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EDITORIAL.
UNIVERSITY COURIER.
A SEMI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF
THE STUDENTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.
EDITORS
PERLEE R. BENNETT, '86... Fortnight.
AGNES EMERY, '84... Literary.
H. F. GRAHAM, '86..
GLEN MILLER, '84... Editorial.
J. B. LIPPINCOTT, '85.. Scientific.
G. M. WALKER, '85.
E. E. RITCHIE, '86... Views.
CHAS. METCALFE, '86.. Normal.
J. E. CURRY, '86.. Swaps.
NETTIE BROWN, '86... Personal.
W. Y. MORGAN, '85.. The Corridors
NETTIE HUBBARD, '85..
BUSINESS MANAGERS.
C. D. DEAN,'84. W. H. JOHNSON,'85.
All communications for the Courier should be addressed to the managers.
Subscribers will be continued on the list till ordered off.
TERMS.—$1.25 per annum. A discount of 25 cents will be given if paid before January first.
Entered at Lawrence Post Office as second class matter.
FRATERNITIES AND THE UNIVERSITY.
It is an old saying that "Whatever being abused does most harm, being rightly used does most good." This we think is the exact case of fraternities. Faculties too often note only the abuse and not the use.
Omitting the good of the fraternity to its members, which outsiders because of their positions cannot fully see, the fraternity is a most potent aid to the college. During a period of four years in the University we have noticed that the men who take the strongest interest in the institution are fraternity men. The reason is obvious. Fraternities are constantly urging their members to return. "Come back, make your mark in scholarship and help strengthen the chapter," is the cry. For this reason, among an equal number of Greeks and
outsiders,the former will graduate the most members.
After leaving the University the Greeks correspond with their chapters, and keep posted on every college movement. Once or twice each year they come back on visits and are gladly welcomed at their chapter home. They meet the "new boys," and keep pace with the University's progress. The college visit is regarded as the most pleasant event of the year. On the other hand the non-fraternity man comes back in a few years, finds many of his former professors gone, himself a stranger in his own college halls, and his old haunts much altered. He sadly goes away, preferring to treasure old memories than again to shatter them in a like manner. Among former students who return to the University the majority are secret society men. This influence of the fraternities in closely binding their alumni to the University and its interests is but too little appreciated.
We know full well the abuses of fraternities—the refusal to recognize merit in outsiders, the social ostracism of barbs, and the protection of unworthy members. No one has stood up more strongly for full equity between the barbs and the frats than has the Courier. As we have denounced secret society abuses, whenever they have shown themselves, we deem it a duty to present this important use of the fraternity to the University.
Prof. Spring is devoting all his spare time to the history of the Jayhawker state. Those in position to know, say that the work will be in the professor's brightest vein and as interesting as it is instructive We want to venture the opinion that the book will not be ten days out of press, when every paper in Kansas will contain a communication from "Old Settler" either to affirm, or add, or deny.