للبيع في ساحة الشبكة
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. O. B. TAYLOR.
President. Secretary.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR IN CHIEF.
JOHN PRESCOTT,
F. C. KEYS,
C. H. CARTER,
L. A. STEBHINS,
H. F. M. BEAR,
W. R. ARMSTRONG,
NAN. LOVE,
MARY S. HAWKES,
LILLIE FREeman,
GÉNÈT DE HUNNICUTT,
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
EARLE L. SWOPE, | WILL A. JACKSON,
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
FRATERNITIES.
The COURRIER, as the students' paper, has always refrained from engaging in discussions between the different factions of the University.
different factions of the University. Communications from the students have been solicited and gladly published whatever the subject might be, although their views did not correspond to our own. There is a time, however, when patience ceases to be a virtue, a time when after submitting to the defamation, of one wholly devoid of the finer qualities of a human being, it is necessary to hurl back the charge of "your another." When persons indulge in publishing articles utterly devoid of the truth, fabrication which represent nothing but the biased, prejudiced and unfounded views of a hypocrite and demagogue, it is time for every college paper having any consideration for the University and the reputation of even a minority of the students at heart, to correct these misstatements, wilfully, maliciously and untruthfully expressed. This personage who has planted this upas tree of slander and abuse, who has filled the air with the bacteria of defamation, nourished by prejudice, prejudgment, and the hankering love for notoriety, no longer deserves the respect or notice of any fair minded and reputable community.
The answer made in the COURIER to "its" first article, was conclusive in every particular; all "its" objections to fraternities were shown to be false and erroneous. After discovering "its" mistake, after perceiving that "it" has had an erroneous impression regarding fraternities, "it" still held to the old adage that "Ignorance is bliss, when 'tis folly to be wise," and refuses to be convinced, and not satisfied with defaming the character of the gentlemen's fraternities, hurls "its" diminutive cotton balls, poisoned ane defiled with mendacious, fallacious and pestiferous statements against the young lady fraternities, heretofore above reproach, and as pure and free from exception as the innocent babe. Ostracised from society, "it" is not aware that all parties given by these fraternities are always chaperoned by married ladies and gentlemen, and the conduct of all present is proper in every particular. The statement in regard to the joint meeting of fraternities last year is also false, and we defy "it" to prove that any one was in the condition referred to in an article recently published. All other statements are just erroneous. If "it" will take the trouble to look up an article on fraternities in the April Forum, by Andrew D. White, ex-president of Cornell, a man of long experience, culture and reputation, "it" will find an unbiased and truthful article, written by one of our greatest educators and upholding and defending fraternities.
ELECTIVE SYSTEM OF STUDY.
The University of Kansas at the beginning of the present year made great and varied changes in its course and curriculum.
An elective system of study was adopted for the Junior and Senior years, and the students given a large number of optional studies to choose from. In some respects the system is beneficial, and in other respects imperfections are very apparent. There are a number of studies with which every student, before completing his course, should at least be acquainted and some in which he should be proficient, and yet these studies are shunned as a general thing by the student and others pleasanter and easier are substituted, even though they are less beneficial and are destructive to a broad education, which to-day is more useful and more generally sought and cultivated. Some of our colleges have made studies in all their classes optional and very unsatisfactory results have been obtained. Dr. McCosh, the eminent professor of Princeton, thought the best results would be obtained by adhering to a prescribed course during the first two years and by giving to the Juniors and Seniors only the privilege of choosing certain branches which would prove most congenial to them. The Seniors may choose three or four electives, such that the time occupied will be six or seven hours a week, and the Junior three. The electives and optionals in the Senior year are the history of philosophy, metaphysics, readings in modern philosophy, science and religion, international and constitutional law, Roman law, constitution history of the United States, physiological psychology, comparative politics, history of Christian art, history of Greek art, pedagogics, Greek tragedy, Greek philosophy, Latin, English literature, French, German Sanscrit, mathematics, practical astronomy, physics, applied chemistry, paleontology, geology, physical geography, biology, embryology and histology. In the Junior year they are history, Greek mythology, Greek, Latin, English, German, mathematics and physical geography. The only optional study in the Sophomore course is English.
