I ihI< r(/iiitlii(ih h'rMdrcli. 77 



lli-sl luccl in;.'- anil they cxpri'ssrd as (Iccp a wish In c.iuijci-a Ic with us as 

 we (lid Willi liiciii. 'i'no iificii in liic past. rcscan-Ii wuriv lias liccii considered 

 (iiily ill llic lii,'lil lit" its iiiiiiicilialc irsiilts ami wc have rninul lliat our reso- 

 jiitiiiii has hern so iiiiscniist nicd. ( (HisiMiiiciii l\ . we have iiiaiic llie follow- 

 iim cxplaiialiiiii ami iiit fnihirliiiii In our fi'snlnlinii. 



••'I'hc Sciciitcih Cliih ilc-iiTs \n ciiiphasi/.c in runncci imi with llic thesis re- 



ipiiri'iiirnl for mailnat imi ils (■nmcpli I' the tiTiii "iin cslitiafion" as dis- 



liml Iriiin the c iniinl.\- ai-ccptcil ((inci'pt of icsca I'cli. It vccosnizes clear- 

 ly thai llic UiKiw Icdjic and aliilily necessary for a real cunt rilmtioii to human 

 kiiowli"(l;ic caniHit In- expected of many men of senior standiny hi our uni- 

 versities and colJejics: tliaf the ability to do research work is possessed hy 

 few, and in varyin.ir desirec-;. To demand a piece of real research of tlie 

 srndenl as a thesis is not the aim of the (lull. It desires that the student 

 undertakes diiriim Ihe fourth uuder.tiraduatc year of study the solution of a 

 scieiitilic iirolilem which will afford Ihe means of developing in him initia- 

 ti\c. resourcefulness, power of logical deduction, and the ability to tliink 

 for himself. 'I'he ob.jective need not be research in Ihe sen-e of a new con- 

 tribution, but should be original to Ihe student- with respect l(» his previous 

 knowled.iic thereof ami should consist of his individual efforts in the solu- 

 tion of such a problem and not aloiu^ of a comiiilation or review of existing 

 literature on the subject. 



"The Club believes that tlie fuUillment of the above thesis re(iuirenieut 

 under the conditions laid down in the resolutions, will in all instances 

 Iirove a .s;reat mental asset to the individual irn xixciirc of his future activ- 

 itirf<. will induce in great measure the develoiiment of latent n^search 

 ability in the student body, and will distinctly iiromote the research atmos- 

 jihere of the institution. 



One of the university reiire.-entati\-es compared the chemical department 

 of Johns Hopkins T'niversity with its few cours(>s and stimulating creative 

 atmosphere to that of the University of ^Minnesota where countless courses 

 only, seem to abound. Education should consist of tniining in judgment, 

 resourcefulness and the ability to create rather than to encourage merely 

 the amassing of facts. It does seem useless to give cour.ses in obsolete 

 industrial technique at the ex]iense of investigation and yet we are told 

 that our curricula are too crowded to include research. Any student who 

 has had a thorough course in (luantitative chemistry need not spend a half 

 year applying that Ivuowledge over a.gain in a course of water analysis. Our 

 educational institutitms must furnish the sjiark to klndl(> the tinder of crea- 

 tive ability wherever it exists. 



It is not commonly acc-epted by educators that the student will most 

 rapidly develop the right mental altitude by discovering facts for himself — 

 even if they were known before? Are we coicerving our greatest resource, 

 the power of creative tbiiiking'.' .M.\' own university exj)erience says "No." 

 I'^lach man must acipiii-e the fund.inienlals of scienlilic 

 uo matter what profession he i.-ikes up. We are not ask 

 lo produce genius, mu' thai the umlermaduale n-eai 

 value — but we do ;isk for better trained men men win 

 selves in a slight measui-e at least in their vocation. 



We do feel thai our sd 1- ,is a whole have mn been doing all within 



their power to utili/.e their equipment in the iiast. Nor has industry done 



