WHICH THEY DON'T

"Is Phi Beta Kappa Key Losing Prestige?--Vote of Yale Seniors for 'Y' in Preference to Historic Watch Charm Raises Sensational Questions." Such is the headline of an article in the New York "Evening Post" which discusses the sensational question--and concludes thus: "Meanwhile the life of the undergraduate as a whole carries on as before. The 'News', in the same number with its editorial on the Phi Beta Kappa matter, prints front page articles on the election of a wrestling captain and the progress of the crews on the Housatonic (this last was reported slow). There is also a traditional plea for the existence of the academic grass as against informal baseball.

But--and this is worth nothing, for it never could have happened in the blood-and-iron days of old--the 'News' prints in its colyum a ballade on that very matter (obstreperous Freshmen). And a ballade is a form of verse which persons who are entirely dead to the world of the mind simply cannot write."

So we may conclude that although the scholar's key is no longer-the most popular thing in New Haven, the intellectual health of the inmates is not altogether impaired. Than Mr. Heywood Broun, in his part of the World (New York) utters plaints about the present rush of youthful Eli poets to print, and mourns that all Harvard has is a rush of Crimson pigskin chasers to a certain end of a certain kind of a field under certain conditions.

All of which is well enough, as far as it goes. But in spite of the "intellectualization" of football effected by Haughton, it is not always advisable to restrict our cerebral activity to the gridiron. The Yale Renaissance, or, as it has been put, Yale's Renascence, seems to be developing a new type of Harkness-brod intellectual who in not only interested in literature but is willing to admit it. He refers familiarly to "Bozzy", and has a library of finely bound books with uncut leaves; and he finds it good form to twit Steve Benet's "Wisdom". Nevertheless there is real intellectual awareness at Yale, as noted above; although we question whether the fact that the "News" conducts a colyum is any particular sign of such interest. That is, we would question if it would not be thought that we are jealous.

But the moral; it is, briefly, that as a result of marks and Phi Beta Kappa keys having been considered high in value for themselves, rather than as symbols, general opinion everywhere--the New Havon vote and the Vassar student's refusal of election are only recent examples--has reacted; now that Phi Beta Kappa, man must prove himself. This is generally true, although at New Haven it may be the old confict between brains and scholastic Dadaism. Let Mr. Broun and the N. Y. Evepost answer this; we are satisfied so long as our own Phi Beta Kappas wear their keys in their pockets.

Which they don't.