The Weekly University Courier
The Largest College Journal Circulation the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the
COURIER COMPANY For Kansas University Students.
O. B. TAYLOR, President. DENT. HOGEBOM, Secretary
EDITORIAL STAFF:
ASSOCIATES
JOHN A. PRESCOTT, EDITOR-IN-CHEIF,
CHAS. JOHNSON,
M. E. GAMBLE,
FRED, LIDKEE,
HARRY BUCKINGHILL
V. L. KELLOGG,
AGNES LOVE,
CHAPMAN,
MAY HAIR,
MAY CHURCHILL
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
WILL. A. JACKSON, S. T. GULME.
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
We wish to acknowledge our obligation to Mr. V. L. Kellogg for his efficient management of last week's issue.
The days and weeks have rolled by, and the Commonwealth, as it glances at its calendar, perceives that it has come to the date marked, "Touch up the State University and Prof. J. H. Canfield." Of course, it becomes a little monotonous to hear a paper say the same thing over so many times, but we are glad to know that, among its many vices, the Commonwealth has one lingering virtue —that of cultivating regular habits.
In our last number, among the law items, it was announced that the Law Faculty had appointed J. W. Roberts and S. T. Gilmore to appear on the program of the commencement day exercises of the law department. It is only just to these gentlemen to name the positions to which they have been appointed, since in his modesty the law correspondent failed to do so last week. Mr. Gilmore will appear as valedictorian of his class, and Mr. Roberts as salutatorian. In the failure of the Senior class to elect the other representatives, the Faculty appointed the following members: oration, S. P. King; thesis, Harbaugh; discussion, Rice and Pears. With such men upon the program, we have every reason to expect a Law Day well worthy of Kausas State University and the class of '88.
WHILE the Courier has no desire to posture as an "organ," it wishes at all times to speak frankly and plead earnestly for all that will benefit the students of the University. In this spirit, it desires now to urge upon the members of the present sophomore class one study possible to them for the coming two years—that of the constitutional and political history of the United States. The Courier's interest in this study is based on personal experience, as well as upon the breadth of the work. For two years a student can
devote a large part of his time to the study of the history of his own country, under careful direction and with delightful companionship, in every possible phase. History and biography, science and literature, law, politics, education, economics, geography, travel and exploration, all that bears on the present through an understanding of the past—are here interwoven. It is very doubtful whether, in either scope or method, there is another study in the entire curriculum equal to this. We only regret that the present graduating class can have but one year for this fascinating work, and we most earnestly commend it to those who can take the entire course.
The Grand Arch Council of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity held its biennial meeting April 4th to 7th. The session was in every way interesting and successful. About one hundred and twenty-five delegates were present, representing nearly every chapter in the fraternity. Most flattering reports were received from chapters and from the General Secretary and Treasurer of the fraternity and from the editor of the Shield. Among the officers elected for the ensuing year are: President, Rev. Robert Lowry; Corresponding Secretary, Prof. M. W. Sterling of Kansas State University. E. C-Little, of Ness City, Kansas, was appointed a committee of one on the memorial for Wm. A. Letterman, one of the founders of the fraternity. Friday afternoon, the Council was received in the east room of the White House by President and Mrs. Cleveland. In the evening a most enjoyable banquet was held at the Riggs House. The oration which was to have been delivered by Governor Foraker, was delivered by Solicitor-general Geo. A. Jenks, on account of the former's unavoidable absence. After the Saturday morning session the Council adjourned to meet at Chicago in 1890.
Some of our readers may be a little surprised at the large number of views upon chapel attendance, which have appeared in the columns of this and the preceeding number of the Courier. If such is the case we beg leave to remind them that the subject under discussion is at present one of considerable importance, both to the students and to the faculty. This is the first year, at least within the memory of most of us, that chapel attendance has been placed among the "optionals." It has been an experiment; and now as the year is drawing to a close it is necessary to examine the results and determine whether they have been good or bad and to decide whether the experiment shall be converted into an established custom, or whether we shall return to the old method of compulsory attendance. This matter is of more interest to the students than to any others, and it is due to this fact that the faculty are loth to come to a final decision without consulting their wishes and learning their opinions.
To obtain a free expression of stu
dent opinion the English classes have been requested to write short paragraphs upon the subject. Some of them have been handed to us and we have published them in the hope that it would lead to even a freer expression of opinion by the students and thus enable the faculty to reach a conclusion as nearly satisfactory to all as possible. If we have trespassed too much upon our readers' patience we can only beg their pardon and hope that our humble efforts may be ultimately productive of good results.
