Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 77.djvu/181

Of	223	students	115	or 52.0 per cent, are smokers
Of	96	athletes	55	or 57.3 per cent, are smokers
Of	66	fraternity men	49	or 74.2 per cent, are smokers

 

There are more smokers among athletes and a great many more among fraternity men than among all students.

 

Of	223	students	84	or 37.6 per cent, made varsity teams
Of	115	smokers	47	or 41.0 per cent, made varsity teams
Of	66	fraternity men	41	or 62.1 per cent, made varsity teams

 

There are more athletes among smokers and a great many more among fraternity men than among all students.

 

		Average Marks at Entrance	Average Marks in first 2 years	Average failures in first 2 years
223	students	90 per cent.	66 per cent.	7	per cent.
115	smokers	89 per cent.	62 per cent.	10	per cent.
84	athletes	90 per cent.	63.2 per cent.	8	.4 per cent.
66	fraternity men	85.4 per cent.	59.1 per cent.	12	.8 per cent.

 

Smokers, athletes and fraternity men have lower scholarship records than other students.

There is some definite relation existing between smoking, participation in athletics, membership in college fraternities and low scholarship. These relations indicate that the factor of smoking can not be isolated from other related factors which may account for differences in age and scholarship. It is very clear, however, that students who use tobacco invariably rank lower in scholarship than students who do not smoke.

Those who are conversant with present conditions in American colleges, recognize two distinct types of students. President Butler, in his annual report for 1908-09, devotes several pages to a discussion of this subject; among other things he says:

Not so many years ago there were few boys who went to college without a serious, definite purpose more or less scholarly in character. They were looking forward to the ministry, to teaching or to the practise of law or medicine. Not many of them had in mind a career as merchant, financier or corporation official. With the lapse of time and the increasing wealth of this country, this condition has been very much changed. It is now fashionable to go to college, at least to some colleges, and the attractions of college life and companionship are powerful motives in leading young men to strive to surmount the barrier of college admission. This new type of college student, whether he knows it or not, goes to college primarily for a social, not for an intellectual, purpose. His wish is to share in the attractive associations of an American college; he desires to participate in athletic sports; he hopes in after life to mingle freely and on terms of equality with college-bred men. It is a good thing that boys of this type should go to college, provided that the college will recognize their existence as a type and will deal with them accordingly. To try to turn such men into scholars is a hopeless task. They are not fitted for high scholarship and they do not desire it.