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THE HESPERIAN STUDENT
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THE HESPERIAN STUDENT
Published semi-monthly by tho HtudontH oftho
Nebraska Htato University.
Wednesday, Deoemueu, 1, 1881).
EDITORS IN UIIIKK,
Mat II. Paiiifibm), II. W. IIaiuuniiton
ASSOCIATE BDITOIl MlNNIII WILLIAMS
I.OOAL ElUTOlt, II. H.DAVIB
BUSINESS MANAGE!! 1). . 1'lHlllill
TKIIM8 OF HUIIPOHIl'TIOK.
1 cojy pur college yunr $1.00.
1 " plx montliH CO.
Single copy M-
11ATK8 OF ADVKUTIHINO.
1 column ono iiiHortlon $2.00.
Usqunrcs " " .W.
1 " " ....... ,t5.
such imagine themselves to bo u Faculty of
u Unlvcrsily mid they would, wo think
find grout satisfaction and convenience in
so ulti ctlvcii leverage, with which to on.
i'orco llioir will and pleasure for the fgon
oral good.
All articles for publlcntl in should bonddrcssed
Editor Hesfeman Student, Stnto University.
Uncoui, Nebraska. All subscriptions und bind
noss communications, with tho nddress, should
bo sent to 1). W. FISHER. SubHcilptlous col
lected Invnrlably In udvnnco. Advertisements
collected monthly.
Stlitoriul,
DEMERITS.
Wo utinuot but observe tho improve
ment in rocitations, deportment, etc.,
among the students since the adoption of
the present system of demerit marking.
It is one that should be brought into geir
oral use in schools and colleges. There is
something to inspire the student with a
high motive to excel in all that lie under
takes or that is required of him. "Who
does not feel himself more of a man
when ho knows that the professors are all
on tho alert to record every item of deli
ciency or misconduct that he may allow
to bo discovered ? "Who does not feel botli
his mental energies and moral firmness
fortified by tho assurance that ho is tho
object of such constant care on the part
of those who arc training him for future
usefulness? Tho power of example is un.
equalled by any iniluoncc on the char
acter in youth. The boy imitates tho ac
lions of his father; his methods of thought
and estimates of men and ideas lie models
after his teachers. How important then
that they should in everything point him
to uncompromising honor as tho fixed
star of Ills life! As a rule, a man will bo
just about what ho is expected to be as
nearly as circumstances will allow if it
is a rogue, he is pretty sure to be a rogue;
if it is an honest man, he will come as near
that as possible. Ilonco the importance
of having a high standard of personal
honor as tho criterion of action. This is
one oftho main features that commend the
demerit system. There is also another
admirabl feature in this method of college
government, and that is, the unlimited
power which each professor lias of exer
cising this means of preserving tho good
order anil industry of tho institution. Nat
urally each one has his own opinion of
the extent to which discipline of this kind
should bo ci rried, so if some are inolinod
to carry it too far and others not far enough,
a happy medium will bo the general re
sult. We are awnro thet some of the stu
dents do not favor this ingenious method
of curbing tho rnsline.ss of youth, but let
Tho "sphere of college journalism" is a
subject dear to tho hoarl of college editors
and to determine the exact rights and
privileges of tlic editor is sometimes dif
ficult. It is obviously unjust that the
columns of a college paper should be do.
voted to unmigltatod slander and abuse
hurled against Faculty, Regents, Trustees)
or students. Yet, it is equally unfair to
attempt to prevent the editors from ex
pressing their own candid opinion with
regard to school matters and even crit
icising them if necessary. The college
paper is the only avenue open to the stu
dents lor tiie expression of their opinions
upon all subjects of interest to them and
vital to the college. An institution is, to
some extent, dependent for reputation
upon the paper it sends forth from
walls. It is largely indicative of the lit
entry advancement of the students and
through its columns prevalent abuses in
the college may bo brought to public at
tentiou and then corrected, needs and
wants made known and then supplied, and
attention directed to tho proper steps to be
taken that the best interests and welfare
of tho students may be promoted. It
would be folly to deny the growing pow
er and influence oftho college press, and
tho Student heartily seconds the suggos
lion of an eastern paper that there bo a
convention of representatives of the vari
ous college papers throughout the conn
try. A convention of this kind would be
most beneficial and increase the power of
the college press.
decide for Itself who shall represent thorn
on the editorial stall'. The amendment
does not provide any other moans limn
those now In vogue for tho election of
associate editor and local, so that there
may still be opportunity, for those so in
clined, to exercisu their political talent
in engineering the elections and their
favorite candidates. Tho experience
one gains in college politics is often of no
small value afterwards, and many prom
inent politicians began their successful
leadership of men while yet in their col
lege course. These student days are in
creased in value fifty percent by an active
participating in all college mutters and
other things being equal, those students
make tho finest men and women and the
best workers who in school days were
known as active, bright workers, leaders
in every college enterprise.
From time to time, the Student Jhas
said what all in tiie University have felt,
that we are greatly in need of an elocu
tionist and at last tired of waiting for the
Regents to act, the students seem to have
taken the matter into their own hands
and many ot them are taking lessons
from the elocutionists who have their
classes in tho society halls. We have all
said so often that we needed an elocution
teacher that the saying has become very
trite and perhaps for this reason has bo
como inefficient wiih the Regents, though
to tho best of tho Student's knowledge
it was never given much consideration at
their hands. Perhaps this effort on tiie
part of individual teachers, who como
hero whitliout any encouragement from
tho Regents, and take all the risks them
selves, may open tho eyes of those in au
thority to this long-folt need and load
them to establish upon a more permanent
basis a department that is worthy of all
encouragement and which already is
making itsoft felt as a beneficent power
among the students.
