The Students Journal
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
BY THE
Students Journal Publishing Co.
Frank H. Moore ... Editor-in-Chief
Bollin E. Blackman ... Local Editor
Arthur L. Corbin ... Literary Editor
CHAS, H, LEASE. | WARREN EDWARDS
BUSINESS MANAGERS
ASSOCIATES
Jno. H, Henderson ... Literary
W, C, Atchison ... Local
Frank E, House ... Local
O, H, Patterson ... The
Jas, V, May ... Athletics
The stock of the STUDENTS JOURNAL company consists of non-transferable one dollar shares. Any student, instructor or employee in university may hold one and only one share.
It is a pleasure to announce that a debating club is to be organized this afternoon. We had feared that the debating boom started by the proposal of Nebraska University for a joint debate, would succumb to the enervating influence of warm weather, but are happy to find our fears unfounded. Remember that the support afforded by attendance at one meeting, is of more value than any number of professions of interest.
This paper is on file at the editorial rooms of the University Review, 230 Fifth avenue, New York, where all college men are given a hearty welcome.
ALL students are members of the Athletic Association, and it is for its benefit that the entertainment is to be given next week by the Adelphian Quartette of Doane College. This entertainment gives the student an opportunity to hear good music, to judge how our Glee Club compares with the Glee Club of another college, and, most important of all, to provide funds for an organization of which he is a member. Considering these inducements, if he is wise the student will make it a point to attend the concert.
ONE of the most interesting things to be found in the new catalogue, is the table showing the growth of the University from the time of its foundation to the present. The growth, as shown by the increase of attendance, has been rapid during the whole time, but the comparison of last year's record with that of this year is especially gratifying, as it shows that even hard times cannot check the progress of the institution. The faculty now numbers fifty, an increase of five over last year; the number of students not counting University Extension students, is 691, against 629 last year; and the total enrollment which was 1038 last year, this year is 1332. Such an advance in so unfavorable a school year, is the best proof that the rapid growth of the University has been substantial. It gives the brightest promise for the future.
AS THE carpenter's room is needed for other purposes, the students who have been eating lunch there all winter have been shut out, and are again compelled to content themselves with some dark and dusty corner of the basement hall without even a chair to sit on, or to go into the drying room where a dirt floor, the steam from drying rags, and a temperature that seldom falls below 100°Fahrenheit, form a combination far more effective than the treacle that Mrs. Squeers fed to Nicholas Nickelby, in reducing the apetite to proper proportions. Seating accommodations, however, are offered by a few boards and boxes, and broken down chairs, and the drying room is therefore preferred to the basement hall. The young ladies, long age, rebellled against similar accommodations, and transferred to others the inconveniences arising from the want of a lunch room. They now eat in the historical seminary room and students of the afternoon classes that recite in that room are the ones who suffer the inconvenience, for they have to dust the crumbs of bread
and sugar off the tables and to be careful that they do not stick their elbows in little daubs of butter and molasses. We do not expect to have lunch rooms for some time; several years of promises and disappointments have taught us not to indulge in rash hopes; but if the University authorities ever have occasion to desire especially the good will of the students who eat lunch on the hill, we can suggest to them a sure way of obtaining it. It is by fitting up lunch rooms.
WE are gratified to find that the communications which have appeared in the STUDENTS JOURNAL, are so widely read; even though our proof of this, is sometimes the information that our contributor made a misstatement. The contributor who stated in the article on debates, that Prof. Hopkins said there were no literary societies in the University, was misinformed.
This week, we publish a communication regarding commencement exercises. We have already stated our position on the subject. It seems to us that the whole significance of commencement would be lost if a hired lecturer conducted the exercises. Why should not the class abolish commencement exercises entirely, receive their diplomas at the registrar's office just as they do grade cards; and, if they wished to donate the services of some public speaker, have him speak in the evening, since it will be more convenient for the general public to attend? And for class day exercises, why not hire some opera troupe or the art company, to give an entertainment as a substitute for class day exercises?
But if the only argument that can be brought forward in defence of the present commencement day exercises is one of sentimental distinctions and theories, the proposed change had better be made. There is however, a stronger argument in its defence. Is not the largest audience that is present at any of the exercises of commencement week, the one that attends the commencement day exercises? A number of eminent speakers always give addresses during commencement week, but they are listened to by smaller audiences than the one that is present on commencement day; and yet no one has so low an estimate of the intelligence of the commencement day audience, as to claim that they attend simply for the purpose of seeing a bundle of diplomas handed around; and endure the exercises that precede this very interesting ceremony, simply because they are compelled to do so. They apparently find the exercises interesting; and are not the commencement day exercises refreshing as a slight change from the addresses of the eminent speakers? The audience, by its attendance, votes for the present form of commencement day exercises.
