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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1875)
' -I THE HESPERIAN STUDENT. First, let all tho students have equal privilege, In the use of books. Second, let the library be ki'pt open six days in tiio wuok liming six hours at least, every afternoon. Thin, It is true, implies labor, ami labor demands pay. Wo Iiavo no intention of complaining of the policy of tlio pros cnt librarian. Undoubtedly ho earn, the pilliHico lie receives; yet perhaps a atu dcat could bo found who would bo willing to spend more time for tbo same money. The fault is not with iho professor, but with the controlling power. To found a splendid library, and then keep it closed nine-tenths of tho year, because one hun dred dollars will not pay a man to keep it cpcn,na it ought to be, looks like " penny wisdom and pound foolishness." Pay a decent salary and let the books be used, is tho true economy. THIS REGENTS. Tho Regents meet on tho lith of Dc comber. Tills will be the last meeting of the present Board. As all aro well aware, the manner of creating and the construc tion of the board, have been entirely changed, by tho adoption of tho new con. itlttition. The number, now consisting of lix members, is elected by direct vote of the people, instead of by tho Legislature, as hcretoforer. Messrs. Garbcr, McKenzio, Bruncr, Bar rows, Bear, Scott and Savage retire ; while Messrs. Adair, Tuttle, Holmes, and Ilun. gcrfnrd, of the present board, together with Messrs. Gannett and Mobley elect, constitute the new board. Tiie whole policy of the retiring board has been wise, liberal, and generous. Un fler their control and the administration of their predecessors, the University has been built up, and has exhibited a rapidl ly of development, and of increase in the number of stud"its seldom, If ever, equaled in tho history of State institutions. It certainly is a satisfactory and pleasing re flection to the peoplo and to themselves, that, as they doff their ofllcial vestments, and bid farewell to their public service, they can do so at the time of our gicatest prosperity. Wc bid farewell to them with regret and reelings of gratitude, but it also is a source of satisfaction, that tho people have shown their appreciation of pastser- tIccs, by electing a majority of the new Board, fron: their numbers. On the part of the Hesperian Associa tion, wo desiro to return sincere thanks for the past liberality and generosity of the Board, in rendering us great financial aid Tho retiring Board lias been the Student's benefactor from the beginning and we shall cudeavor, as heretofore, to upc ith bounty wisely. While wc regret to part with tho able gentlemen, whose council and wisdom have done so much for tho Institution, yet to the now Board, constructed, as it is, mainly from tho old, wo cheerfully and fearlessly consign tho interests of the Un. iversity. NOTES ON EXCHANGES. College journalism is evidently becom lag a necessary element, or branch of American education. This work is be coming moro and moro appreciated by the public, and justly so. It is our opin ion that tho foundation of many a uoblo literary fame, of many a monument of feuiuti, of much precious wealth to the world, em bo and it being laid lu the col umns of tnu college journal. Many a man who has risen to a proud eminence, whom the world applauds and delights to honor, was unconscious in the beginning of liis latent energies, until some chance breath snatched momentarily away the vail which obscured his internal vision, and gave him a glimpse, though vague and shapeless, of tho possibilities of ills be ing, of tlio vast riches, and iutolloctua' fertility of his own soul. Much depends upon accident, more upon opportunity and ellbrt. You do not know what you can do, until you actually make the at tempt. You often wonder at the grandeur of genius, at the mental force of some friend, as displayed in Ills works; or you are tilled with astonishment, even dismay, by the perusal or contemplation of some literary production of another, whoso ge nius is less noble, whoso creative energy and mental force, and whose whole stock is inferior to your own, if you only knew it. You forget that tho article or other intellectual creation which fills you with admiration and a sense of inferiority, cost the author much drudgery, much toil, much time; hulyou behold it as an entirety, as a finished picture of thought. It is pre sented to your apprehension and concep tion all ut once. So you are startled. You aro apt to measure the au hor's power to create, the brilliancy of his intellect, by the moiety of time and attention it re quires you to gain a conception of the thought before you; hence his power is magnified many times, and you aro dis couraged. Will you be astonished at the exquisitely wrought gem, and worship the artificer of it, as superior to yourself, be cause you cannot comprehend in a mo. ment, how you could create any workman" ship so beautiful and perfect? "Why, that jewel cost the artisan years of patient and anMous toil, and many moro years of preparation and pupilage I Endure the toil, and you can gain the prize attain excellence. This unconsciousness of self-power is greater in tlio provinco of mental creation than physical, because such creations are moro exquisite; they are more truly creations, than any other. Indeed, lu the field of thought, mnn is really a creator. Therefore the conclusion is plain ; he can not perceive, perhaps not even conceive, what ho can create, until it is created; for not until then, when chaos has assumed form, color, and substance, is it perceivable, or conceivable, oveu to the creator himself. But how does all this apply to college journalism ? Thus, in brief. It affords an opportuni ty, a flattering inducement, for the young man or woman to try. But our college papers and magazines are no longer mere amateur practicing grounds. They aro really valuable for their intrinsic worth. Sovcral of our exchanges afford us tho best literature wo read from month to month, our best food for thought. There is certainly no more laudablo nor practi cable ambition, for an institution of learning, than to publish the purest and best literary magazine in tho state or coun try; and no nobler ambition for astudent, than to leave as his most lasting monu ment of college work, the creations of his brain and pen. Tho ladies of Pritchctt Instltuto publish u neatly arranged and ploasantly written magazine With their kind permission, however, wo would like to offer a friendly remark In regard