CLASSICS COMING BACK DECLARES PROF. GREENE

"The Classics are coming back", said Assistant Professor W. C. Greene '11, of the Division of Ancient Languages in commenting upon the report recently issued by the American Classical League under the supervision of Dean Andrew West, President of the American Classical League and Dean of the Princeton Graduate School.

"Psychologists are beginning to return to the old theory that the Classics can not be excelled in developing, exercising, and generally benefiting a student's mind", said Professor Greene. "The report declares that in a statistical investigation of 10,000 College Entrance Examination papers, submitted by students of schools from all over America, it was found that men who had had Latin or Greek did better in all their subjects than men who had never studied either of these two languages in school. This is a startling and boastful claim to make but it is certainly borne out by the facts.

Classical Students Rank Higher

"Here at Harvard we have made some very interesting and accurate observations on this score particularly. Although I have not the figures to prove that this is true I can say that a majority of the men in college who make the first group are students who are concentrating in the Classics. Their study sharpens the wits and increases the scholarship that is latent in everyone. Of all the men who concentrate in Classics 75 percent have the ambition and desire to try for distinction, which is a far higher percentage than in most departments."

Professor Greene was asked to show why classical students should develop into better all around scholars than other men. "There are several reasons", he said. "The first is the good effects that the rigid discipline of first year Latin courses have upon the average man. He has to study regularly and accurately. He cannot bluff. His ignorance is always immediately displayed if he has come to class unprepared. Consequently he develops good habits which continue to affect his study of all other subjects.

Classics Are All-Embracing Subject

"In the second place the study of the classics brings men into contact with many periods and a vast range of topics. He will acquire in his study a fairly good knowledge of ancient history and politics. He will become intimately acquainted with the leading figures of the time he is studying. He will read and digest the literature and philosophy of the ancients. The Classics are an all embracing subject. One cannot fail to quit their study with an infinitely broader horizon than when one began.

"This year we are trying a new experiment, very much the same kind of thing as the report suggests. All men who are taking one of the five introductory courses are receiving an introduction to ancient civilization. They will have a certain amount of time set aside for this every week and will meet in small groups to discuss the ground which they have covered. This should serve to develop the ideas of the students and should give them a permanent respite from the regular routine of the course.

Greek Has Greater Rewards Than Latin

"I thoroughly approve of the necessity of getting away to a certain extent from the mere study of grammar in preparatory and high schools with a view to attaining the ultimate and finest reward that the study of the classics has to offer, a broad and profound culture, the greater rewards.

"The important thing to call attention to in any comment on the report of the League", declared Professor Greene, "is that it has brought to the notice of the public the increasing popularity of the Classics. There seems to be no doubt that most teachers are at last convinced that it is no waste of time to study 'dead languages'. They are, however, aware of their responsibility in concentrating more on the subject matter of classics and less on the grammar than formerly. To this end they are improving their texts and changing their methods of teaching."