Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885, March 01, 1876, Page 4, Image 4

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    I
THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
4
W
4
HESPERIAN STUDENT.
I'UHLlSHKI) MONTHLY HY THK
HESPERIAN STUDENT PURLISII
ING ASSOCIATION
OK THK
NEISlfttVSKA UNIV13KSITV.
ElHTOU-lN-CIIIKK, A. W. FlKLl)
ASS0CI TK EDITOR AND RWY'IISWHK,
.1. L. Shank.
Local, ... W. A. McAllistku.
TERMS FOR SURSCRI1TI0N.
1 copy pur coll ego year - - $1.00.
1 " six months .... 0.50.
Singlo copy 0.10.
TERMS OP ADVERTISING.
1 column ono insertion - - $4.00.
3 squares " " 1.00.
1 " " .!55.
All articles for piililtontion Elioiilcl bonddroftod
Editor IIkm'KIimn Stuukst, Stale University.
Lincoln Xuhrankn. All biil)crlitloiiH, with tliu
ftddrosg, sliiiuld bu font to .1. L. Shank,
Subscriptions collected Invailnbly In niHaiico.
Aivcrtiunicnt oollue'ed monthly.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
Wishing to know something concern,
ing this department of the University, we
visited the farm and had a very pleasant
interview with Mr. Culbeitson, who lias
the control of this brunch of our school.
We found him busily engaged in clearing
away the dtbria fiom the new dormitory.
With his usual courtesy lie devoted an
hour or more to conducting us owr the
new building, t'XHinininga combined gran
ary, niaehino-housoand work shop, planned
by himself, and which is really an ing-n.
jous model just what is needed on evciy
farm in Neb.; in viewing the stock of the
farm, that is in line condition, all looking
well; and in giving us his views on many
mutters connected with the management
of this department. The dormitory is a,
substantial frame building, tliii ly-slx feel
square: Its entire cost is something less
than four thousand dollars, and a belter
and cheaper building it would be hard to
find. In the centre of the building, run
ning north and south, is a hall ; to the left.
on the first floor, is the ollieu and libtary,
the dining room and pantry; to the right,
Is the parlor and two sleeping apartments.
On the second floor are oix large, airy
Bleeping rooms, with ample closet room.
There is also a commodious cellar. The
building will nccommodute about twenty
student!!.. The policy that has been pur
sued heretofore toward this department
has not been such as to insure the greatest
success.
We do not k;iow as this could have been
avoided, but we do know that it would
hnvo been bettor lo have taken no steps
towards the establishment of this college
than to give it an uncertain and wavering
support. There is no time in the hUtory
of any institution when it icquires sucli
constant support, in which every obstruc
tion to its advancement should bo careful
Jy removed, as the first years of ils oxis
tence, Especially is this true witu icgard
to this school, for after the sale of its
ninety thousand acres of endowment
land, from whjch it will .realize probably
not less than one half million dollars, it
will not best) dependent upon appropria
lions for its support. Rut we understand
that the conditions of this grant make it
exclusively a professor's fond, hence the
oilier expenses must ever be paid out of
the general University fund.
All classes are intcioslcd in iho success
of this college. Nebraska is almost ex
clusively tin agricultural state, and ever
will be. The future wealth of Iho State
depends upon the developement of Ibis
one industry. The farming community
being so much more numerous than all
other classes combined, the intellectual
and moral standing of the Slate depends
upon the elevation of this class to a ver
great extent. A large majority of our
people must bo tillers of the soil. Then
is it not policy to educate them for their
profession ?
The advantages of the course offered in
the agricultural, over the oilier depart,
inents, to the farmer, are many. First, it
tends to make him respect his calling,
and there is no other cause that has done
so much to degrade this occupation as the
idea which many farmers themselves have,
that there is something in their business
that is not elevating, a feeling that men in
other occupations stand upon n higher
plane than themselves. If the tendency
of ihis college is to overthrow this Talse
impression and awaken them to the truth
that tl.cir business is as noble ns any, and
If there is any trouble it lies hWAcnuofau;
then wo say success to the college. Again
it oilers to a largo class of students the op.
porluiiily of an education, who could not
take another course for want of funds, and
this, loo, with no loss to the State.
