1922 Cedrus Yearbook

dc The Burdens of Responsibility—An Editorial T HERE was a time in the history of Cedarville College when it was right and proper to entrust the control of all the student activities then extant to the care of a few capable students. With the in- crease in the student body, the activities have naturally increased both in numbers and in importance; but the control of these larger activities is still vested in the hands of a few individuals, thus giving rise to a situation which is neither desirable nor healthy. From the entire student body there are probably not more than fifteen from either sex who are actively engaged in the control of stu- dent activities. From these thirty people are selected, with but few ex- ceptions,the class president,the Y. M.and Y. W.cabinets, the casts for college plays, the members of the Rangers Club, the members of every athletic squad, and the promoters and officials of very activity spon- sored by the college. Such a situation not only places a great load of responsibility on the shoulders of a few, but so divides their time and energy among several organizations as to prohibit the efficient control of any of them. The cause of this situation is not the cliquing together of any group of students, nor is it the lack of ability on the part of the members of the rest of the student body, but rather a lack of active in- terest in the control of these organizations, coupled with a lack of will- ingness (on the part of some) to serve in official positions which would subtract from the sum total of the time which they wish to give to other interests. In some schools there is a system incorporated into the regulations of the student body, whereby merit points of varying degree are given to students in control of student activities in proportion to the responsi- bility involved. No student is allowed to receive over a certain number of merit points. Thus the burdens of responsibility are borne on many shoulders, the dangers of "clique" control are eliminated, and student activities can be efficiently managed, without detracting, to a material degree,from the time necessary for the preparation of classroom work. We dare to suggest the adoption of some system of this kind into the regulations governing the student body of Cedarville College. J. E. Bradfute—Editor. 86