Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1882)
T UK 1IKSP E It I A N S T V D B N T. 1 i 5; 11 ' THE HESPERIAN STUDENT. Published semi-monthly by tliu students of tho Nebraska Stato University. Wednesday, Junk 11, 1882. KDITOHS INC'lllEP, a. B. Davis. N. '.. Snkll. Local Editou, Ci.km CiiAsn. ASSOCIATE EniTOIl WlLI. 0. JONES. Business Manaoek, U. V. Maimiiall. tkiims OP rtUnSCUII'TION. 1 copy per collogo year 31.00. 1 " ono half year no. Single copy .05. HATES OK ADVEIITISIKM. 1 column one Insertion $3.00. Stqunras " " .75. 1 " " " .40. All articles for publicati n should be addressed Editor IIcsrEiiiAN Student, Stnto University. Lincoln, Nebraska. All subscriptions mid bust ncsscoinuninlcatlons. with the address, should bo sent to U. F. MAKSII ALL. Subscriptions col lected invariably In advance. Advertisements collected monthly. Jgdiforfal, The Student looks upon the many things written and said concerning the behavior of our students while ut Crete, last month, as too childish and unfounded to demand reply. Gum chewing we do not defend, neither do those who wore thoughtless enough to indulge in the exercise on that eventful evening. Fur. titer than this tho University delegation behaved as any company of students would when enjoying a happy holiday. We think it an excellent showing for the University that so many of the stu dents are in whole or in part sell-supporting. Some have regular work which they carry on in connection with their studies throughout tho year, while a large frac tion devote their vacations to zealously accumulating that which is necessary to continue them in school. Such students will noror compromise their Alma Muter. Siie is proud of them, and woll she may be, for they represent an important com ponent of the future culture of the state. The students have many times been reminded that it is not a mark of the highest culture to carry on conversation during chapel exercises. Whatever their religious toueuts students should have too much respect for the opinions) of others to disturb them in their devotions. In chapol no less than in the church unnccos savy noise is l hi outward expression of a vulgar mind. Our exercises arc sliorl and none are so young us to bo unable to maintain quietness until the end. Now that tho contest is over and nothing was done to perfect arrangements for sending a representative to the Inter- State Oratorical Contest next year, it will be necessary to devise some means to insure concord of action among the col leges of the stale. It is high time for Nebraska to take her place among the other northwestern states in these annual contests. Why cannot a a committee bo appointed at once from those institutions which desire to be connected with the state association to lay plans for selecting a suitable representative! As the end of the year approaches, we recall the awkward situation of the stu dents who Hied to go home last June at one-fourth fare. All visitors from abroad were favored with this reduction, but the purse-poor student was obliged to pay almost full rates. There was a misunder standing on the part of the agents and all students did not pay at the same rates. We hope thai those who negotiate with the R. R.'s this year will see to it that no such mistake occurs again. When a stu dent lias succeeded in saving just enough to pay the reduced fare to his home and discovers tint it is not reduced after all, he is embarrassed. Physics, and all similar studies, have no place in a university. Liteuauy Notes takes this paper to task for saying thai "Most of the high schools of the slale now aim to prepuro students for the Freshman year." Like honest people wo admit the assertion a little too strong. Should the Notes re-read the article, it would see that the writer advocated the abolishing of tho first preparatory year only. Is there any school in the stale that lays claim lo the dignity af a high school that cannot pre pare studenls to enter the second propar atory year of the Literary and Scientific courses? No language, save the English, is required, nothing but elementary studies. There is scarcely a district school but what could, if necessary, fit students for the second preparatory 3 ear of these courses. With the classical it is some different. One year of Latin is required. But it is indeed a poor high school that cannot furnish this. All that tho Student lias said the past year concerning the relation between tho high schools and the University it now reiterates, viz.; Tho standard of admission to tho University ought to bo raised. Students have been matriculated that brought into contempt the judgment of the men who admitted thorn; (2) as a sequence of tho first thoro is no good reason for longer continuing tho first preparatory year. (0) The Lincoln High School ought to bo made the preparatory department of the University. This, as lias been before advocated, is the plan adopted in Michigan. Tho older a class of students there are 111 any university, the better will the work bo done. Again, Grammar, Elementary Algebra and Thehe aro some tilings that students cannot well discuss without secmim; to reverse '.lie sphere of professor aim stu dent. Methods of teaching a class is one. Willi no excuse except the injustice done the members of some of the higher classes, tho Student ventures to make a few remarks. The aim of a teacher surely ought to bo to develop what there is in a student, lo teach him to think lor himself. True, there is a certain amount of machine work that every child has to accomplish. Hut this is, and ought to be, done when a child. When lie can only grasp the particular, and not the general, then it may do to ask those questions that can be answeied in a few sentences; it might possibly be in order to give these simple little questions, with the page n which the answer can be found in the book, a week or ten days before an exam ination; it might be excusable to ask these children of eight or ten years of age a third or half of these petty question-, and call it an examination of the work done during the term; all this in its proper plaee the grammar school i well enough. When such methods arc used in teaching Juniors and Seniti, especially tho hitler, of a state university, they lose much of their force and can only appear ridiculous in the eyes of the students. One text-books may discuss a subject well and thoroughly. It, like the utlu-i. may do for young students. But ti advanced ones the day of one text-bo. k is pust. It is only a guide which serves to indicate the order in which suhjecis arc taken up. One man's opinion ncu-i made anything true. Nor does one author's assertion, however great a scholar ho may be, carry conviction to the true student. Independent invest gallon, independent thinking, is what 1 professor should aim to cultivate in a student. If he fails to do this, he fails u- a teacher. Students of Cornell college, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, keep and publish a record of the attendance of professors at chapol oxei cisos. Tho marks vary from 0 to 100 pel cent. Tho now college song book is at lat ready for distribution It is printed on tinted paper witli rich silk binding, and until tho first of July will be sold at the remarkably low price of $1,530. At Kansas University a copy of Blaine's eulogy on Garfield was given to eacli rt ular attendant at chapel exercises. Ti Review looks upon the scheme with sii' piciou and sagely remarks that "This slip seals the deathblow of the 'cliromo dodge.' " to :