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Grand Display of HOLIDAY GOODS. GREAT CUT DOWN SALE all over the Store—THE FAIR.
The Weekly University Courier
The Largest College Journal Circulation in the United States.
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING BY THE COURIER COMPANY.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
EDITORIAL STORY
RUSSELL R. WHUTMAN... Editor in Chief
E.P. Allen, 91... Laura Lockwood, 90.
H.A. Peales, 90.
LOCAL STAFF:
J. M. CHALLIS, 92. Editor
E. F. Engle, 91. Charles Johnson, 94.
W. M. Curry, 95.
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
H. E. COPPER, C. A. PEABODY,
Entered at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas,
Entered at the post office at 1. wrenco, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
The public will have to treat us with charity this week as our Editor-in-Chief was sick and a new man went to bat. He will be struck out next week.
It would be hard to find three more gentlemanly and courteous fellows than Captain McRoberts, of the Baker foot ball team; Captain McVicar, of the Washburn team, and Captain Peairs of our own team. It is largely due to these men that our foot ball contests thus far have been devoid of any disagreeable features.
The foot ball club has made remarkable progress and can now justly claim the honor of being the champions of the state. Two weeks ago Baker defeated us by a score of 22-9, while Monday the University won by the score of 14-12, and whether the decision of the umpire gave us the game or not it was apparent to everybody who saw it that Baker was outplayed at every point.
NEXT week's COURIER will be a Christmas number. One that every student should have to take home with him. The COURIER editors are already at work on matter for this holiday number. It will be issued on Friday in time for every student to procure a copy before leaving for home. If you have any friends whom you would like to have informed about the University, give their addresses to the business managers and have the COURIER sent to them.
LAST Friday night the chancel lor held a reception for the students and faculty of K. S. U in Snow hall. It was very largely attended and on the whole was a very successful affair. Buch's orchestra was secured for the occasion and added much to the pleasure of the gathering. In the pust Dr. Marvin used to hold what were known as faculty receptions, but during the Lippincott administration the institution entirey disappeared. We are glad it has been revived and hope to see many repetitions of the pleasant event of last Friday-
SCARCE has the excitement of the Brazilian Revolution died away. Hardly has the deposed Monarch, Dom Pedro, settled himself in his
sawly imposed position as a man among men, and begin to soak the scepter-callous on his right hand with corn-cure preparatory to removing this relic of a past splendor when another toot is heard from the tin-horn herald of the worlds political progress, anon, comes forth from the Hawaii sugar cane King Kalahue piles his kingly corpus into a little Pacific Tug steamer and hies him to the United States to sell his patrimony, together with all appurtenaces and para-pranalia, such as ermine robes, second hand thrones, secepters crowns etc. This may sound a little fishy but it appears to be the gospel truth. It has been rumored for several years that his highness bank account was getting shrivelled. The rumor was confirmed two years ago when Klans Spreckles the sugar king, began to act boorish about that little mortgage on the island that Mr. and Mrs. Kalakua had executed to him a few years before, and now after the passage of the McKinley bill, which gives the United States sugargrower 2 cents per pound advantage over the Sandwich Islands on the product consumed in the United States alike, the subjects are clamoring for an annexation to the Union. This proposed movement is looked upon very favorably by the far-sighted American diplomat and the probabilities are that we'll annex.
It may be the function of a college paper to carry news and keep the students in line with a few sarcastic flings at some society or club. We, however, are going to step over the line and assail the whole order of professors. A careful observer can easily notice that some one is to blame for the great amount of tardiness in coming to classes. The secret of all this lies in the fact that some of the teachers seem to think that they have the only classses in the institution and all others must be subservient to their will. The five minutes intermission is time that belongs to the student and any instructor who keeps a class after the first bell is guilty of oppression and misuse of power. A little thought on this subject will convince any fair minded person that to keep a class over the hour is radically wrong and unjust. Dr. Lippincott in his opening address here in the fall of '88 said: "The five minutes between each hour is for the student, in that time he is supposed to change from one class to another and I consider that a student has a perfect right to leave class after the first bell rings." We have no professor in the institution (that we know of) who as soon as the first bell taps dismisses his class; but he does not receive the same courtesy at the hands of the other professors. His classes, which are always interesting and instructive, are detained some time ten minutes by the grasping proclivities of some pecuniary instructors. Some of the professors seem to think it shows zeal and interest
in a study to make a student put in 65 instead of 55 minutes in a class, this does not increase the arduous student but on the contrary is liable to promote aversion especially as the poor suffering student knows that he will be late to his next class and consequently will have a failure score against him in the coming recitation. We do not write this as a declaration of war or to fill space but as a quiet appeal to the well meaning and generally considerate professors of K. S. U. This is an evil that works great wrong but is very easily righted, and it is our opinion that when this question is looked at in the proper light that right will prevail over might and all will be well in the end.
