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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1878)
390 EDITOWAI.8. Vol. vii .! i i ilouvor to niiikc tlic costal the University us light as possible. Until thou, it is known that compulsory drill ami uni forms arc demanded by the charter of the University, why not lay them aside? Let the Military department he placed upon the same ground as any other de partment in tin institution, and not build up by force of law what can not sUiud by its own merits. This must be done or the University must cease its boasting of free institutions and liberal education. THK STUDY OV ENGLISH. Should not more prominence be given to the study of English in our University ? At present, one term of rhetoric and two or three of English Literature, besides three essays a term, is the extent to which this branch Is represented. One college at least devotes to it an average of one re citation a day for nine terms, including one essay a week. With us it may not be practicable for some years to give as great a share of attention to it, yet the present facilities are too meagre. To well understand and properly iw our mother tongue, is an object of colle giate training, second in importance to no other. But this, like all valuable acquire, ments, takes time. The study of Ihe elas sics, though an invaluable help, is yet a partial one, inasmuch as it deals only with the Romance element of English, and this as found in the original tongues. It is necessary, therefore, to give some at tention to the successive staucs our lan guage has passed through in its transition from Anglo-Saxon to Modern English. In this way, we not merely gain a neces sary knowledge of the native clement of our language, but we learn how old words have become obsolete, new ones come in to use, and others changed their meaning. This is needful in order to read intelli gently even the authors of two centuries ago. To the improvement of individual style in the use of language, the critical study of standard writers is an important help. Unless this is systematically provided for in a course of study, students largely lose the benefits that arise from it and their literary progress is thereby hindered. PUNCTUALITY. Punctuality has rightly been termed a requisite of a successful business man. Hut such n truth thus stated is only half 'dellued. For, to meet every engagement promptly at the appointed time is neces sary for continual success in every path of life. The professional man knows that the penally of once missing his olllcc hours, is the loss of an excellent cliuct. And the farmer who enters the Held late in the morning, is vexed when he contem plates that the work which he could have accomplished in one day, will now de mand his attention for nearly two. Since, then, punctuality is so essential an agent of success, it cannot profitably be ignored by the student, but on the con trary it is a lesson that he may faithfully study. For while students at college, it is expected that we are forming habits and customs that will cling to us during the remainder oi life, and in this forma tion it io well that only the good be in cluded; for an evil once acquired is (1 1 111 cult 10 lay aside. Punctuality is only a habit and with a little care can bo easily acquired. So when the student carelessly ignores the opportunity for gaining so great a virtue, it is well that he be reminded ol his error. Hence the recent order of the Faculty re quiring a written excuse for all absences from classes, is a step in the right direct ion. For it is evident, that he who miss es his class one day out of every week, stands little show of completely master ing the work accomplished by the re mainder of the class. And but little more can be expected from him who enters the MBBttBttfll