THE University Informer of Holton, Kansas says in Its account of the State oratorical contest:
"The Rock! Chalk! boys, who had been imbibing most too freely in 'good old Kentueky' * * * rushed upon the stage crowding of the people who paid to sit there, knocking over a table of flowers, and winding up by a fight which was afterwards settled by the police." We quote this as an example of the exaggerated and untruthful accounts that are being circulated over the State. We have taken no notice of them before, but as these sensational reports are being widely copied, it would be an injustice to the University to remain silent. The "crime" of the University students lay in the fact that they followed the example of the students of the other schools in the display of "college spirit." We do not defend the custom, but the blame for it should not rest entirely upon the students of one school. The University students yelled when the other students yelled, and in exactly the same spirit, during the time that the decision of the judges was being waited for; they carried a banner on the stage. They were then pouced upon by other students who attempted to carry off the banner, and two policemen standing in the wings immediately walked on the stage and stopped the "rout." This is all the foundation there is for the highly sensational account which begins this article. As for the charge that some of the students who carried the banner were drunk, it is a sufficient refutation to say that the chairman of the University disciplinary committee made an investigation immediately after the contest, and reported that none of the University students who were on the stage, had been drinking.
The students of the University, however, had made themselves conspicuous by the display of the banner on the stage, and the opportunity was therefore seized, of writing grossly exaggerated and sensational accounts of the part taken by the University students, and more, of charging them with responsibility for all the disorder at the context, and all the disorderly acts done in Tepeca that night. It was, we admit, a gorious opportunity for the sensational newspaper to write up a "spicy" account, and for anyone hostile to the University to attempt to bring it into disrepute.
It is our opinion that the University authorities should not, in future, trust to the newspapers of the State to do them justice.
In affairs of this kind, an investigation should immediately be made, and all attempts at misrepresentation should be met by a prompt and emphatic denial. It should be made plain that while the University is ready to stand all just criticism, it will not allow misrepresentations to go unchallenged, and cannot be made the scepuqel for the sins of all the students in the State of Kansas.
The System of insured Physical Culture at Amherst College.
Amherst College has held a high place among New England institutions in the matter of physical culture; and I have thought a brief account of the method and success of the system there in operation might be of interest at this time.
The Freshman entering Amherst finds himself obliged to look out for physical as well as mental growth. He is called to meet the instructor in physical culture in the gymnasium within a few days after his arrival in the college world. His "measurements" are taken, his whole physical condition is determined, and a course of individual exercises is prescribed for him. But this is not all. At chapel the first morning, the Freshman class is notified to meet in the gymnasium on a certain morning for class gymnastics. And this system of class gymnastics is the subject of this paper.
On meeting the instructor at the appointed time, the class are provided with dumb bells, each pair weighing about two pounds. The class take their stand on the floor of the main hall of the "gym," and begin to learn their exercise. This consists of a great many separate movements, and requires, when learned, about a quarter of an hour to go through it. The exercise is done to piano accompaniment; and the time required to learn it is about four weeks.
Soon after the class have begun to learn the exercise, they are required to get their "gym suits," which are of dark blue cloth, and have the class number worked in the class color on the breast of the coat. The suits cost, usually about $10, and do not have to be renewed through the college course.
After the exercise is mastered, competition is opened for the position of "gymcaptain," the most popular position in college. Competitors come before the class to lead the drill, while the class enrolder by every means to "rattle" the candidate for military glory. Soon, however, a good man is found, and the class settles down to work for the prize.
This prize is $100, offered to the class that makes the best record in marching and dumb-bell drill at the exhibition in Light Gymnastics in May.
The exhibition draws a large crowd from the town and from surrounding
towns; and the seats in the "Gym" are well filled. The Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors drill, the Seniors not being expected to compete. The classes go through their exercises in turn; entering first, for the marching movements, then filing out to get their dumbbells for the more interesting work. Class enthusiasm is at its height, and college and class yell, or indiscriminating applause, breaks forth from the audience from time to time. When the result of the contest is announced, a scene of the wildest revelry ensues, and many of the spectators remain to see the poor Freshmen tsewed in the blanket, or the Juniors inciting the lower classes to a came rush. The class that wins the prize saves it to help pay commencement expenses.
The regulations of the Department of Physical Culture are simple. Every student, of whatever class, is required to be present at, and take part in, every class exercise, except that he may be absent one-tenth the exercises of each term, or may substitute for any exercise one hour of out door exercise, at the discretion of the instructor, who grants him an "equivalent ear" for the exercise. Another exception to the rule is, that any student who is in regular training for any of the intercollegiate sports is for the time excused from the class exercise. The account of his training is given in by the Athletic Captain every week.
The general results of the system I have described have been wonderfully encouraging. The student at college used to fall in health from Freshman to Senior year; but where such a system is faithfully carried out the reverse is invariably true. It is one of the greatest booms that any college enjoys, to have its students obliged to take that regular exercise which is so essential to health. And the Seniors and Juniors should certainly be required to enjoy the same privilege that is afforded the lower classmen. H. F. J.
