2111
Nobby Cutaway and Sack Suits at Steinberg's Clothing House.
The Weekly University Courier
The Largest College Journa Circulation in the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the
COURIER COMPANY For Kansas University Students.
CHAS. LYONS.
President. | O. B. TAYLOR.
Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR-IN-CHEF.
ASSOCIATE:
JOHN PRESCOTT,
F. C. KEYS,
L. A. STERBINS,
H. F. M. BEAR
W. R. ARMSTRONG,
NAN, LOVE,
LILLE FREEMAN,
GENTR'IR HUNICUTI
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
ARLE L SWOPE. | WILL A. JACKSON.
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas, as second-class matter.
CURRENT LITERATURE.
CURRENT LITERATURE.
Prof. Canfield is thinking of a scheme of general reading and discussion which will give all students of his department opportunities which do not now exist for thorough acquaintance with the best current literature. The plan, still in the rough, is to grant one afternoon in each week for magazine reading, changing the afternoon from week to week, that the loss of time (if any) in regular work may be distributed as evenly as possible. On each second Saturday, at 9 o'clock, all students in the department will meet in the lecture room for general discussion of the merits of this work—the session occupying about three hours. At this meeting each student will present briefly a synopsis of the special work assigned him—and free discussion will be had on each topic.
Each student will be assigned some magazine or paper in which he is to read carefully everything touching in any way any work done in this department. These assignments will be changed from meeting to meeting; which, with the reports made at each meeting, will give each student a fair idea of the latest and best work in the department. Students will be expected on reading days to devote three hours—the two used for preparation and the lecture room—to this work; and to answer for absences on Saturday as in case of absence from lectures. The work done in this way will be carefully estimated, and passed to the student's general credit.
Prof. Canfield desires all members of his department, and all who expect to enter it next term, to consider this matter carefully, consult with each other about it, and report to him.
Oratorical Contest.
Friday evening. despite the severe cold weather and slippery walks, a good-sized audience greeted the orators.
The exercises were opened with
prayer by Chancellor Lippincott. Miss Birdie Atwood then rendered in a very fine manner a piano sole entitled "The Spinning Song."
After this John Prescott, president of the association, introduced W. E. Higgins, the subject of whose oration was "The Blight on the Roof Tree." Mr. Higgins pointed out in a clear and pleasing manner the defects in the divorce laws as they exist in the several States. He then showed how closely woven the pure and peaceful home is with strong divorce laws and then told the fate that awaited any people that allowed easy divorce laws to remain on their statute books.
Though the delivery was rather stiff the speaker held the attention of the audience throughout, which shows that his oration was received with interest.
The second speaker was Mr. L. A. Stebbins, who spoke on "Partisanship," a topic that is of vital interest to every American voter. He gave the creed that the mass of the American voters profess in action if not in word. He said that every man should be a partisan, but only after original investigation. He gave the reason why the politics of the day was under the sway of the demagogue to be on account of blind partisanship. He proved clearly that civil service reform could never be carried out as long as the American voter followed party blindly.
Mr. Stebbins' delivery was free and easy and most nearly approached the conversational style of any during the evening.
Miss Nellie Franklin then favored the audience with a piano solo.
The third orator, Mr. Geo. Dick, then spoke of the mighty influence "The Christian Home" had upon the welfare of the United States. He besought the mothers to so raise their sons that they could stand at the helm and guide the ship of state through the worst storms, and to rear their daughters to love virtue and honor patriotism.
The last speaker, Mr. T. F. Doran, made a very eloquent plea for oppressed Ireland. He praised the noble efforts of Wm. E. Gladstone to give the Irishman the civil rights of the Englishman, said that though "the grand old man" was repulsed he was not beaten.
Messrs. Swope, Taylor and Hair then rendered a violin duet with piano accompaniment while the judges were making their decisions, of which the following is a complete copy:
R'nk.      T.      S.      D.     Total.
Higgins    3     75     77     90     80%
Dick.    4     80     70     85     78%
Doran.    2     85     91     83     86
Stebbins. 1     90     87     85     87%
Russell
R'ink.
T. S. D. Total.
Higgins 2 80 82 80 80%
Doran 4 75 75 75 75%
Stebbins 1 75 80 85 80%
Bella 1 82 83 85 83%
HUTCHINGS.
RUSSELL
HOWLAND.
| | R'nk. | T. | S. | D. | Total. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Higgins | 3 | 90 | 90 | 93 | 91 |
| Dick | 4 | 85 | 85 | 96 | 86% |
| Doran | 2 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 95% |
| Stebhns | 1 | 94 | 97 | 96 | 96 |
In this issue of the Courier appears a view on the subject of an assistant for the Department of Political Science. Prof. Canfield's work has increased to such an extent during the past two years, the options in this department have been almost doubled, the studies represented in this department take more time for their presentation to the class than any other in our University course, the course now presented to the student is better arranged and has more studies for the students' choice than any other University in the West, and the number of students taking optionals in this course is greater than any other in the University; that it not only becomes necessary but imperative that our regents and legislature should immediately make some provision for an assistant in this department. Why no provision has been made before this for an assistant is not apparent. No other department in the University has grown so rapidly as this and been totally ignored by the powers that be. Every other department has been provided with assistants according to their growth, and yet this department tending as much if not more to send out into the world young men and women acquainted with the social conditions of society, preparing them to be adequately acquainted with the laws of the land and the social conditions of our now almost in a state of chaos country, which must be controlled by the ballot, presenting to them the great questions of the day and their effect on society; is entirely ignored and one man compelled to do the work of two or three. We do not know if the regents have ever considered this question, if not, they should and take action as soon as possible to provide assistants.