Another suggestion we heatd at the
farm, that is wot thy of consideration, is
that of making a complete separation in
the depaitmenl-s of Ihe Univcr.sily. The
Agricultural College cannot work in bar
iuon with any other department; thou
emu scs of study are very different; all
recitations should be at the I'm in, wheie
the menus of explaining and o.poiimcnL
ing are ever ul hand; the teuns do not
run parallel, ihe long vaca'ion of one be
ing in the summer and that of the other
in the winter. The extra expense of run
ning each separately would be but little.
At present it would not require more
than ono extra professor. One disadvan
tage tlinl has become apparent from car
rying Ihe two departments on conjointly
is ilia tendency of making the students of
the Agricultutal college lose their identity
their individuality us a school. For every.
thiugo'tUMoof class-room duties they are
dependent upon the other depailmcnts.
LThis is a niituial result under the present
arrangement; students in both courses re
cite in the same classes, to iho same pro
fessors, and there seems to bo but little
difference except in the name. In fact,
there are some students who lived on Ihe
farm, worked on the farm, and still rur
9ited n purely olnssieal course, and an
classed as classical students today. This
is not as it should bo. The Agricultural
college should bo as distinctly a depart
ment by itself as the college of Literature,
Science and Art.
The people of Kansas hnvo shown their
appreciation of ibis branch of education,
for the legislature that n fused to vlc. any
aid to ils Normal schools, has just appio
priuted sixteen thousand dollars in sup
port of ils Agiicultural college.
The only thing that stands in the way
of tiie complete success of this school jy
the want of funds necessary lo carry it on.
For we are informed, already more stu
dents have made application for the com
ing term than can possibly bo accommo
dated. Willi the proper facilities, this col
lege would out number any other institu
tion in the State. We do not know what
means the Regents at present have at their
disposal, lint, iiiou' or less. Iho Agricultu
ral college should iccelvo a liberal por
tion. Al present, Mr. Culbortson has ihe
entire responsibility upon his hands, not
only the duties of professor, but also the
entire management, of Ihe farm devolving
upon him. This is evidently more than
auv one man can do and do well. The in
stitution suffered an incalculable loss in
the resignation of Prof. Thompson, who
brought a long experience and great execu
tive abilities to the discharge of bis du
ties. What is needed to carry out the
work so nobly begun by the Prof., is, first
Sufllcient means so Hint whoever has con
trol can work without continual pecuniary
embarrassment;' second, a person with ex
perience, aoilily, and energy tit lis head,
with an adequate number of utile assistants-
lo carry the work on and not make
it a continual drag.
SUNDRY TOPICS.
Why are wo not favored with elocution-
to carry litis subject somewhat Hutlicr
than a mere drill on the elementary sounds;
that tills class be placed in charge if tlio
Chancellor, or some other member of the
Ihoully.who, while he may. nol profess i0
he a skilled elocutionist, lias nl h'ast Kjvrn
enough attention to the subjict hi be of
great service to tho.se who might wi-h t0
prosecute the study of this art l speak,
ing; that instead of giving this as extra
work to a Professor, already crowded for
time, as lias usually been the case, it heal
lowed one of the morning hour and meet
daily as any other class If ibis siigges.
tion should meet witli approval from "the
powers that be," and it should be honored
with atrial during the coining term, wc
think wo could safely guarantee a large
class.
Without doubt something of a prepara
tory department, in connection with the
University, is a necessity under the exist,
ing condition of affairs. Rut there should
be some fixed standard of scholarship re
quired and every applicant should puss a
satisfactory examination in all blanches
up to this standard, before being admitted.
