T HK DAILY NEBRASKAN
Students Take
Themselves Too
! Seriously -Buck
By Dean P. M. Buck, Jr.
If I were asked to name the chief
fault of the students today in our
American universites, I belevo I could
put it like this they take themselves
too seriously. Not seriously enough
some will answer; lor with their nu
merous diversions, their parties, their
"practical .courses" in the art of en
tertaining each other, they have
precious little time lor the serious
problems of their studies or their re
sponsibilities. And the objectors will
point to the library steps at any time
between 9 and 5, or to these columns'
of The Nebraskan with their clab'
rate accounts of how students avoid
"brain fag" or find recompense for
the tedium or the inertia of class
room or laboratory. Yet in spite of
objectors and in spite of the moving
demonstrations of student irresponsi
bility, it may be maintained, and suc
cessfully, that student life is being
professionalized, is being reduced to a
serious routine, a thing that may bo
lmited and classified like the life of
a lawyer, business man or bee.
School Life Is Stereotyped.
It is curious, is it not, how steie;:
typed life has become in our large
,'?o-educational universities. It Is
quite possible to make a chart or two
that would account for the daily and
nightly vocations and avocations of
nearly all of our students and be
nearly as accurate as are an astrono
icr's predictions of the phases of Ve
nus or the procession of the equi
noxes. If a social favorite or climb
er, so many hours weekly devoted to
the goddess of the dance, so many
to escorting another goddess to the
"movie" or Orpheum, or if a goddess
or pseudo-goddess oneself, to being es
corted by a pragmatic satellite. If
one has do such ambitions or oppor
tunities, the range of recreations will
be no more extensive though prob
ably less brilliant and certainly less
expensive. There are studies and
.classes and laboratories for all, to be
sure, and pursued by all with a bea
tiful and self-abandoned seriousness
that would argue well, wero It not for
the unfortunate concomitant that iu
the student's opinion they often sink
into the sade flux of nearly meaning
less routine.
Obviously and of a verity students
come to the University to study, get
passing grades, and at graduation to
get a diploma often written in a Ian
guage they caunot read. If they fail
in this ambition there is a deal oi
unpleasant bother with a routine com
mittee that asks searching question.",
and a further deal of unpleasant no
toriety and readjustment as ono re
packs trunks and handbags prepan.
tory to an uninvited visit home. The
vast majority pass because of very
inertia the move of the mass shoul
ders along the laggard, and even a
drone can hardly fail to be up ami
about when the spring hiving is
awing.
But studies and recreations crea
tions and recreations, they might be
called are not mattjrs of roulin",
ike shaving or dressing one's hair 00
a morning. They are matters of life
and adjustment to the various piay 0:'
moving forces in and about us. They
call for our energies, not merely that
they may be accomplished and an
other chapter of a college careet
closed and subscribed finis, else a
college degree would represent uoth
ing so appropriately as the gyrations
of a mechanical toy or the veering o'
1 weather vane.
Are Important Questions Asked.
What of life has been learned from
the course in history? What new
impulse to living has been given by
the readings in literature? What
glimpse into the mystery of this ear'li
md of the whole cosmic universe has
been caught from the experiments ii
chemistry? These are not imperti
nent questions, and yet it would seem
they were never asked in any colteg;
xaminatiou. nor wero recorded in
iny college conservation. Has tno
imagination' been fired, the emotions
purified, the reason exalted by any
of the ono hundred and twenty-five
hours off cied for graduation by the
seniors bout to leave these halls?
It is high time that we rescue again
ho distinction between amateur anl
r 1 rrl... umiii.iiiii M-lialhu
lrULl'aMUtll. Alio tiuiu-ui, nutvuo
a his profession or 111 his rereutloub
s the person who indules in nc
livities, purely for his love of action
whether ho play golf, or cards, reud
or practice law, ha dues it lor tu
sheer exhileratiug love of honest
sport. The professional is the only
seriously minded person with an ey
single to success in the thing no
a thought for himself or for its mean
ing. To him life is a contest, from
wheh he gets neither sport nor mean
ing only success or failure, and he
spells both with capital letters, with
double uuderscorings, forgetting the
wealth of imagination, of emotion, ol
pure joy that lies about him for the
is king.
College life, it would appear to one
is the life of all others lor the aiaa
leur. It is the time for testing out
the thews and sintws not merely of
the few 011 the lootball field, while
thousands bellow themselves lurase
in serious and professional rylhni ard
the cheer leader as seriously tiud as
professionally throws his rhymthini
cal contortions it is the time t'
taste and enjoy the emotional and
intellectual reactions lrom con'.aet
with people and thoughts; the lime
for hints that lead to joyous excui
sions on one's initiative into a uni
verse hitherto unexplored where one
may hue all the joy of unexpected
au venture; it is . But who today
iu .college, since courses in literature
came imo fashion, reads a book, not
a magazine, or a newspaper, on his
own initiative. Instead one elects
courses in literature and looks at
what one is told, like dollar a-ride p.
sengcrs on a sight seeing 'bus. And
who takes the problems raised in th
clasM'uoin out into the intellectual dis
cuss ions before the library, or to a
social pipe in one's room among one's
friends?
There is rarely the unexpected in
college, yet life is full of the unex
jected; there is still more rarely tin
spontaneous, yet life is all spont.ine
ous. There is success and there is
serious endeavor, and all has a ueas
uso of worth. But how can it be said
that one of a truth today enjoys go
ing to college?
TT
Hie
F
amou
1 109 O Street.
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The Value jiroi irferf are as
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SUIT SALE
Extraordinory
Just Fifty Tricotines and Serges
Organizations
Wolohl Camp Fire.
Wolehi Camp Fire held an all day
meeting Saturday at the home of Mrs.
F. F. Teal, the guardian. Twenty
girls wero present for the luncheon
at noon. Table decorations were In
blue candles and pussy willows.
Wetomeo Camp Fire, of which
Frances Westering is guardian,
staged a model .ceremonial, led bv
Miss Lola Duncan, camp lire secre
tary for Lincoln." Demonstrations of
wood blocking, gown decorations and
bead work were made by Lincoln
camp fire girls.
Union.
Union Society entertained seventy
five members and guests at an open
meeting Friday evening at the Tern
pie. Irish games wero played, green
caps were distributed as favors and
the following St. Patrick's program
was given: Fiano solo, Miss Bailey:
song, Mr. Minball; Irish stories, Fred
Free; St. Patrick's, Day, .Chas. McMillan.
UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA
APPEARS AT MARTELL
The University orchestra gave n
program at Martell in the Methodist
churci Friday evening before a largo
audience and gave a similar entertain
ment at the city Y. W. C. A. Surid
afternoon
ay
The program given at Martj'i ti
lows- 'w
Men of Sparta.
Ballet Sentimental.
Dancer of Navarre.
Symphonwy Mllitalre.
Reve d'Amour.
In the Usual Way, pianologue -
Charlotte Huntley.
Finale Symphony Militiare.
Woodland Whispers.
Poet and Peasant, overture.
Whispering Flowers.
Merry Wives of Windsor, overture.
I.
For Good Eats
Try the
Y. M. 0. A. Cafeteria
i Phi .
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Kappa
Keys, all sizes don't forget
your certificate.
HALLETT
Optometrist
Estab. 1871 1143 0
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to
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Thrift is conducive to discriminating buying.
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Coats.... $15.00 to $75.00
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Blouses ..$3.95 to $25.00
Skirts $5.00 to $35.00
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EKE
S8SJ
ELI SHIRE, President
n
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