Reading Period

There is much sound and fury at Columbia this week as a plan to include a reading period before examinations is up before an administration board, and the students and faculty are hurling pro and con arguments at each other. The plan is in effect at Yale and Dartmouth, and the replies of the editors of dailies at those institutions to the Spectator's query concerning its success was answered in the affirmative.

As a means of consolidating and integrating the term work and at the same time affording an opportunity to prepare for examinations, the reading week has some definite worth and while. However, it would mean the extension of the school term one week or shortening the regular semester period. The Spectator seems to prefer the former plan.

Some members of the Columbia faculty were polled on the question. A split vote was the result. Generally, the science faculty saw little use for a reading period. An English instructor saw much advantage in the plan for students taking English courses. Most of the objecting faculty members thought the reading period would lead to procrastination of studies before this period and cramming during this period.

For Pennsylvania, we feel the plan should be adopted for the Wharton School and College, at least. To the objection that the period would cause procrastination and cramming, we point to its success at Yale and Dartmouth. The objecting faculty members at Columbia were drawing conclusions from observations of a small group of college men who can procrastinate and cram without help of a reading period. The Pennsylvanian.