THE HESPERfAtV.
ness! business! Is the cry. Sixteen or seventeen is the age
when the nvcroge boy has a supreme contempt for such femi.
nine woik as study and imagines that he has only to earn a
snlnry to be a man ami to have a chance at business to lay the
foundations of a fortune. What good would Latin and Greek
do me? they proudly ask. When one is naturally smart, an
education beyond the common branches only encumbers! Can
1 find use for algebra, physics and history in the counting
room? Deluded, egotistical youth, the dollar is the goal, and
not the delights of civilization. Hut business men encourage
them Men whose hours for sleep, work, breakfast, dinner
and supper arc occupied with money schemes cannot imagine
how any one can us a higher education in business simply
because they did not have it to use themselves.
And so they take their sons from school and
leach them the "business." How few realize
that there is a broader, higher life than the one
they live in '.heir own sphere; that money is not the goal; that
anything other than money forms capital. Girls, they let go
to school because they have nothing else for them to do.
Would that the boys were thus afflicted until at least twenty
one years of age, for then wc would have a far more thor
oughly equipped set of men to start in business, the coming
generation would be taught to appreciate tl- benefits and en
joyments of higher education, and our civilization be advanc
ed more and more. Why can it not be? Why is it not more
m) today? The world is full of men of ability; ami even men
of genius, to shine, should start from the same intellectual
level as the multitude which starts with a college education.
A realization, an adaptation and an education arc in order.
Kimtok Uusi'KKlAN:
Taking to myself the invitation extended in the last issue
to discuss the "June Exhibition question," 1 comply. It will
be remembered that that question caused no little delay in
making preparations last ycrr. Groups of Seniors, first
l'rcps and etc. were almost daily formed at various places in
the hall on the second floor to discuss this most momentous
question. A bystander would have noticed that such groups
were almost entirely made up of "kickers" and that although
a great many imcclives were hurled against the established
plan of annual society exhibitions, not one of the discon
tented ones could bring forward any scheme which would be
at all acceptable even to the assembled gioup. A few schemes
were broached, but none of them found supporters enough to
warrant any determined fight for their establishment. That
there was and still is a large number of the discontented ones,
we cannot but admit, but that their objections to the estab
lished plan are sufficient to warrant the overdirowal of that
plan, we can not admit. 'It is an imposition on the Lincoln
public to compel them to attend so many exhibitions during
commencement week and to sit two or three hours, listening
respectfully to some dry essays and orations.' Ah, but do we
compel them so to do? They come of their own free will
and it is not al all probable that exactly the same or even near
ly the same audience attends all three exhibitions. Is it a
fact that we have a great many exercises upon the evenings of
Commencement week? There are, as a usual thing, only live
evenings of the week occupied, and remember that Com
mencement week comes only once a year. Not long since, a
prominent townsman was heard to say that Lincoln and the
University were not brought together often enough to beget
a mutual interest in each other or even to keep the fact of ex
istence of the state University in their midst, prominently be
fore them. Was there any foundation for such a remark?
There has been, so far this term, no University entertainment
properly so-called, which the students themselves furnished.
Nor, during the entire year will there be many such. So
that, in the interests of the University, we could not curtail
the number of entertainment in which the students are
brought before the Lincoln public. Hut, 'they are compelled
to listen respectfully to long and dry orations and essays.'
Ay, there is the real key to the discontent. Hut should wc
not use our energies in rendering our programs more interest
ing, more attractive; instead of using them to overthrow?
Wc practically confess our inability to furnish a good, inter
esting and original program in doing away with the enter
tainment for any such reason. That every such exhibition
should consist of the conventional numbers of one essay, two
orations, one recitation and debate, is an idea that should be
eliminated as soon as possible. The introduction of racy po-'
ems, bright sketches, papers, invective, etc, would vary the
monotony and give more scope for originality.
The greatest argument against our June exhibitions, in the
eyes of the major part of the malcontents, is the fact that
eastern schools do not have them, but in their place have an
annual Junior exhibition. That such an argument is brought
forward by a student of the U. of N. surprises us. We had
an idea that typical western independence and originality was
represented in our students. Shall we fall in line and adopt
customs simply because they are followed by an older institu
tion? Shall we give up our society feeling to that common
but fruitless class feeling? Let us use our energies in making
what we have better, and keep up all customs peculiar to the
west as long as they are worthy of being kept up. We do
not have Junior oratoricals, Sophomore rhctoricals, field
day, etc, but we do have society exhibitions, and to make
them more and more of a success should be our ever present
aim. Ye knights of the opposition, bring forth your argu
ments now, and let us have a good, fair, honest discussion,
deciding by candid reasoning a question which bids fair to
be a live one during the next term.
HEARD IAr THE HALLS.
"I know not what the truth may be,
I tell the talc as 'twas told me."
Have you any coal?
Where did you steal it?
Did you pass in political economy?
The Junior French students are now reading "Mary Ann."
Westcrman makes life a burden. He is learning to play the
cornet.
Tall Peck, formerly of '87, visited the old place a short
time since,
The band is still increasing. It now numbers something
less than 81.
Lou Storrs has a dog. For further information inquire of
Lizzie Donncll.
It is remarkable how many of the students saw Sullivan
"t the depot."
Ask the Junior Latin class about some of those modern
jokes of Horace,
Tom Haughman has joined the bearded batallion, of which
Fulmer is great mogul.
Miss Miller, who is teaching at Salem, lately made a short
stay among her student friends.
Dinner is to be served at the Y. M, C. A. rooms Thanks
giving Day. All the students will be there.