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A few weeks ago the Senior Class held a meeting to adopt a class hat. The article which seemed to most nearly approach the ideals of the several members, and which was, of course, most appropriate and becoming to their dignified and venerable appearance, was found to be the tall silk hat, commonly denominated "the plug." Accordingly it was unanimously adopted, allowing a slight variation in shape for the ladies. Many of the Seniors purchased these hats, and when they appeared with them on, they looked so handsome as to at once excite the admiration of the Prep. girls, and hence the envy and fear of the Prep. boys. To add to the discomfort and to the smothered feelings of jealousy and hatredrankling in the bosoms of the youthful aspirants, another circumstance occurred. When our Chancellor received a communication from Prof. Jenks of Ottawa, that on a certain day he would bring his high school class of pretty girls and frisky boys up to Lawrence to see the great State University, he began looking around for some body of students whom he could trust to properly entertain them. At first he thought of a committee of the Preps., then of the Freshmen; but no, they would not do. He finally concluded that only the Seniors could worthily and satisfactorily represent the Institution. Great was the dismay of the Preps. The news of the decision was enough; but when the eventful day carve, and they were compelled to stand silent by in the dark recesses of the halls and see these high school maidens march up and down with their escorts, their rage and chagrin was intense. That they, the members of the Prepartment department, should thus be arbitrarily deprived of the society of those to whose favor they thought they had the only rightful claim, was simply unbearable. The insult could not be endured. Something must be done! But what? The utter hopelessness of their case soon brought most of them into a more submissive state of mind, but a few rash and unrulily spirits still remained defiant, and determined upon revenge. As is often the case with the immature and unthoughtful, they assigned their woes to the wrong cause. They claimed the innocent and harmless "plug," which had made the Seniors so handsome in appearance, for it all. They did not of course think of the cause nearer home. They had often heard the Freshmen remark that the keenest revenge is that which inflicts upon the offender injury to his feelings; though scarcely believing this, they determined to try the experiment. But they wanted to do more than merely have revenge upon the Seniors, and determined to do something which would not only make the venerable upper class men feel badly but would also place themselves upon equal footing of attractiveness with them, and would give them a fair chance when the next high school'class came. A plan was finally hit upon which seemed to be just the thing, and in accordance with it these rash and imprudent boys purchased "plugs." Now, they thought, is our glory great and our
victory indeed complete. But what a mistake! They had neglected to take into account the fact, that what is appropriate for a Senior is often most inappropriate for a Prep; that a hat which renders a Senior beautiful, dignified and graceful, may make a Prep. appear awkward, ludicrous and preposterous. The Preps, do not need to be told this now for they have doubtless found it out by bitter experience. But let them not be discouraged, for there is hope for them yet. Let them not be disheartened because they have made this mistake. All people make mistakes. Even the Seniors and the Faculty have doubtless been guilty of them in the dim distant past. But let all Preps. remember this: that, while it is commendable in them to emulate the habits and brilliant achievements of the Seniors, there are some things which Seniors may appropriately do, but which Preps. may not, and that the wearing of "plug" hats comes under this catalogue.
A PORTENTOUS QUESTION.
A lady acquaintance of mine, whose position is one to make her remarks on the subject of peculiar weight, was complaining the other day of the tendency to lavish dressing which had appeared in the University. This, she said, would soon drive away the poorer students,—the class whom our history has proven to be the "strength and fibre" of the University.
I am not an authority on dress. On ladies apparel my knowledge has been derived almost solely from two very different, though equally impressive occasions. The first was when I upset a dish of oyster soup upon the lap of a fair and sweet companion. That is, she was sweet until the succulent bivalves descended upon her new silk. From her some what excited and very pronounced Anglo-Saxon expressions I changed my preconceived notions about her sweetness and came to the conclusion that a young lady's dress costs about three million dollars. My other opportunity for information on the delicate subject of woman's wear, was afforded on a very rainy Sunday when I sought shelter in the door-way and under the awning of a millinery store. Now under ordinary circumstances I deem it a henious sin for any man to peer into the window of a millinery establishment and I invariably walk past such places with averted eyes. I hold, however, that everyone should take advantage of his surroundings to gain useful information; and being driven by no fault of my own to thee protection of a millinery door-way, I could not help gazing on forbidden fruit, I had thought myself well posted on the world, but till that moment I must confess my sublime ignorance. The articles that I saw in that window surpassed credulity: things whose use I could surmise, things whose use I couldn't surmise, and things whose use I didn't want to surmise. My modesty forbids me to further mention.
However, this is diverging from my theme—students' dress. Upon hearing my friend's complaint, my inquisitiveness led me to an investigation. However, that portion to which she particularly referred, young ladies' dress is a ticklish, not to say perilous subject, and one in which inquisitiveness and investigation must stop at well-defined bounds.
So far as my observation has gone, I can see no alarming tendency to luxurious display of wearing apparel in the University. A simplicity well becoming Classic influences seems to pervade. Low-neck dresses, corsage bouquets and swallow-tailed coats have not as yet made their entree into University society. The young ladies are attired in style, dear to every young man's heart, which does not render hacks a necessity. On occasions when professor Snow's barometer goes down and mud comes up to one's ankles, the boys, ever considerate of ankles, secure carriages, the same overcoats which daily ascend the chestnut hill (I mean "the hill of science") do duty at balls, and theaters, and parties, indeed, I can not perceive the slightest tenuity toward extravagance in the dress of our students. As I intimated in the beginning, circumstances over which even my mature years and sober judgment give no privileges—have forbidden me to go further than more outward bounds.
But e'en were the alarm of my friend justified, and costly dress beginning to manifest itself, how could it be helped? Who would furnish the remedy? Would it be within the province of the matron, whom the powers that be have discreetly added to the faculty—would it be her province, I say, to regulate the cut of the young ladies' dresses or inspect their wardrobes? Could the regents, under the provisions of our State Constitution, prescribe that the young men were to wear home-knit yarn socks instead of silken hose? Would it be in harmony with the free spirit of our republican institutions to say that plaited shirts should not be worn, or to prohibit more than two pairs of suspenders a year?
These are pertinent questions and can have but one answer. Religious discussion may be prohibited on the rostrum and students may be lawfully enjoined from parading in the corridors. Under the charter of the University, however, neither the regrents, nor faculty, nor chancellor can regulate the quality of one's trousers or define the length of ladies' dressskirts. The same variance that marks the habiliments of the different classes of the world will also express itself in the University. The girl whose parents are poor will continue to wear woolen mitts while the offspring of wealth will enclose her dainty fingers in the finest of kid. The boy who works his own way through school must content himself with a paper collar and a twenty-five cent bow-not woile the scion of a rich family disports himself in a five-ply linen "choker" and a "four-in-hand tie." Yet the poor students have this consolation: if their limited circumstances require them to give little attention to the caprices of fashion, Commencement may not find them so fastidiously dressed, but the chances are they will know a great deal more. SMITH
SMITH.
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