Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1886)
' h IrESJ'ERIAX. ; us in our language the lessons of their lives. Still even here we find the characters .Irawn almost wholly from the rich, the cultivated, the intelligent. Still no tidings to the poor, no hints of how to hrcak the chains of ignorance and poverty. Whence shall this literary Messiah of the common Ameri can people come from? Will he he some American Gautama drawn from his home of wealth and culture by the cry from the street without? Or will he not, like nearly all great re formers, rise from the mass of which he is to he the leader, and by the aid of a genius kindled to thr-t which kindred the pen of Dickens, record the thoughts and actions of his fel lows, reproducing them in characters which must live in their simple truth when the dress coated and kid gloved "Howells' and James1 young man" shall have lain him down to the ob livion which is the usual fate of the characters of a 'society' novel and the literary Mr.Isaacs is silent and forgotten, smoth ered in the glittering exuberance of his oriental garb. II. S. M. 77: GROWLER. Mr. Kditok: I don't know as you have a Growler's column now, but I think I have seen such a thing at some time in the past histo ry of the Ilr.slT.ulAN. Now it is a well known fact that every person who takes a paper has a right to express himself as to its management, so I propose to criticise the IIkspkkian, not in a general, sweeping criticism,hich shall expose all the faults of the paper, as that might take more time ami space than I have to spare, but a criticism of one peculiar feature that has latclybecn introduced into the local page. 1 always make it a matter of principle to remain in ignorance of the manner in which our board of editois divide up their work, so 1 hope the local editor will not think 1 mean anything per sonal, especially if he happens to be a bigger man than I am, but to proceed. The first time this term when 1 received my Husi'KKlAN, and turned with my usual avidity to the locaj page, my eye fell upon a verse of poetry. It is not necessary for me to repeat it; you arc all familiar with it. I thought it was pretty good. When, after waiting the customary three or four weeks, another copy of our great and glorious paper was distributed and 1 glanced at the local page again, 1 saw at the head of the column something that had an interesting look. With cagci expectation I read it. It had a straugcly familiar sound. The third time 1 came across that verse a feeling of weakness came over me, as if 1 had just gone through with an examination in French pronunciation. The fourth time I thought, to use an expression made classic by Mark Twain, that it was "getting monotonous." The next time but 1 must stop or 1 will mention more times than there have been papers issued, and my reputation tor veracity will suffer. Therefore I wish to say to the local editor, to use an other classic expression, "give us a rest." Don't keep those two lines standing at the head of your column like a patent iitedicine advertisement. If you can't get locals enough to fill your share of the prpcr, draw on your-imagination and record a few things that might have happened. Hut if you can't fill the space up, 'cave it blank and save us the time and trouble of reading this verse over e cry time we get a new Hesvkrian. E. D. H. "EN7'RE NOUS." recently conferred upon him. His action, at least, was more fitting than that of the college. This practice of conferring degrees upon prominent men for personal or political reasons, or for the notoriety the institution may receive therefrom, that should be properly extended only to distinguished men in the educational world, is becoming altogether too common. Among the limited number ol the acts of President Cleve land that wc individually approve is that one of refusing the honorary degree of 1,1,. 1)., which it is said Harvard College Congress is now in session, and matters of national importance are now passing in review. Hut how many ol our students can find time to keep posted on these questions of the day, epicstions vital to our own government. We venture the statement that less than one third of the students find opportunity to read one daily paper. Our reading room is fairly well supplied; the opportunity is given; the time only is lacking. It has been said of our students, that they were as truly alive, and as well informed on political questions as were the students of other colleges; indeed, with smaller opportunity to formulate opinions, they were yet the most liberal in opin ions and as able to defend themselves in their opinions as the majority of students whether cast or west. This may be putting the case loo strongly in our favor, but it is a duty wc owc to our fellow-students to give them the encouragement which they deserve, and which we have heard bestowed. And now the question which we wish to ask is this: would we read more did our work in college require less lime? This is a question often asked by our professors of literature, ihetoric and elocution, and is of no small consequence lor those inter rested in our general literary knowledge and training. Wc venture another statement, viz; if the work required of us was less, we would graduate a class of better and wider informed students. Indeed wc bclicc it almost necessary to lessen the required work in order that literature especially may re ceive proper attention among our students. From the 'Chancellor's Hicnnial Report" we take pride and pleasure in clibping the following paragraphs which set forth our progress in the two years now closed, and our needs for the two years upon which we are now entering: , "Where two years ago our own Latin School was the sole recognized and accredited preparatory school of the Universi ty, it is now supported liv sixteen public high schools which formally undertake the whole or part of our preparatory work while as many more all oxer the state arc moving in the same direction. These schools send' up this year as their first contingent nearly one-third of our Freshman class, not to mention their contribution to the advanced class of the Lat in School. The accessions to the permanent Faculty have not only justified themselves, but have added largely to the strength of the institution. The Department of Geology ami Allied Sci ences, although without provision for anytai'lg beyond ne cessary instruction, has not only successfully carried on that work, but also conducted field work in the state whose results have commanded attention at home and abroad; the Department of Hotany, and Horticulture, practically created within the past two years, is already taking rank as one of the best in the country; the Department of Civil Engineer ing, also formally established, within this period, although not yet properly equipped, is attracting an excellent class of students and doing good work; and the Department of Mod ern Languages has been revived and made one of the strong est in the University, reaching with at least two years of con tiuuous work every student in each of the five college cours es. In addition to these four leading departments which, as now constituted, rre to be credited almost wholly to the growth of this biennium, the old Department of Chemistry and Phy-