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THE HESPERIAN
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A University Need,
In the University of Nebraska, when a student who
is away from home is sick, lie must depend on his
fellow students for care, and pay his own expenses.
After he recovers, he is not only behind in his work
but has the additional burden of doctors' bills to pay
We are all proud of the number of self supporting
students in our university. Many are Avorking their
way from year to year, and others arc borrowing
money with the expectation of paying it back as
soon as their school days are ovi'i. Jt one of these
students has incurred heavy expenses through sick
ness, he is prolnbly compelled to leave school. In
case of deatti, this burden of debt is left to parents,
who often times can ill afl'ord to bear it. Besides
this, there are some who do not receive suilicicnt
care when sick. Every parent and student would
feel safer if some provision were made to secure
them ngaiust these risks.
Some of the eastern universities have endowment
funds for the care of their sick. But Nebraska is a
young state, and has produced no wealthy men to
leave us legacies We are also democratic enough
to believe in paying our own way. This can be done
and yet not leave the entire hunlcn to the individual
Student. If each one of the fifteen bun dr. d students
would pay a membership fee of one dollar a year
into a society which the students might orgauize, an
ample fund would be created. Every one would
then feel that he had an interest in this fund and
would have no hesitancy in drawing upon it. So
student need begrudge iuvestiug u dollar against
possible misfortune. Even if no return were ever
received, one would feel that the money had been
used for a good purpose.
This fund might be put in charge of aboard of
control consisting of representatives of the college
classes, the faculty and the board of regents. I in
clude the board of regents and the faculty because
they would give permanance to the organization.
'College generations pass so quickly that there would
'be no definite policy if the entire management wore
left to the students.
John H. McGuhfky.
An Appeal for a Lecture Course.
'Last week one of the representative papers pub
lished by the students of the University of Iowa
came into my hands, and in this paper I noticed an
account of a lecture recently given in Iowa City, by
Hubert J. Hurdotlu.under the auspices of the univer
sity. In the satin paper announcement was made
of a lecture soon U be given by Bishop Fowler under
the same auspices. The question at once suggested
itself to my mind: If the Uuiversity of Iowa, with its
six hundred collgiate student, can maintain a first
class lecture course, can not the University of Ne
braska, with almost twice six hundred students, do
the sameV
In almost rvory college and university with which
lam familiar, an annual lecture course is an estnb
lished thing The lectures in such comses are
usually given hy men who are favoiites with Cha
tauqua assemblies; men like funeral John B Gor
don, Dr. (junsaulus. Henry Watterson. Hooker 1'.
Washington, Dr. Molntyre, Murat Halstead. Joseph
Cook and many others who might be named; men
who are acknoledged orators and who have some
thing entertaining and instructive for their h arcrs
Occasionally these courses have included one or more
entertainments Ivy prominent concert companies or
readers. ol leges with but a 'few hundred students
and Htutilcd in places where little out-ide patronage
could be expected have succeeded in maintaining
successful lecture courses every year, and there is
little reason to suppose that the same could not he
done here, where there are u thousand or more
students and where a great deal of patronage could
be expected from the cultured, relined people of the
city.
About the only valid objection that can be urged
against the maintenance of a lecture course is its ex
pense. It is true that prominent lecturers have to
be paid what some might call exorbitant prices.
The customary course of five or six lecMrc would
doubtless necessitate an outlay of five hundred dol
lars or more. If two hundred and fifty season tick
els ul two dollars each could be sold, a siiftl-ient
amount would be guaranteed to cover the entire
expense of such a course, leaving out of considera
tion all paid admissions, and a irreat many of these
could be expected in a city as large as Liuen'n
That the people of the city are interested in and
would support a lecture course was in mifesti-d lut
winter whenlugersoll lectured here; and there are
several men available for lecture courses who U't
equal or superior to the arch-infild as entertainers.
The students in the university are not iiiillioimii'M
Many of them have to make great sacriuVes in order
to remain in school. Yet these students are as nil
tured and relined as any we have in the univeiHity,
and many of them would be willing to sacrifiei ecn
more than they are at present rather than in the
advantages of a lecture course. On the other hand,
there ere many students here who ure ampb nble to
attend a series of good lectures without the lcat
sacrifice whatever
The advantages to be derived from coming in rH
tact with leuders and moulders of thought need
hardly be stated They are apparent to every "i"'
who thinks, and it is useless to occupy thepae of
the flESi'KitiAK in setting them forth.
It is perhaps too late this your to take any a-tion Jo
the matter, as half the collegiate year is already
gone. However why not plan this year for the
establish tnent of a good lecture course next winter?'
Is not some one of the literary societies or the Y. M.
C. A. or some other organization in the university
enough interested in (the 'matter to take the initia
tive? Sai B. Sum.
