Outdoor Interclass Meet.

Favored by fine weather, the first outdoor Interclass track meet of the season brought out a large field of contestants in all events. It was again demonstrated that our Sophomores and Freshmen are an evenly matched pair, with the first half of our Freshmen to-be showing signs of lusty youth. The Sophomore contingent carried off the honors by three points, winning at the last moment from 1912 through the superiority of their relay team. The performances in all events were a marked improvement and give indications of future athletic greatness for the College.

The summary:

220-Yard Dash, Novice.-Won by L. Bogan, 1913; M. Sellig, 1912 second; F. Mills, 1913, third; G. Waldman, 1912, fourth. Time-26 seconds.

440-Yard Handicap. Won by T. Starbuck, 1911 (10 yards; S. Katz, 1910 (15 yards), second; M. Weinberg, 1912 (22 yards), third; G. Webber, 1911 (scratch), fourth. Time-54 seconds.

2,500-Yard Run, Handicap.-Won by W. Reichardt, 1912 (50 yards); P. H. Groggins, 1911 (scratch), second; G. Frankel, 1912 (30 yards), third; W. Kappis, 1911 (10 yards), fourth. Time-6. 22 seconds.

Running Broad Jump, Handicap.-Won by F. Lattimore, 1911 (scratch), 19 feet 91⁄2 inches; H. Lang, 1912 (2 feet), 18 feet 10 inches, second; M. Price, 1909 (2 feet), 18 feet 81⁄2 inches, third; J. Hyman, 1912 (2 feet), 18 feet, 7 inches, fourth.

Running High Jump, Scratch.—Won by F. Lattimore, 1911, 5 feet 3 inches; Rosenberg, 1912, 5 feet 2 inches, second; J. Rogow, 1912, 5 feet 1 inch, third; W. Roberts, 5 feet, fourth.

16-Pound Shot Put.-Won by B. Praeger, 1911 (9 feet), 35 feet 1 inch; S. King, 1912 (81⁄2 feet), 34 feet 3 inches, second; J. Katz, 1910 (71⁄2 feet), 34 feet, third; L. Ridgeway, 1912 (4 feet), 32 feet 7 inches, fourth.

One-Mile Interclass Relay-Won by 1911 (Groggins, Weber, Starbuck, Passloff); 1912 (Valentine, Weinberger, Reichardt, Dolan), second; 1910 (Katz, Norman, Truppen, Zorn), third; 1911, second team (Kappis, Goldfield, Gabriel, Greenberg), fourth. Time-3.37

Individual Championships.

While it can scarcely be claimed, even by the most sanguine, that our amphybians are conquerors, it is safe to claim a champion manager. At the Intercollegiate Individual Championships held in our pool on April 3, Manager Grattan was our only entry to take a first place. He held simultaneously the position of Master of Ceremonies, Announcer and Recording Secretary, with an occasional digression into police duty. Our other entrees were outclassed. Stern finished third in a 100-yard heat won by Shryock of Pennsylvania and Fielding failed to win a place in the fancy dive. Chambers of Princeton won the finals of both the 50-yard and 100-yard swim, Fitzbohm of Yale took the 220-yard swim. Dalrymple of Pennsylvania won the fancy diving and Raines of Yale made the longest plunge. In the Freshman relay event the Princeton youngsters swam away from the Yale bull

pups.

No Lacrosse.

On account of insubordination in the ranks, the A. A. has finally decided to cancel the lacrosse schedule. Several of the veteran players who were sure of their positions on the team, failed to report for practice. As Manager Kotok had arranged a hard schedule, it was thought inadvisable to pick a team of raw material. to let the delinquents play in the regular games would have been unfair to those who came out consistently. It is possible however that the second team will play it's own schedule of games.

But

Recently there has been organized an Elite Handball Team which is composed of Weisbord, '10, Manager, Eiron, '12, Morris, '12, and Jerry, '12. The team is open to challenge and games have already been arranged with some of the strong Prep and High School teams. Recently the Elite team met the representatives of Boys' H. S. in Brooklyn and made a clean sweep, winning the first two out of three in each series. The scores: Singles

1. Elite 21; B. H. S. 19; 2. Elite 21; B. H. S. 10. Doubles 1. Elite 21; B. H. S. 7; 2. Elite 21; B. H. S. 13.

The Campus

A Weekly Journal of News and Comment

Published by the

CAMPUS ASSOCIATION

at the

COLLEGE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

138th Street and St. Nicholas Terrace

T

A Rational Reform.