PROF. BLAKE has devised an ingenious application of the method by which railway time tables are made to the arranging of schedules of recitations for all University classes. At the top of a large board of dimensions of four by six feet, are written, on diagonal lines, all the subjects taught in the University, the course, or courses, to which they belong being indicated by different colored wafers. Below this is a series of rectangles arranged in eight rows, each row being five deep and separated by broad alleys. Each vertical row represents a recitation hour and each horizontal row, one of the five school days. Below this is a further row of rectangles, in each one of which is written the name of an instructor. Rows of pins are driven in each rectangle and at the base of the line of subjects. Threads of different colors and sizes are given to the several classes, as green to the Freshmen, red to the Sophomore, etc. (We do not know whether the Freshmen color was chosen on account of its traditional appropriateness or not.) One end of a thread is attached to a pin opposite a subject, passes through the rectangle representing the day and hour at which the class recites, then through the space in which its instructor's name is written and is kept taut by a small leaden weight at the other end. As an illustration, take Freshman botany. The wafers show that the subject is required of all students. The green thread shows that it is a Freshman study. The thread, passing through all five of the third vertical row of rectangles, shows that it comes every day at 11 o'clock, and by passing through his rectangle, that the class recites with Prof. Snow. For classes that do not recite every day, the threads are kept in the alleys, outside of the rectangles, opposite to those days on which the classes do not recite. Conflicts are shown readily on this plan as no two threads of the same color could pass into the same rectangle, unless they led to two subjects having wafers of different color. On the other hand, no two threads of any color, leading from a professor's name could rest contentedly in the same enclosure. Neither this nor any other device will prevent the liability of conflicts for irregular students. While the board, strung with its many strings, crossed and interlaced as they are in all directions, seems complicated to one who sees it for the first time, the scheme, in reality, is a very simple one, and to
any one having any mechanical bent would prove very helpful. Its chief advantage lies in presenting at once to the eye both actual conflicts and possible changes.
The University is not the massive stone structure which the State has built upon Mount Oread, neither is it the board of regents and the faculty, nor is it the courses of study which have been prepared, but the University is the students who, from year to year, receive instruction in the class room. If this be true, every institution of the University belongs to the students and should be heartily maintained by them. To nothing is this fact more applicable than to our chapel exercises.
To the Editor of The Courier:
Never, during the four years that I have been almost a constant attendant at chapel, have the exercises been so interesting and impressive as during the present year. The exclusion of all but the devotional exercises is a decided improvement upon the former method, as we are no longer disturbed by rhetorical contortions of Casesar crossing the Rubicon, etc., etc.
If from no higher stand point than that of a season of physical rest and because prompt attendance on nine o'clock classes would be insured, chapel should be attended. Again, a knowledge of the Bible, if for no other reason than that it is a monument of English literature would be valuable to any student. However, chapel exercises are pre-eminently designed as a season of religious devotion. A student's life is not entirely free from difficulties and we need the inspiration and strength which these exercises give us. As long as chapel attendance is voluntary a responsibility rests upon the older students to set the example to the students of the lower classes. When convenient the students would like to have the exercises led by the Chancellor. The success of chapel attendance rests entirely upon the students and should be proudly maintained by them.
MARBLE AND SAND. 1
SENIOR.
An act of wrong had steeled my wounded heart,
Whose trusting faith had been betrayed
By him on whom that trusting faith was staid,
And fierce resentment ruled the bet-
ter part
That cried, "Forgive!" with firm, relentless hand.
That drew its angry strength from trampled pride,
I reared a high enduring stone, to stand
Throughout the passing years; and on its side
I blazoned all the tale of trust betrayed.
And beating surge of all-effacing years
But all the waters of regretful tears,
Could not erase the record I had made.
And when my burning anger cool.
car to generate name.
That chiseled record fanned it into flame.
ed to gentle flame,
II.
A gentle act, that should have blessed my lot
And taught me to forgive and made me kind.
Was scarce remembered in my anger blind,
But ere it had been done was straight forgot.
For burning with the hate of outraged pride.
I wrote the deed with careless,
heedless hand,
Not where the lasting stone the years defied
But in the changing, ever-shifting sand.
And when the billows of the passing years
O'er both the written records swept and rolled,
The gentle tale that would have then consoled
Was washed away by my repentant tears.
The deed I would forget was still in lasting stone;
The deed that I would still remember, gone!
III.
Ah, so it is! In hard, eternal stone,
We grave our wrongs with anger- guided hand,
While gentle deeds are written in the sands
To be forgotten ere those deeds are done.
On both the stones fall repentant tears.
But one remains to mock our keen regret.
Unsoftened by the beating flood of years;
And one is gone that we would ne'er forget.
Ah, better far we grave the actions kind
In granite lines, with eager, grateful hand;
And write our wrongs upon the fickle sand;
And when we read the written archives find
The tale of Love triumphant o'er the surging years;
The tale of Hate effaced by gentle tears. — *Anon.*
The Royal University of Bologna, which celebrates its eighth centenary next May, has some title to being the oldest university in Europe, for it is said to have been originally established by the Emperor Theodosius the younger in 425. But its present legal existence dates from the end of the eleventh century, when it began to become well-known for its excellent law schools, although the great Inerius did not flourish until the middle of the twelfth century. At any rate it is the university where the Roman law was first properly explained; where Dante and Petrarch studied; and where, in late times Cardinal Mezzofanti was librarian, and Galvani made his discoveries. Bologna follows the example of most European universities in not having a permanent President, but one elected for a year or term of years from among the Professors. —Occident.
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