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Kansas University Weekly.
THE regents, faculty and students of the University of California have united on common ground to arouse more interest in their school. They have adopted the happy plan of making the institution externally more attractive. They have set out first to beautify the campus by placing settees here and there, erecting several drinking fountains and laying out walks about the college buildings. Why could not this idea be carried out by the University of Kansas.
As a classification of instructors has been made it may be well to classify the students also. "Order is the first great law of the universe." First, there are "swell" students, who come to school for social purposes, and think that a high collar, immaculate shirt front, tooth pick shoes and a suit of the latest cut are the first essentials of a student. Then there are indifferent students, who come because they are sent and frequently they develop into students of the first class. Then there are the mediocre students who plod along conscious that many about them are more gifted mentally than they, but resolve to succeed nevertheless—and they usually do. There is a class of students in every University hard to name,—those who study hard, do the best they can, and yet find the struggle almost beyond their strength. The ideal students are those who are neither continually going to a funeral nor to a circus. They are jolly, sociable, and have a pleasant word and a smile for every one. They do not get the highest grades nor do they get the lowest. They, more than any others, originate the interesting things of University life. The book worm needs no mention. He is buried among his books and is forgotten. The bright students are those who learn readily, grasp ideas before their classmates and as a rule try to show that they are brighter than the students about them. They may well remember however that the slow train reaches its destination just as certainly as the fast one, is less liable to accidents, and usually carries a heavier load.
The large majority of students in the University who are not taking a technical course have in view for themselves in future years a professional life. The practice of law attracts many students although not so many as a few years ago. Journalism is now finding greater favor than ever before. The bright, sociable, energetic journalist has indeed probably more influence in every day affairs than any one else. He wields a free lance and woe to the injustice and wrong which comes to his notice. A number of students study medicine, or are preparing to enter the ministry after leaving the University. It is very well to study medicine, law and such professional branches but why is the field of business almost entirely neglected. We venture to assert that there are not twenty-five students in the School of Arts who look forward to a business career. Why is this? Does education unfit one for business or is the educated man above becoming a business man. Commerce rules the financial world and certainly finance is not to be disregarded. Moreover, the greatest philanthropists of the United States and Europe have been men of business. Great wealth for benefactions can, as a rule, be obtained only through business channels. If a capable, energetic educated man enters the business world his chances for success in life are probably better than those of the journalist, doctor or lawyer.
The idea of changing the University athletic color from crimson to crimson and black or crimson and blue is finding favor in unexpected quarters. Some of those who were very active in securing the adoption of crimson are now in favor of a change. And why should they not be? The University is well able to stand alone in any direction and certainly in athletics. We are original in other University actions, why not be so in choosing our athletic color? We owe nothing to Harvard. We have ideas of our own. Then why not use them? A meeting of the athletic association should be called in the near future to consider a change in our athletic colors.