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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1879)
KDIT0KIAL8 VOL. VIII, appropriation. Porluiuitcly for the Un iversity, the recent murnicr of discontent had no nut-break; und until Fall or another Spring, all will be quiet. Then as now, if the department be not mado optional an other cry of discontent will ensue. And the tunc will come when pacification is no longer possible. The interests of the University, demand the attention of the State, at large. An institution that will entice a student into the preparatory department on the plea of being a free institution, and then, as soon as he enters the college classes, brands him with coercion, should hardly rccomond her preccptn to a conscientious student. For such an act she should bow her head in contemptable shame. How dare she, in the sense of morality, ask for means to aggrandize her present policy! How much longer the state will see her best students driven from the Univer sity without demanding the cause, we cannot say. But when the demand oc curs, there is not a student who cannot answere, who cannot point to the Milita ry department, as the parasite that has sucked the life blood from the institution. CONCENTRATED STUDY. During the winter some of the advanced classes in the University, were granted tho privelige of reciting in some studies every other day, taking in advance, what would equal two usual lessons. In many respects, this change met the hearty ap proval of the students; and so great were the real benefits accruing from such a re gime, that it was hoped the same system would be maintained in the college clas scs. The chief advantage arising from such a course is, that it allows the student to concentrate his whole attention upon enough of one study to make it clear iiid connected. The usual complaint made concerning daily recitations, is, that the lessons must be comparatively short, on account of the number, and tho limited time in which they must be learned. By this means, so little of a subject is mas. tered at a time, that it cannot be readily attached to a previous lesson. And lmice, many a student has been found studying with a view to acquire each lesson, rather than to connect each step of his progress, and master the subject as a whole. On the other hand, the recital of three lessons a week in each study, though double the usual length, gives the student an opportunity to dwell upon one study long enough to master and connect some principles, that otherwise would fall to the fate of daily recitations. To be sure, there are some studies, as the languages, which demand the pies ence of the student in the class-room, as long as possible; since then much study is accomplished by a class under an ener getic professor. And where classes are taught l3 means of lectures, the more time spent in the class-room the better. But such a system has not been universal ly adopted by the University. There are studies, however, in which longer lessons and less frequent recita tions, work to a great advantage. And so great a material assistance has this sys tem become, that we would not hesitate to advance farther; and advocate tho pe rusal of one textbook at a time, and mas it before preceeding to another. Then the student can see and feel to his own satisfaction, what ho has accomplished. Moreover what he accomplishes, is then connected and is an instrument of orao tical use. Such knowledge is power. It moves through society and turns the currents of popular opinion. SCOPE OF COLLEGE JOURNALISM. Inasmuch as one of our exchanges has decided that an editorial of u college pa per should be neither an essay nor a re port of a base ball game, and as we have road and heard other opinions of similar import, it m iy be in order for us to give