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What is a Student?

Amidst the clamour for reform and reconstruction that is rising from all parts of the globe probably the loudest and most insistent cry is: "More Education and Better Education. Innumerable proposals are brought forward for our consideration; behind them all, however, there seems to be one main object—the arranging for a systematic training of every physical, mental, and moral quality that may be used to equip the perfect citizen. The child is to proceed through the successive stages of kindergarten, primary, secondary, and university education, and gradually to rise to the level of perfect citizenship.

Our universities then should be composed of men and women inspired to help their fellow men ? Taking an active interest in all the ethical, social, and religious problems of the day?

* * * * *

A student of our college was heard to say of a motion recently put before the Students' Association: "That's nothing to do with the students; that's a political question."

Could anything be more naively illuminating? Yes! The meeting of the students to discuss the motion was even more illuminating.

We gathered to discuss a question of serious import—one which in the issue may effect not only our own generation but generations still unborn; yet, amid an uproar that would have been a disgrace to a meeting of schoolboys, we discussed it a while, jocularly, and then flippantly tossed it aside to treat of the more important questions of blazers for basket-ball players, and a general subscription for all student clubs.

By all means "More Education and Better Education"!

When we have come to this, it is the duty of every student to ask himself, "What am I doing here? What is a Student"?

Is he one who seeks honour, social esteem, selfish study, or merely money ? If he have no higher aims than these, then rest assured he is doing justice neither to himself nor to his college. He is no student in the fuller sense.

Then, "What is a Student" ? . . . Guess again !

Quo.