The University Courier.
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In some of these courses the work is carried on by means of text-books, with allied reading, but in most of them the lecture system is deemed preferable because of its greater interest and its greater opportunity for literary work.
It is unnecessary to give in this sketch the titles of courses offered and the exact ground covered by each: such information may be found in the University calendar. In general, however, it may be said that the arrangement of work is such as to secure systematic historical or sociological study to any student who desires to take a major in either one of the two departments mentioned, and in order to secure this systematic study, major and minor courses are suggested in history and sociology by the heads of the departments.
In addition to the regular courses offered, the students meet once in two weeks, on Friday from four to five, in the seminary of historical and political science. The seminary generally has a large attendance, an evidence of its popularity, as no student is required to attend it, and that popularity is undoubtedly due to the effort made by the instructors to present programs which shall be both of value and of general interest to all historical students. Sometimes papers are read or lectures given by instructors; sometimes the students report on some selected topic, and occasionally a well known man from outside the University reads a paper before the seminary. In any case one of the most interesting features of the seminary is the opportunity always given for questions or for criticism towards the close of the hour.
Besides the regular seminary in which the students of the two departments meet, mention must be made of the economic seminary, meeting on Wednesdays from five to six o'clock practically an advanced course in economics, but no credit towards a degree is given for the work, its members merely meeting together for the purpose of reporting what each one has accomplished in some particular line of economic study selected at the first meeting of the year.
The development of the study of history and sociology in Kansas University has bee
unusually rapid during the past four or five years. Each year has seen an increased demand on the part of students for greater opportunity for work, and as a result new and more advanced courses have been opened. Even graduate work, which has not as yet been extensively demanded in western universities, has been undertaken in history, and is now being carried by graduates of our own university, and in order to encourage this work special graduate courses are offered and recommended in American history, in economics, and in politics and social institutions.
CHEMISTRY.
In the building where odors and gases abound is perhaps the most crowded of all the University departments—that in which chemistry is the principal study. Here are classes in qualitative analysis, each one divided into sections for laboratory work. Here the pharmacist gets his first insight into the "black art."
During the past term classes have been concted in qualitative and quantitative analysis, pharmacy chemistry, and organic chemistry. During the next term work will be carried on in living, sugar analysis, organic chemistry, chemical chemistry, and the regular freshmanductory chemistry. At the last meeting of Board of Regents permission was granted the department to extend the course in organic chemistry from one term to a full year, and the course in technical chemistry from a half-term to a full term.
THE LIBRARY.
A few words of description of library materials and methods may not be amiss. The first point of interest, and at the same time the most interesting point, is the newspaper rack. Here
The University library, the department of books, is to the University what all libraries are to large schools and colleges, the center of its life. From it go out to all the departments, to each one as it is needed, streams of knowledge, learning, and thought. In it are kept the reservoirs of wisdom, the results of ages of study.
opinions held by a portion of the brethren it is a sin to be manly, to take an active interest in athletics. A student is expected to do nothing but absorb great quantities of facts, and go to Sunday school. It is no matter if he breaks his health in study. He must not take part in vigorous games. One portion of the brethren have opposite opinions and have advocated football with more ardor than truthfulness, and are now undergoing the pleasure of a church trial for their pains.
The appointment of Lieut. E.V. Smith to the professorship Military Science and Tactics at Baker University, at last gives cause to congratulate our Baldwin friends. The work of simil
sity, increasing the an important develop growing tendency institution of higher
The prejudice to labor in the past beginning to avail