VIEWS
There is in the University a class of people whom, for want of a better name, I will call smoodles. The smoodles is of either sex and of varied characteristics. Some are dull and cannot keep pace with their more gifted fellows, let them work ever so faithfully. Others are bright and could easily stand at the head of their classes, but love of ball or tennis, or parties or case is greater than their love of study and when examination day comes they stand in the same row with their duller brothers; grade II or III or perhaps F is returned on their card. Do not understand that all who get these results are smoodles. There are those who can swallow their disappointment at not getting a I and inly resolve to do better next time. The smoodle doesn't take this manly view of the matter, but immediately proceeds to "pull the leg of the professor," as the beautiful and expressive metaphor goes, in order to get his "grade raised." His arts avail much, for after every examination we hear of grades being raised for those who weep or beg or hector till, for the sake of sweet peace their wishes are complied with.
It must not for a moment be thought that the name of smoodle applies to those who try to find where their mistakes were in an examination. They ought to find them and the professors ought to be ready to point them out. I have always regaided it a defect in our examination system that they were not pointed out. If one spends his best efforts on a theme or forensic
It may be said that grades are a matter of no consequence anyway, and if a smoodle wants to descend to this level he must, no one is harmed by his success. If this in itself, might be agreed to, we must yet take matters as they stand. The University does regard grades as a matter of consequence, else the system would not be here, and as long as it is here, there is an injustice done to those who take what they get without complaint, when the prayers of the smoodle are answered. Moreover, if high grades were less often the result of smoodling, the grade system would stand in higher repute than it now does.
and gets a III, where he thinks he ought to have a I, it is his due that his weakness as a writer be pointed out. In such cases as these there is no compromise of independence and manliness in consulting with the examiner. But the smoodle doesn't go back to find where his mistakes are; he goes to get his "grade raised', and whether he succeeds or not in getting his grade raised he does succeed in lowering himself in the estimation of his fellow students, and, if I am not mistaken, in the estimation of his instructors.
A Theory.
The curriculum of the University of Kansas is as wide in range and as thorough in work as that of the eastern colleges. The preparatory schools of our state, however, cannot be compared with those of the east. Accordingly the young person who enters the University has generally but indifferent preparation, on account of which the work of the first year or so is doubly difficult for him. In consequence it is only in the last two years, when he has overcome the hindrance of ill-preparation, that the student has any time to give to work outside of his regular studies, no matter how much he may have wished to undertake such work before. By this time, however, his habits are formed, his circle of acquaintances is more or less fixed, and he is likely to remain in the old rut. It is to these facts "that we attribute the decline of literary societies in K. S. U., and not to any tendency to specialization of work, as some have supposed. What are the facts supporting this theory?
When Oread and Orophillian were in the prime of their strength, the requirements of college work were not at all exacting. As a result students had more or less time for out side work. Thereupon debating societies were organized, and under the leadership of choice spirits they flourished. As a result excellent debaters and orators were turned out of K. S. U. by the dozen, and this state of affairs continued with little change till four or five years ago, then with the raising of standard in the University, literary societies began to decline, and have continued to decline as the requirements of regular work have become greater. To-day we have, indeed, a single literary society in a flourishing condition, but among the mass of students the spirit and ambition which drives men to seek practice in speaking lies almost dormant.
The power to speak in public and think consecutively is invaluable. Literary societies are the best helps to getting this power. Then call the Kansas State University Literary club to life again. Breathe the breath of life into the prostrate form of Athenacum. Even dig up the bones of Oread and Orophilian and constitute them again centers of improving influence to the student community. At any rate let us have vim and ambition enough not
to fail of attaining one of the most attractive and valuable accomplishments man can have, the power of effective speech.
WM. WIEDEMANN
HAS OPENED HIS
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