The Weekly University Courier.
The Largest College Journal Circulatio the United States.
COURIER COMPANY For Kansas University Students.
Published Every Friday Morning by the
O. B. TAYLOR, President. | DENT, HOGEBOM, Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
EDITORIAL STAFF:
JOHN A. PRESCOTT, EDITOR-IN-CHEIFE
ASSOCIATES:
CHAS. JOHNSON,
V. L. KELLOGG,
A. L. VOYNE,
A. C. CUNKLE,
FRED. LIDDEKER,
MAY HAIR,
HARRY BUCKINGHILL,
MAY CHURCHILL.
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
WILL. A. JACKSON, S. I. GULMORE
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-once at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
Mr. BULLENE has offered to donate the lots on the west side of Louisiana street, just north of Adams, fsr the proposed boarding house for young ladies, provided the amount necessary to erect and furnish the house can be raised. This is truly a generous offer and it is earnestly to be hoped that advantage may be taken of it. The fact that the University is situated upon so steep a hill, so far from comfortable and suitable accommodations for them, has always deterred many young ladies from coming here to school. The long, steep hill with its slippery sidewalk, which must be climbed every day once, at least, and perhaps twice, has discouraged and wearied many who have come, and has sent them back to their homes again. Thus far no attempt has been made to provide them with more convenient lodgings. But now a scheme is on foot to satisfy this long felt want and give the girls an equal chance with the boys.
The project is to build a large boarding house or hotel upon the brow of the hill which shall be open to young lady boarders only. The house, according to the present plan, would contain fifty or sixty good sized, comfortable rooms, is to be well furnished and heated with steam and supplied with water and all modern conveniences. In connection with it a good dining room is to be run, so that the roomers will not have to go out of the house for their meals.
It is proposed that the concern shall be owned by a stock company or corporation, and the stock shall be taken by the citizens of Lawrence who desire a safe investment with moderate returns.
No more pleasant or healthful site for such a building could be chosen than the one which is so generously offered. It is above the smoke and mists which settle over the city at night, in the pure invigorating air of the summit of Mt. Oread. The view from it is splendid, and its nearness to the University answers
all the requirements of convenience. It is hoped that the Faculty and students will lend all possible aid and encouragement to the offorts which some of the best citizens of Lawrence are putting forth to carry this commendable project into effect. If the boarding house proposed can be built and put in operation, it will be a great benefit to the University and to the students. It will bring more girls to our institution and will provide for them far better than is at present possible.
THE first meeting of the Political Science Club, though attended by some of the friction which always marks the opening exercises of a new organization, was remarkably successful. The reports on current events had been carefully prepared, elicited much comment and inquiry, and were certainly very helpful. Of the special topics, but three were presented: One by Mr. Gamble, on Municipal Government; one by Miss Hunnicutt, on Prohibition in the light of new issues, and some of the mistakes of Prohibition; and one by Mr. Higgins on the InterState Commerce Law and its workings. The earnest comment, suggestion and inquiry which accompanied each of these was sufficient proof of the interest excited.
Some changes in method were suggested by the work of this session. Hereafter the club will convene promptly at nine o'clock (morning) and close at half past eleven. The instructor will remain half an hour longer, for personal conference with any member upon the work of the week. Reports must not exceed two thousand words, and must be so thoroughly in hand as to be given without hesitation or delay. The numbers on each program will be limited to seven, thus giving more time for discussion. Current events will include only those most interesting and most likely to become historical. Special topics will be chosen as far as possible from the questions of the day. Book-chat will be carefully indexed for the benefit of members of the club.
Of the benefits of this association, there can be no doubt. The average student has little or no time for current literature. This scheme gives him at least three hours a week for this purpose. Ordinarily he will read in a haphazzard way. Now he works with a given end in view. Alone, he can cover but part of the ground. By combination he is given a fair knowledge of a much broader field.
We predict for the club both popularity and success.
Professor Marsh, who occupies the chair of English Literature at the Kansas State University, has introduced in his classes in advanced composition, an exercise which consists of the writing of short editorials on current topics. These are submitted to the professor, who criticises them, and points out to the writer such imperfections in the way of construction and style as he may discover. The plan has awakened much interest among the students, and has resulted in a very material advancement of the standard of literary efforts in the University. Professor Marsh is a graduate of Harvard. He is a young man, and brings to his work a generous measure of that enthusiasm and singleness of purpose which contributes so largely to success in any line of endeavor. His employment by the regents adds to the faculty an element of strength which has made itself felt in many ways since his connection with the school.- Topeka Daily Capital.
AN ADVANCE IN LITERARY COMPO-ITION
Every day brings us fresh proof of the rapidly widening influence and the growing popularity of the University and the Faculty. The rapid improvements in the various departments, the efforts that have been made to add to our efficient corps of professors and instructors the best talent that can be obtained from the greater eastern colleges and universities, are fast making themselves felt throughout the State and even in adjoining states.
We ought to have a successful Field Day this year. While our last two Field Days have been fairly good, yet they can be improved on. The trouble heretofore has been a lack of preparation consequent upon a hasty arrangement of the exercises. This year we should begin getting ready in ample time. The different events should be decided on long before the Field Day, and thus time given for suitable practice. Athletics in K.S. U. are not the feature that they should be. We have a base ball association and a tennis club, but the practice for a place in the base ball nine or the tennis team is indulged in by but few. A good big Field Day, with a long and varied list of events would call out all of our athletes, and if decided upon and announced soon, would do much good by encouraging continuous athletic exercise from now until the time set for it. We think it would be better to have some day other than one in commencement week for our Field Day. The Faculty might give us a Wednesday in the first week of May.