to the article on "Tho Railroad and tho Aborigines." It is unique in conception, well written and entertain ing; but is there not a little Incongruity? Is tlio conception quite probable? Tho American Indian is too shrewd an observ er not to have gained a sufficient idea of tho Palo Faces' ways and inventions, at least by tradition, to prevent him from falling into such an ignoble blunder, as the author represents. The Pawnee, Sioux, or even the Digger, would hardly mistake tho rails of tho Union Pacific rallniad for a snake, and, Don (Juixote like, brace on ills armor, and make a lurious assault thereon, with bow and tomahawk I Even tlio savage seldom mistakes tlio evi dences of man's workmanship, for nature's creations, especially for those creatures witli which lie is most familiar. We suppose that we could show our good taste and prudence to tlio best ad vantage, by joining our offering of praise to the burden of llattery, which tho East ern journals almost universally bestow upon the Packer Quarterly. And indeed we find it a very entertaining visitor. It is very pleasant and pretty, as anything hat pertains to the girls ought to be, of course. But, ladles, you don't feed it enough mental pabulum. It is too sweet and frothy. Wc would say too girlish, but then you would give us tho stereotyped answer ""Why not? Are wo not girls?" That is txuo, wc suppose, but the ladies are beginning to arrogate to themselves man's right to think, as well as flirt; and those aro our sentiments, for they can equal him at one and excel him at tho other, if they will. Tlio Olio tor November has an article on "Rhetorical Morals," which contains much truth clearly stated. The three fob lowing rules, as safe moral guides in writing, are laid down : 1. Let your production be just what it professes to be. 2. That, in order to be original in their writings, most persons need to'makc thor- ouuh preparation. 8. Be willing that your production should be only as wise as you arc. Speaking of originality, the author justly observes: "It often seems to be im agined that the opposite of this is true; that originality is a sortot Melchiscdcch, 'without father, without mother;' some thing spontaneous, immediate, unpremedi tated. But there are very few persons whose unconsidered utterances arc worth tlio uttering, not to say worth the hearing. Profound things may bo said without much thought at the moment, but they are the product of former observation and meditation." The Chronicle states that a reform has been made in regard to the standard of attainment required for admission into the Medical Department of the Michigan University. Tlio examination is now quite rigid. Tills, in our opinion, is in deed an important reform. Our Law and Medical schools, as well as some of our Industrial and Business schools, have been mere license shops for ignorance and incompetency. Tho country has been thronged with licensed quacks and di plomat pettifoggers. Is it possible that a boy, ignorant and uncultured, without trained faculties, is fully qualified to grapple with tho intricacies and tho grav- est problems of our physical and moral natures? Is such an '.one capable or pro duclug tho best fruits In tho grandest of all professions, before ho Is capable, oven wile tho aid of a glossary, of comprehend Ing their nomenclature and technicalities? May many other institutions follow tho example which Michigan lias set. Wo should like to see a thorough scientific and classical education made the standard of admission into the Law and Modical schools The Niagara Iwlcx fellows have lately moved, that is, their prlutln' "fixitis." One of the editors is in mortal terror, be cause tho new sanctum is in closo prox ity to the steam boilor. Ho predicts that on some fatal day it will " bust," and "pi" his anatomy all over the sacred soil of bin native county. Therefore ho has com posed his dying thoughts, beforehand, which arc quite neatly expressed for a mutilated co.pus. In another issue tho editor explains tho origin of the wit with which tho Index is always well seasoned, on the ground, as he insinuates, that tho Local was, at one time, an inmato of a lu natic asylum. "Wo fearsome of tho other editors have symptoms of the samo acrid yet ' gentle frenzy.', The Berkelcyan has a fine oration on "Tho Hidden Fountains," delivered bo fore ono of the societies by a member of the class of '74. Tho University Missourian complains bitter'y of the management of 'tlio library. Though having a good selection of booka the students are not permitted to take them from the library. Tho Missourian thinks, very properly, that books aro made to be used, and that a penalty for unnecessary damago done to them, while in the student's possession, is a sufficient guard against tho misuse of books. This was formerly the plan pursued in tlio Uni versity of Missouri, and the Missourian thinks it has proved the better method. Tho University Iieoiew is alway a wel come visitor. The October issue contains a good article on "Religious Extremes and Extremists in History." The Targum continues to be ono of the m.st readable of our exchanges. A wri ter, under tlio head of "Education and Scepticism " claims that all scepticism is based upon egotism, not education. This has long been tlio last resort of orthodoxy. The question is always begged, on tho plea that "the ways of Providence aro mysterious." But the writer of the articlo in question is right in urging us to grap ple with " uncomfortable facts," and not evado them. One of these uncomfortable fact j is that all sceptics, even atheists, are not fools; but many of them have spent tlieirlives in investigating the theories they maintain, and have rifled all Btoi chouses of knowledgo to give them light. Tho church must soon acknowledge this stub born fact, and educate men with equal thoroughness, equal candor, or scepticism will prevail. To brand a man with ignor ance will not quench his conviction, nor stifle his consciousness of right. Such a course makes converts to scepticism. Tlio day is come when reason must bo used as a weapon even in tho religion of Christ, if it shall still prevail. Tho Lawrence Collegian has somo good things and humorous. One of the editors chastises some of tho boys for what ho calls doganism. viz: waiting around the doors of tho church to see tho lad ten home, (if they can) when they (said boys) have not hafl tho necessary cheek to call at their bouses for them. This speaks llltle for the socict of Appleton, Wis. Como West boys, come West, and get civ ilized. ( !- i r i f . W '1 K e.
