Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885, October 01, 1882, Page 3, Image 6

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THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
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Anglo-Saxon is not down as a required study and
Latin and Greek will no longer trouble the Seniors.
The classical Senior must hereafter take Geology and
Astronomy. It would be well for all students to care
fully study the pamphlet.
Some of the energetic youth in one of the societies
have formed a new club. It will meet every Satur
day evening, make parliamentary drill, debating, and
extemporaneous speaking its work and will, no doubt,
draw into its circle the most active and progressive
undergraduates. If the members of this new club
stick to the work they can make it the most profitable
of any exercise in the college year. The Student
is glad to note the move and predicts a successful
continuance. But a word of warning do not . let
anything, excepting disablement, prevent any member
from being present at every meeting and exercise
great care that witty or humorous efforts receive less
attention than the sober work.
The Student indulges in considerable pride and
satisfaction over thAand to be taken "from hence
forth and forever" in the matter of standard for
admission. Teachers' certificates will no longer be
received as evidence of sufficient advancement for
matriculation. Examinations are to be made more
searching and rigid. This is as it should be. It is
in direct line of progress toward cutting off the pre
paratory school and making the State University what
it should be, viz.: a professional and collegiate insti
tution and not a high school. In the matter of
teachers' certificates we think the Faculty especially
justifiable. This editorial "we" knows of too many
certificates granted incompetents through favoritism
or carelessness of county superintendents. The
scholarly and able teacher will not shrink from
examination, and the anomaly of our State Univer
sity accepting credentials of fitness for admission'
from county superintendents all over the state of
whose qualifications as examiners it knows nothing,
will be done away with. Let the good work go on.
A new "revised course" has been issued by the fac
ulty during the summer which is a decided improve
ment upon the former one.
First comes the announcements of the various feat
ures of the University as to departments, advantages
and requisites of students. The scheme giving the
courses of study includes those of the Latin school;
the former ones giving only those of the college
course. Two new courses are also laid down not giv
en in the old; viz. "Engineering" and "Agricultur
r.l." After a year's experience with two semesters
the Faculty have decided to return to the former
three term system.
away with after a year's trial.
The most important change, however, is the with
holding of the electives until the Junior year; the for
mer system beginning them with the Freshman year.
This, we think, is as it should be. Few students are
competent to select their studies judiciously until they
reach the latter part of their course. They need con
siderable mental training and discipline before they
really know for what class of studies they are best fit
ted. Moreover, whatever course they pursue, most
of them need the same elementary drill. To compel a stu
dent to elect part of his studies during the first part
of his course only bewilders him as he has not been
at school long enough to know what he does want;
hence it is better that those more competent than him
self should prescribe for him such studies as in their
judgment will best fit him for whatever course he may
pursue. Another new feature is the holding of after
noon recitations. This has been rendered necessary
in order to carry out the elective system with the pres
ent teaching force. It is a new experiment, but we
hope it will prove satisfactory.
Whim: we look in vain for many of the faces that
were once familiar in the University we find their pla
ces more than filled by new and strange ones. To
all these who have just decided to cast their lots with
us the Student bids a hearty welcome. We extend
to you the right hand of friendship and fellowship.
We invite you to join hand and heart with us in our
work and trust you will not wait for a more formal
invitation. You have come for a good and noble pur
pose, and your coming makes us better and stronger.
The Societies need you and their doors are open
wide to receive you. May you not long delay to
avail yourselves of the excellent opportunities they
afford you. Opportunities' for improvement in thought
and speech which only this thorough self-drill can
give should be grasped. A broad field is before you
in which only those who sow can reap.
Many students come to the University without any
definite plan of action. They intend to stay foronly
a term or so, or perhaps for a year, and think it use
less to start in on any of the regular courses since
they have not time to complete them. Thus, having
no particular end in view, their work is apt to be des
ultory and without much profit. It is well to decide
early what end you wish to accomplish and then lay
out a definite line of studies leading thereto and make
all your general reading tributary to it. In this way
you will economize both time and energy. Then in
stead of leaving at the end of the term or year we hope
you will decide to stay until you can take with you
the honors of the institution.
A word farther. Remember that the Student is
iree term system. Saturday recjfationsnjai.ai.cnrfp"'
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