Tho Studknt Association has mot since
our last writing and passed tho long-talked
of, long-laid-upon-tlio-tahle eoustitu
llonal amendmont providing tint) each
society shall elect its own editor in chief
This is the death knell to all those jolly
provoking quarrels which lor six years
and more have enlivened the yearly elec
tions. For tho future each society is to
A wise collego president in speaking of
premiums says; "I would extend the bene
fit of this incentive to every bianeh of
knowledge taught by a college; not only
to tho regular preparatory course, but to
every other. Were this done I am per.
suaded that a keen and honorable cumin
laliou would be excited among all classes
of students." There are few schools in
the country in which prizes are not offer
ed in one way or another. They are some
times given for declamation, sometimes
for proficiency in tho languages and
sometimes alas, for high standing in
mathematics. Our own University is
something of an exception in never having
had a system of rewards by medals 01
prizes Ihe.Studentdoos not know whether
the faculty consider that premiums are not
benficial or whether they think that a good
student has his own sufiicient reward in
the benefit derived from a high scholar
ship At all events we arc left to do the
best wo can and if we do satisfactory work
nothing is said about it, but if we fall be
low the mark then the demorit system for
cibly reminds us of our deficiencies.
There are weighty arguments both pro
and con upon this vexatious question of
medals and prizes Sometimes it "smacks''
of the infant class and yet the custom of
great scientific and philanthropic societies
in awarding prizes should, and indeed
does, invest this practice with dignity and
honor.
Jgditar'si nbh.
The College Index comes with ajnow
tinted cover, enlarged and rejoicing in the
strength and experience of four years.
The students of Kalamazoo collego have
been agitating tho question of dividing
tho college and preparatory students into
different societies, but no change has bu.-n
effected. The Index contains a Latin ver
slou of Rock of Ages by Hon. W. E. Glad
stone. The Vidette comes this month profusolj
illustrated and takes exception to tho state
mont of the Student FAfa that there are
only two illustrated college papers in ex
istence, itsolf and tho Columbia Spectator
The Vidette contains its usual pago
oftho reports oftho several societies with
the cabalistic Grecian names. These re
ports are a peculiar feature of the Vidette
which should bo adopted by every paper.
Even those papers which are professedly
nianagtul by tho literary souiolios never
have more than, an occasional report of
society programmes.
Ono would think Iho Wiitonbcrgcr
Shukespcnro mad this month. Ono of Its
literary articles is Shakespeare's Rlogra
phy, the second number of classical
studios is a comaprlson between Shake
speare and Sophocles. A Consilience or
Titles is a fanciful Iraversity of Iho titles
of Shakespeare's plays, and College Caesar
Is'm makes quotations from Julius Caesar.
Perhaps Iho shade of Hamlet has wander-
ed back by mistake to this now Witlen.
berg to render unquiet tha minds of his
fellow students.
The University Quarterly seems to
posess in the full the sense of its own im.
porlanco as the 'outstanding, member of
the college faculty" as a distinguished
professor recently denominated the col
lege paper, and is liberal in its criticisms.
We hope it will never meet with such a
fate as that of the Echo and Mercury of
C. C. N. Y. that it will be reiuemberd
were suppressed and their ei'itors expelled
for their free strictures on the proceedings
of the faculty, and now the Free Press
keeps its edltoiship a piolound secret
and comes forward with fho mysterious
legend "Published by tho editors: edited
by the publishers."
The Corncllian, IVLt. Vernon, contains
In its literary department an article on '
the Choice of Woids which is good in the
main, but contains the thoughtless eon.
deiunation oftho use of slang that has
become so common to hear. It refers to
'Viang phrases and words coined in tin
known ways which it is to bu hoped no
gentleman nm certainly no lady will use."
Prof. Loii&lmry had an article in one of
tho Reviews not long ago in defense
of slang and wo think everyone will
concur with his views on the subject
He says it is the tendency of language
in the hands of the literary class to be
come formal and dead; and that slang
phrases having their origin in popular
usage, and being coined out of actual ex.
poriencos, by a process of natural selection
become the feeders of the literal Inn
gunge of tho people; so that it often hap
pens that what is vulgar in one ago is clas
sic in tho next. Ho derides the idea that
languago needs watching and cannot be
trusted to the people at large.
We have recieved the first nunu,or of the
Howard college Index and Chronicle from
Howard college, Mo. "An institution for
the education of young ladies and girls."
The editorials are energetic and business
like but the wit of tho local column is
very "girlish." Success.
lifJi!imjn.
The "Agamemnon" of vEscliylus was re.
cently rendered in the original Greek by
tho students of liulliol Collego, Oxford
tho representation of this play having
proved so successful, the students of Har
vard will give, some time in the spring
term, tho (Edipus Tyrannus.
Over 20,000 students wore actively con.
nected with the German Universities at
tho last semester. Of those, 11,008 wero at
Rorlin ; Dfi'il at Loipsic. Michigan Univ
vrsity has 1 ,JJ0T students; Harvaid, 1,050;
tho Mohamedan University of Cairo
Egypt, catalogues 10,000 slubonts and 5100
professors.
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