This standard should be as high as cir
cuiuslances will admit, and lie constantly
raised until no candidate should be pisxd,
ary training? This is a want that bus that was ,iol piepaied to enter the Fresh
long been felt, and that wo had hoped to man chus. The object for which tne Uni
havo seen supplied before this, but it seems vcrsiiy was founded, was not lo give till mi
that wo havo hopud in vain Until the I opportunity to become proficient in tlio
prosent term wo have had something in
tlio way of rheloricals, but it appears thai
all this has been abandoned. The differ
ent courses, as laid down in t lie catalogue,
cull for rhctoricals during the Freshman
and Sophomore years, themes from Jun
iors and orations from Seniors. The
members of tho Senior class are Iho only
ones that have done duty during the pies
ent term. However, if all the icqiiire
nu nts of the various courses, in this re
spect, were carried out, they would still
fail to meet the real demand.
What is needed is elcuotionary training.
There is no accomplishment more greatly
to bo dceiied than that of good reading.
To tlio public speaker elocutionary, power
is simply a necessity. While a line deliv
ery will not supply a deficiency of
thought, yet good ideas presented in an
unattractive manner carry but little weight
v it li them No one who hopes lo accom
plish anything in life but will be called
upon tn appear, more or loss, befoio the
public, and tho world will judgo of his
powers from the manner in which ho pro.
souls his thoughts; then would it not be
well, while wo are developing our oilier
faculties, that we pay some heed to that
upon which the value of all the others de
pends. It may be thought that Iho societies fur
nMi all of this kind of work that is re
quired. They do accomplish much in
this direction, but it will lake a long time
lo find by practice! what, under proper
training, we would gain in a shoit lime.
Hehidis, we are apt to fall into n faulty
way of speaking, copying our own errors,
which horn tlfr force of habit it will be
difficult to lef.nn
As wo have pointed out a need, we will
common brandies our district schools
are suppotted for that purpose but lo fur
nish t lie menus for insti uelion in the high
er studies. Wc do nol wish to call in
question tlio wisdom of those who estab
lished the preparatory department, for wc
think il an absolute necessity to the exist
ence of the school, bill we do think tho
standard of scholarship has been lowered
to such an extent, as to become absolutely
detrimental to the best iuler"sts of the in
stitution. Wo have said, that the existing
condition of affairs, made the preparatory
school a necessity. Now let us inquire
what is Ibis condition ? What arc the ed
ucational advantages enjoyed by a majori
ty of tho students previous to their enter
ing Iho University? Hy far the greater
number have only had the advantages
which are offered by tho district schools,
those having the privilege of attending
an acadfiny or high school before enter
ing hero are the very rare exceptions.
As ihe University is a Stale Institution, it
should ho so conducted as to accomodate
the greatest number possible, and as wc
have said, by far tlio greater number coino
direct from the district school, hence tho
space left to be filled by tho preparatory
department is those studios hjng between
the branches generally completed in the
common schools antl'the Freshman jenr.
In tho distiict schools scholars arc sup
posed to become somewhat thorough in
reading, spelling, geography, arithmetic,
English grammar etc.; therefore before lin
ing admitted to tlio Latin school they
should be required to paws a thorough ex
amlnatiou in these branches.
What wo wish to call at
tention to, is tlio fact thai
there is a largo number of students in at-
also give what seems to us a practical lendiiuco, who could not pass a strict ex-
mode of suppling it. Of course v
would all like to enjoy the advantages of
training under some ono who lias made
elocution a specially, but tlio want of
means probably renders this impossible at
present. The plan which wo would pio
pose is, that a class bo formed fiom the
more advanced students, who would wish
aminalionin these common branches, stu
dents that make no pretention to a proper
use of the English language, and wlu'so
knowledge of atitliinelic extends but little
beyond the multiplication table. Now wo
think lue admission of such students to be
opposed to tho true interests of tho imlh
Yiduul themselves, and also of tho Institu-
k
is.