8
THE HESPERIAN
EXCHANGE BRIC-A-BRAC.
Chicago University is no
financial vein.
more. Malady rupture of the
Three hours per week of gymnasium arc required of Prince
ton Freshmen.
Attendance at recitations or lectures is optional at Cornell,
subject to restriction if abused.
"Words are things" is the title under which the perfidious
custom and continual use of college slang is very ably and
uniqaciy discussed in the April number of the University
Quarterly. To say that we agree with the writer docs not
sufficiently express our sentiments.
California Freshmen arc unaccouutably courageous. In
this they compare favorably with our own Freshmen. It may
not be believed, yet it is substantiated by the best of author
ities that thirty of those valiants successfully kept five Soph
omores at bay in a recent cane rush.
The Lincolnian is again welcomed, this time more heartily,
for we fancywe"see an improvement; perhaps more original
matter to take the place of orations written by some one not
connected with the paper, would make a still greater improve
ment. Nevertheless, we repeat, you are welcome.
Eastern college journalists are agitating a scheme for the
organization of an "Association of College Journalists.'.'
This scheme is one which the American people should take
mmediate steps'to frustrate. Imagine, if you will, the effect
on the people at large if all the "brains" should assemble at
one place even for the short time required for meeting. De
struction, inevitable destruction awaits if we permit it.
Yes, Lawrentian, Nebraska is rabidly awakening to the
fact that her future welfare is to rest with the statesmen of our
editorial staff. Delicay forbade us to emphasize this fact, but
after your kind article appeared we submitted to the inevitable
an3 shall proceed at once to notify our executives that they
should prepare to vacate soon. But, Lawrentian, we repre
sent the State University and so the state affairs directly con
cern us.
Kansas papers are agitating the organization of a western
inter-collegiate base ball association. Such a scheme, for the
present, we believe to be impracticable. When we consider
the distance between colleges in our as yet new country, the
expense ot transportation and the amount of time which of
necessity a student must use in practice and in regular games,
we are not surprised at the small number who would willingly
join such an association. Lawrentian do not be impatient.
E. B. Cottingham, in a recent number of the Alabama
Univ. Monthly, impartialy reviews the long established in
stitution "Capital Punishment." Stating that "Men were bar
barous when this law was enjoined," he claims that "Now
we no longer need such a cruel and unjust penalty. It pre
vents the reformation of the offender; it fails in the remuner
ation of the injured" and is not instrumental in the prevention
of crime. The article is a just and humane plea for a system
more in accordance with modern ideas.
The exchange editor of the IVashbum Argo is well, modes
ty forbids us to say what, but our Nondescript editor has do
nated a box of blacking and a lead pencil to the office nnd
furnished an extra article for The Hesperian. We were at
a loss to account for such an unusual freak until we discovered
a copy of the Argo concealed in his clothes, the exchange page
bearing marks of "oft repeated porings," while another copy
was' marked, apparently to send to some appreciative friencl
Cease, or your compliments may work a financial wreck.
"The highest literary honors conferred by Yale arc the six
Townscnd prizes given annually to the writers of the six best
orations, the competition being open to all members of the
Senior class. The significant feature of the award this year
is, that of the six successful men one is captain of the base ball
nine, one of the foot ball team, two have rowed in the class
crew, one has played in the class nine, and the sixth is a good
general athlete."
The captains of the base and foot ball clubs captured the
first and second prizes.
The De Pattw Monthly bewails the' fact that it cannot, from
the representative college papers, glean any opinion concern
ing the institutions represented except that they are training
schools for base ball, polo, etc. The condition of the editor
who thus asserts his incapacity must be appalling. If this
philosopher could but know the impression produced upon the
unfortunates who, from a false sense of duty peruse his col
umns, he would philosophize no more. When a paper claims
to represent literary societies and really represents fraternities,
when eight tenths of its matter is cither contributed or clip
ped, then it, indeed, befits the editor of such an intellectual
paper to criticise.
If one might judge from the oft repeated admonitions given
us by so many of our contemporary college journals, literary
articles should form the fundamental part of a college paper.
But if one judge from the real interest aroused in reading the
different college papers, the literary department is the one
least likely to arouse that interest and it becomes more and
moic evident that that department is the one instituted or
rather used to lighten the work of the editors and to give the
paper the most literary appearance with the least possible
work.
In this, our friend the College Student sbows unusual abili
ty, in fact, excels all others in this particular line. In the
May issue of that journal six out of seven literary articles,
filling eleven out of twenty pages of reading matter were writ
ten by others than members of the editorial staff. Such strik
ing originality in a college paper is, indeed, not universal, but
the practice is carried too far by the majority of college pa
pers to the serious loss of matter more interesting and more
instructive. A reform is in order.
Our age is the age of invention. Daily papers are contin
ually printing lists of the most recent achievements of the
American mind. To notice these inventions because of their
number and variety does net imply their value. Were it so,
this article would not have been invented. On the- contrary
the inventions which accomplish the least good and show the
least ingenuity are noticed because of those characteristics.
The exchange editor of the Simponian belongs to that class
of nonenitics who invent such nonenities. His latest is his
recent attack on the Hesperian. After telling us that from
report he had gathered the idea that the Hesperian was so
good that he awaited in suspense our first appearance on his
table, he condemns us because we keep "two serpents, a stalk
of corn, a cat's tail, an owl, an angel, a youth in classic appa
rel reclining upon the inanimate form of a buffalo, and the sun
just peeping in from the Orient" upon our cover. As a sub
ordinate Tact lie further remarks upon the absence of any "lit
erary" matter. Even in this tirade he pays us a compliment,
for which we doff our hat. Granting that our "outside" 'is
original, he immediately says that we exclude all "literary"
articles, which, of course, acknowledges our "inside" to be
original. And yet the poor genius(?) deludes himself with
the idea that he has crushed us "now and forever."
ALL GOODS WARRANTED AS REPRESENTED AT MAYER BROS, xoth ST. CLOTHIERS.
