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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1886)
THE H EXPERT AX. 1 nessl business! Is Hie cry. Sixteen or seventeen is the ngc when the average boy has a supreme contempt for such femi. nine woik as study and imagines that he has only to earn a salary to he n man ami to have a chance at business to lay the foumlations of a fortune. What good would Latin and Greek do me? they pioudh 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 usi a higher education in business simply because they did not have it to use themselves. And so they take their sons from school and teach them the "business." How few realize that there is a broader, higher life than the one they lic in their 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 afllictcd until at least twenty 'one years of age, for then vc would have a far more thor oughly equipped set of men to start in business, the coming generation would be taught to appreciate the 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 so 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 n college education. A realization, an adaptation and an education arc in order. Kditok Hksvkkian: 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'reps 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 hac noticed that such groups were almost entirely made up of "kickers" and that although a great man imcctives weic hurled against the established plan of annual socicl) 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 wai rant the overthrow al of that plan, we can not almit. '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 wc have a great many exercises upon the evenings of Commencement week? There are, as a usual thing, only five 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 gtate University in their midst, prominently be fore them. Was there any foundation for such a remark? There has been, so far this tcim, no University entertainment properly so-called, which tnc students themselves furnished. Nor, during the entire year will ihcic be many such. So that, in the interests of the University, we could not curtail the number ol entertainments In which the students are biought before the Lincoln public, lint, 'they are compelled to listen respectfully to long and dry orations and essays.' Ay, there is the real key to the discontent. Hut should we not use our energies in rendering our programs more interest ing, more attractie; Instead of using them to overthrow? We 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- cms, bright sketches, papers, invectives, 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 wc 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 arc worthy of being kept up. We do not have Junior oratoricals, Sophomore rhctoricals, field day, etc, but wc do have sociclj 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 IX THE HALLS. "1 know not what the truth may be, 1 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 arc now reading "Mary Ann." Westcrman makes life a burden. He is learning to play the cornet. Tall Feck, 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 Honnell. 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.
