Page:The Fraternity and the College (1915).pdf/146

 them it can be said that the more they do, the more they can do.

It may usually truthfully be said that the men with the very highest scholastic standing in college are seldom found in college activities, though it is possible every year to point to the names of Phi Beta Kappa, and Tau Beta Pi, and Sigma Xi men who are at the same time leaders in college affairs. The reason that there are not more of these is because ordinarily if one would be a superior student or stand among the very highest ten per cent or five per cent of his class he must give himself unreservedly to scholastic matters. Last year, however, at the University of Illinois the valedictorian of the graduating class and some others of the honor men in scholastic lines were all found in outside activities. This was true in football, in track, in debating and in the college publications, We are just about as likely to find honor men in college activities as we are to find flunkers.

There are some dangers, of course. It is the man who is so carried away by outside interests as to neglect or ignore his college work and so to make a disgraceful failure, who brings discredit upon all those who go into college activities. One such conspicuous example will do more to confirm the opponents of college activities in their opinions than a dozen good students can offset. When the editor of the Illio or the President of the