THERE seems to be some misunderstanding among our contributors in regard to the time at which copy must be handed in in order to come out in the next issue.
For the information of such we again announce that all contributions must, to insure insertion, be handed to one of the editors before Tuesday noon of the week in which it is desired that they be published. All communications, whether written over a non de plume or not, must be accompanied by the name of the writer.
The next representative from Douglas County, must be a man who is interested particularly in the welfare of the Law Department of K. S. U., and will manifest that interest by making himself heard upon the subject when he gets to Topeka.
Views.
To the Editor of The Courier:
The writer does not wish to rake up old sores, but to state simply a few plain facts that have a direct bearing on the literary societies in this institution.
It is often wondered why so little literary spirit is shown among the students. Other colleges have flourishing literaries, why not we? Surely it is not on account of the lack of good material, for it would be hard to find a more intelligent body of students than ours. Nor is it on account of specialization of study and the consequent special clubs as some have supposed, for but a small part of the students are special. Neither can the cause be traced to the mere existence of fraternities, for fraternities have existed for many years when our literary societies were in a most flourishing condition.
Oread and Orophilian were once the glory of our college. Their members were enthusiastic workers and their programs were appreciated by crowded audiences. To nearly every student the literary session was the event of the week, and was hailed with lively interest. Now it is far otherwise. Oread is dead, Orophilian can be kept on its feet only by the strenuous efforts of a few loyal members, and has been very near dissolution. It is true a new society has, in part, taken the place of these, but, on the whole, little interest is shown in literary work compared with former times. Why this change?
The cause is not far to seek. The blame has not, without reason, been imputed to the influence of the secret societies. Whether or not college fraternities are in themselves baneful to colleges is not pertinent to the question. They may have a proper place in college life, and no doubt do meet a certain social want, but as secret societies they have no business, whatever, in a general literary society.
Let us examine their influence and its effect on general literaries Oread and Orophilian were organized by a general body of students for general literary work. As long as the purposes of the members were purely literary, and were directed to the best interests of the societies they were a grand success and exercised a powerful influence on college life. Soon, however, the fraternity members of the societies showed a selfish hankering for petty honors and tried to extend an usurping control. They must always ride the high horse. The officials of the societies must be elected as often as possible from their own secret circles. Their own members must, as often as possible have the honor of representing the societies on the contest programs. Thus each fraternity, of any consequence in the society, vied with the others in getting so-called honors. To gain strength they prevailed on certain worthless members to join. To carry out their purposes they worked great schemes, and formed combinations, and bargained with each other for the honors. Such
proceedings naturally produced antagonism, and the societies were divided into contending factions whose main object became to down each other and lord it over the societies. As a consequence the literaries became the basis of most narrow minded operations, which absorbed nearly all literary interest. During the elections scenes were enacted that could not but reflect discredit upon them. Wire-pulling, bribing, scheming and combinations may afford excellent practice for those politically inclined, but these literary societies were organized for no political purposes; and when their real object was kept in the background, they declined; for when one faction was repeatedly downed it at length withdrew from active work, willing that the society should go down rather than that the other faction should continue to rule.
The societies were thus weakened, and the victorious faction also became lax. The intense activity before and during elections was always followed by a certain lethargy. The barb element which formed the connecting link was pretty much ignored and discouraged. The societies decayed, and political contention was the cause. The result could not have been otherwise.
Athenaeum is a rising society, but even there these pernicious influences are beginning to assert themselves. Let it take a timely warning from the fate of the other societies. No society can be divided against itself, and carry out the purposes of its organization. Orophilian may yet revive if sufficient interest is awakened among its surviving members and harmony restored, but as sure as fraternity rule asserts itself it will sink. Contention has sunk it; it cannot revive it. Cliqueing fraternities, as such, have no business whatever in a general literary society. * *
As we announced in our salutatory, the Courier holds its columns open to views and communications from any of the professors and students, and all who wish to contribute are not only invited but are earnestly solicited to do so.
It is not, however, intended that the COURIER shall become partisan in its policy, defending the interests of one faction and attacking those of another. We purpose, under ordinary circumstances, to devote our columns to the discussion of only such topics and questions as are of interest to all the students. It is not our desire to encourage the discussion of those subjects which form the grounds of difference between the various cliques and parties in University society. In a state of comparative peace and quiet such as the present, debates upon such themes can result in no good to either party, and may only tend to widen the breach which is already too broad and to stir up feelings which it ill becomes us to be instrumental in exciting. Thus, while we invite a reasonable and dignified exchange of views upon all subjects of general interest to the University or the students, we do not wish to become the medium of attack, either direct or indirect, of one party of students upon another.
W
How
w do this money us, asl
CF
Oppos
E
The among ticles,
"Surgir of lettt
of the S congrata
p. o ing suc
The more than it That's sorry cunicial
We thattl Senior would to not
The very "Amoued tl also ce of poe
The dent 1 local that it
that it
The to our outlair religie gotter to get Court lack c by it against which and ably s
The six c lishe