FRIENDSHIP is a subject upon which many articles have been written. Poets have taken their flights of imagination into all of its accessible regions; philosophers have reasoned upon all of its available premises; its being has been sought as though it were corporal, and from the foundation of the world it has been recommended to the institutions of society in all their varied forms, branches and systems, as the indisputable support to their existence. In an institution of learning without the culture of social relations where friendship in its purity must exist, the course of study is incomplete, its students go forth into the world undeveloped in a most essential branch of culture. When the burden of life falls so sensibly upon the shoulders of one struggling in the world for himself, a kind greeting and a word of encouragement from a friend make the load seem lighter by giving new vitality and more strength. But how can this social training best be accomplished in a school. Look at man in his "natural state," or in his uncultivated nature. He is naturally social. He naturally desires to share the happiness of his fellow-creatures and some say that he is instinctively willing, through sympathy, to share
the burdens of a fellow man. If this be true, a cultivation of this element of character will naturally find its way into our midst and make its impress without attracting much notice. All that is necessary in order to have the advantage of social culture is to clear away the obstructions that hinder its natural course. Take away all feeling of haughtiness, pride and coldness toward your fellow student; be willing to share his burden as well as his happiness, allow your natural desire to gain friends to have proper sway, and you will have been an agency in establishing a severely felt want in your school.
FRATER.
It is a very common expression among new students that the K. S. U. students are not sociable. It is not only so here but in almost all such institutions. It is probably unintentional on the part of any one to cause such a feeling, but it often happens that we make up our list of associates from old students and neglect others. It is not only a privilege but a moral duty to be sociable in our school life. Ladies and gentlemen should regard it as most excellent and enviable accomplishment to be of a genuine (not assumed) sociable disposition. If one leaves the walls of a college dwarfed and shrivelled up in this disposition his struggle in life will have many crosses, and despondency will knock often at his door.
When we hear a student say he has been introduced to a number of other new students and has never since been recognized by one of them it admonishes us that something is wrong in the natural course of things. If classes and fraternities are bounded by impassable lines like the heathen castes our idea of these things has been perverted.
Here we have opportunities that if we neglect and abuse will cause us to look back upon that part of our school life with remorse. Let us embrace such opportunities as we have and thereby not only be benefitted ourselves, but discharge a duty that certainly rests upon each and every one whose name is enrolled as a student of the University.
BELow we give a review of the "German Seminary System," taken from the Argis, of the University of Wisconsin, which has recently adopted it:
The "German Seminary System," which it is the intention to introduce into the University of Wisconsin, has, in principle, been in operation in Germany for a great number of years. It is perhaps an application of the old scholastic system of disputation to new and practical uses. One of the early applications of this system in Germany was by Leopold Von Ranke, at the University of Berlin, about fifty years ago. His own training had been chiefly philological, and he transferred the "Seminary System" of study from philology to history. Since then the growth of this method has been rapid in all departments of study that can make use of it.
This "Seminary System" as it exists in Germany, may be said to bear something the same relation to the class room work, in the department in which it is applied, that laboratory work bears to the classroom work in the sciences. It consists of
voluntary original work and investigation, the result of which is presented at the meetings of the Seminary, held once a week or oftener, and directed by one of the professors. After the presentation of any subject, a general discussion by the other students and the professor may be engaged in, and the results and the methods of obtaining them criticised freely.
As an example of the methods pursued in the operation of this system in Germany, we may consider the line of work that may be followed in the study of Latin. Should a student wish to study a certain author, he would secure all texts that he might obtain; in case there was a fatal difference between two of them, he might be obliged to decide which was spurious and which genuine, giving his reasons thereof; in the case of slight differences he might be obliged to decide upon the probable meaning in the mind of the author; he would be obliged to explain doubtful constructions, compare authorities upon uncertain passages, explain historical allusions, and, in fact, perform the same work that an annotator would in publishing the works of an author for a text-book.
This system has spread from Germany to Switzerland, Italy, France and England. In the latter country there is being developed a special form of "Seminary System," which consists in the dissemination of learning among the mass of the people by the formation of educational societies and associations before which men from the great universities, often undergraduates, lecture; at the end of each association term examinations are conducted, and certificates are given when satisfactory work has been done. This system of "University Extension" considers the universities as nuclei of learning, from which constant efforts are thus made to disseminate the light of knowledge among the people.
In history, for instance, a student would choose, or have assigned to him, a historical subject. Gathering together all possible data bearing upon the subject, he examines them, deciding upon the correctness of statement of the different authorities, discussing the different sources of information, reconstructing doubtful historical statements, and sometimes exploding established opinions and evolving new ones. As before stated, reports of work done are made and freely discussed at the Seminary meetings. Such original investigation is the essential feature of the "German Seminary System."
In the United States the "Seminary System" is in vogue in a number of our colleges. It is practically in operation at Harvard and Yale. At Cornell it is quite well developed. The University of Michigan has patterned most closely, of all American colleges, after the "German System." In fact, it seems to be the case that the system was too closely followed; for that system in its entirety cannot be successfully introduced into the American University of to-day, because the American student is by no means so far advanced as the German student at the corresponding part of his course. Johns Hopkins University has the system in very successful operation, yet with its usual individuality it has modified the system to suit its needs. One special feature of the system at this institution is the plan of the Special Seminary in each department, which usually holds weekly meetings, and the more inclusive general Seminaries, which hold monthly meetings, and before which only purely original investigations or discoveries are supposed to be presented.
The Courier, being a students' paper, should be supported by them, and although a journal must depend on the business men for the greater part of financial aid it is not just nor right for the students to entirely ignore their obligations to pay for their paper.
e. regardent of cg second time should not
Best
W
Si Amb
St Yale
Tl has a
To of-w
F
Yale
Ca
conta
colle
The part hour
T will of the sociu
T coas Sep and athl
A be i by l fron
T
Dan