HE story of David's bout with the "one best bet" of the Philistines is a classic synonym for successful contention against overwhelming odds. Our campaign against the Goliath of the educational system in vogue in this institution may not be comparable to the valiant efforts of the shepherd of Bethlehem; it may be more truly analogous to the proverbial bay of a lonesome canine at the moon. At the same time our pen, "mightier than a sword," could not be wielded in advocacy of a more timely reform than the provisional exemption from examinations. While the venerable preceptors of learning are recovering breath at this astounding heresy, permit us to suggest that it is our intention respectfully to demonstrate that the detrimental features of the present system of examinations at the end of each

semester more than outweigh any possible (?) benefits derived.

It is claimed that examinations are beneficial on the ground that (1) a reorganization of knowledge is effected by the review which is made necessary, and (2) a reliable estimate of the student's standing is obtained. In reference to the former contention be it observed that many students do an inconsiderable amount of work during the term and yet cram sufficiently to secure a passing mark on the exam. In this process of cramming there is, for them, no review of familiar learning but rather the necessity of memorizing practically unfamiliar facts and theories. Eminent psychologists are agreed that ideas are suggestible in proportion to (a) their previous intensity, (b) the frequency of their previous recurrence, and (c) their recency. As any wayfarer on the rocky road to knowledge will testify it is impossible to sustain a high degree of efficiency through a prolonged period devoted to the accumulation of multitudinous facts. Moreover, the limited time at the crammer's disposal prevents frequent repetition. The advantage of repetition is greatly diminished by the necessity of repeating facts amid the same associations of environment with the result that they constitute but few links for subsequent associations. Therefore the success of processes of cramming must depend on mere recency of impression rather than on intensity or repetition. But recency is a temporal attribute and by its very nature cannot long exist. Again, cramming does not result in the study of the inter-relationships of topics and sub-topics; it serves another aim, namely, to lay emphasis on the most “important" as being the most likely topics of "inquiry" on the exam paper. Thus tumbles the reorganization argument from its sandy foundations. The second contention that examinations constitute a fair and just criterion of a man's proficiency is obviously fallacious because of the prominence of the element of chance. A man might be proficient in ninety per cent of the term's work in a subject and yet be examined on the remaining ten per cent. This situation occurs more frequently than the converse proposition. Ergo, abolish examinations as at present conducted.

Though encouraged by the loud chorus from the

amen corner we feel that, reasonable as would be such a demand, the abolition of semi-annual exams is hardly to be hoped for at present. "Half a loaf is better than none" and our "half loaf" is the provisional exemption from examination of students who have an average of at least eighty per cent in the term's work. The proposed scheme has many merits. Its establishment would (1) provide an incentive to conscientious, daily application; (2) the element of chance entering into an official rating of a man's proficiency would be reduced to a negligible quantity. Dean Brownson's statistics will substantiate this contention, we are confident. And as a logical consequence to these premises the standard of the institution would be raised to a much higher plane. It would be an insult to intelligent beings to enlarge further upon the obvious advantages of this plan to promote the physical and intellectual well being of the student. We go to consult the omens. May Zeus grant that they be favorable to the ends of education!

The following officers were chosen by the City College Club at the annual election held on the evening of March 20th: President, John Hardy, '53; Vice-Presidents, Frederick Hobart, '60 and Joseph L. Buttenwieser, '83; Secretary, Dr. Alfred Michaelis, '94; Treasurer, Robert C. Birkhahn, '01; Historian, John S. Roberts, '95; Members of the Board of Managers, Everett P. Wheeler, '56; Gen. Henry E. Tremain, '60; Prof. Alfred G. Compton, '53; Prof. Adolph Werner, '59; John Lieberman, '97; Julius Hyman, '94; and Bernard Cronson, '84.

LANTOVILLE