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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1895)
THE HESPERIAN with the ontiro English department and the English Olub behind it. Wo sincerely hope that next year a business manager will bo found who will reliovo the editors of all busi ness responsibility, and that the magazine will become one of the regular publications of the University. The productions in this number are largely the work of the students and faculty of the University, and it is to be hoped that this will continue to bo the case. We under stand that the intention is to make the maga zine more general in its nature, and to in vite contributions from all literary people. This would bo all right in its way, but it wouldn't bo any great help to the Univer sity. Such a publication would not be of groat interest to the students and would have to compote with other similar maga zines. What will do us the most good is a magazine coming entirely from the students, faculty and nearest relatives of the Univer sity. Wo are not lacking in ability. The students could furnish enough material to supply a small daily magazine, and material of good quality too. The field for circula tion might bo smaller, bnt the interest would bo greater among the readers. The jYeh'as ha Literary Magazine is not intended to bo a money making venture, but it is hoped that it will increase literary interest and pre serve literary work among the students and friends of the University. To secure this desirable end it does not seem best that the pages of the magazine should be thrown open to all literary workers, but rather tlmt our own talent should be developed and en couraged, until in a few years we predict that instead of tho students fearing to com pote with old writers in this publication, tho older literary workers would not care to have their work stand side by side with that of our undergraduate students. The fact that one of tho professors of tho University is beginning to let the students know that he is doing some thinking on tho subject of honesty in University work is encouraging. Tho professors have neglected this long enough. There is a general feeling in tho faculty that tho students aro responsible mon and women who ought to have personal intogrity and honor sumoiont to govern their actions, that if they do anything wrong it is not from ignorance and so the professors aro in no way responsible for their actions; and finally that tho sentiment of tho students should be all tho check necessary on students with lax consciences. It is a disgrace to tho students that this is not the case, but it is not, never theless. In the first place every professor is responsible for all temptations which ho allows to come in tho way of his students. Tho students' characters are far from formed when they come to tho University, and by comparing different classes it is not very evident that tho University is developing the morals of tho students in any marked degree under the present system. So while there is no denying that tho students ought to bo beyond all need of surveillance it is a deplorable fact that they aro not, and the duty of oversight rests on the professors. The student sontimont on this subiect is almost too slight for detection, and will con tinue to be so until faculty scntimont iB stronger. At present tho faculty is generally oblivious to even tho most potent cases of ponying, and so what can bo expected but that students of iiidifferont morals will con sider all schemes for getting ahead of tho "profs" as cuto and great jokes, and a stu dent who has a vestigo of a conscience loft will at mrit look shocked and keep quiotf As it is, tho question of ponies is one of the most interesting for burlesque debates in which students with unimpeachod houesty tell the great tales of their experiences with ponies much to tho amusement of tho hearers, but with fatal effect to all helpful sontimont. What wo want to soo is tho professors taking tho initiatory steps in this matter. First we want them to make it as nearly im possible as can bo for any student to cheat; to remove all temptation. Then when any s udent is found to bo cheating he should bo