty. Everyone must realize that without any arbitrary regulation of numbers we would eventually have class halls Wiser heads than ours have pointed out that class halls would not only make that rift between classes which | fair that in co-operation with Presi- Vonuhanen [dent Park and Miss Gaviller she try would not be separated from associa- | to live where she is placed. | pathy and understanding in her asso- 5. There would be greater Oppor- | ciates is necessary for this state of tunity to promote the inter-class so- | mind. cial contacts which the college admin- | Say she cannot live with anyone in col- ire but her own little group of per- | is now so happily absent from Bryn | be stranded in a hall filled solidly with another class. We must, therefore, | recognize. the wisdom of some regula- tion of numbers. On the other hand, the quota does | at times segregate a student from her particular frierids and place here in alien surroundings. We are sure that for a student to do good work