The Second Place Belongs to K. V. and She Will, Haye It.
Mr. J. L. Harrington was appointed by our local oratorical association to open negotiations with the various other local associations, with a view of calling a meeting of delegates to inquire into the manner of ranking, by which the State Normal was placed above six other institutions who really had a more just claim to the position. Mr. Harrington visited Washburn college of Topeka, but found there two factions in the association which could agree on no question. From there our representative went to Emporia, and the local association at Emporia College was very favorable to the yposition. The Kansas Wesleyan University at Salina has signified their assent to such a meeting of delegates, and Baker University also agrees although Ottawa for fear of losing her position disagrees to the proposition. From the present outlook, therefore, it is very probable that such a meeting will be called at an early day; and if so, our orator will be given the second place which he so richly deserves. Even if this meeting of delegates should possibly not be called and no action be taken in the State association, by bringing the matter before the Interstate Association; a step which will surely be taken, we can obtain justice. The precedent has already been established in the case of Indiana and several other eastern States.
Prof. Bailey has written a circular to the teachers of Chemistry of the High schools of the State, outlining a list of experiments to show the scope of the work required to get a practical knowledge of the foundations of chemistry. This list will show not only what experiments should be performed, and can be performed, with limited facilities, but also refers to those topics to which special attention is given in the State University. The professor also gives a list of apparatus and chemicals necessary to perform these experiments.
- - - man.
The noble impulse and the aspiring soul,
The lofty aim, unchanged as years roll—
Though failure be the doom of every plan
Attempted since life's struggle first began—
Count more, come nearer the true goal,
Bring more of good to the discordant whole
More than mere success in action ever can.
Caseless endure, longing for the night,
'Tis these are rare on earth. The balance
Prof. Dyeh received a number of small animals from California this week.
OUR STUDY WINDOW
Pestalozzi.
Judge men by what they do?-The will's the man.
mind
Which makes no errors, gaining worldly fame,
Oftimes acts but for self, oft loses sight
Of others' good; elsewhere we look to find
The devotion willing to be paid in blame.
*
Uncle Henry vs. Uncle Sam.
In a backwoods district in Eastern Kansas there dwelt Mrs. Dobbins, an old widow lady whose husband had been killed in battle during the civil war. The old lady drew a pension of about twenty dollars per month, and lived, as times went, in comparative case and comfort. She had many queer and eccentric ways, but also possessed a good share of what is called in that neighborhood "horse sense."
On a farm acquiring one of Mrs. Dobbs, my grandfather lived. He had been a lawyer, but weared by the ways of the world and perhaps also by the ways of ten distracting children, had retired to this included, out of the way place to spend the rest of his days. His ustle neighbors had great respect for his wisdom, and knew him familiarly as Judge D—. They regularly consulted him about their personal affairs, but none other was so confidential as Mrs. Dobbins. The Judge was very much amused by her and good-natured filled out her pension papers, advised her concerning the training of her children and the management of her farm, and helped her in so many ways, that she came to look upon him as the arbiter of all her affairs, and finally even of her affections.
Unele Henry Warfield, a well-to-do old widower of the neighborhood, conceived himself to be enamored of Mrs. Dobbins' charms, and sued for her hand with an ardor not to be expected from one of his years. He was a well manured old gentleman and his appeal struck a responsive chord somewhere in the old lady's heart. Nevertheless she very wisely asked for time to consider before giving her answer. But the more she considered, the more uncertain she became. That responsive chord in her heart comforted acceptance and besides wasn't Uncle Henry very pleasant and well provided with the goods of this world? On the other hand, if she accepted his proposal, her pension of twenty dollars a month would be gone forever. Then too Uncle Henry had several children; suppose that he were to die, would they not inherit all the property and insist her out into the cold world? It was a predicament indeed, and she could decide upon no way out.
At last she concluded that two heads are wiser than one, and went over to bear the opinion of her friend and counselor, the Judge. The affair was rather a delicate one to handle, but finally Mrs. Dobbins finished the statement of the case, and waited while the Judge pondered. Perhaps the old lady had been too bashful to mention the responsive chord, or perhaps the Judge underestimated its real importance to her, for when he gave his decision, it was in favor of the pension. But Mrs. Dobbins had no thought of acting contrary to his advise, and as she rose to leave expressed to the Judge her satisfaction with his decision: "Ucle Henry's a putty good supporter, but I guess I'll stick to Ucle Sam." She did stick to Ucle Sam, and Ucle Henry was obliged to content himself with single bloodiness the rest of his days.
If you want your watches properly repaired go to Gus Willman's. His prices are reasonable, also good bargains in new watches.
GUS WILLMAN,
917 Mass. St.
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