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When I was a boy and heard tales of fairies, I envied them
their lot and wished that I might be among them and be hap
py, kittle thought I that still more divine and delightful be
ings existed upon this mundane sphere, to mingle among
whom would be both possible and heavenly. It was my visit
to the U. of N. that apprised me of that fact and 1 now en
joy those raptures which I so often longed for in my youth but
had never hoped to enjoy. It is true that to attempt to de
scribe the representatives of the fair sex who arc crowded in
our University halls would be as an attempt to gild a spark
ling diamond, yet I cannot restrain from saying that if there
ever existed any beings ravishingly delightful, divinely beau
tiful, those beings arc excelled by U. of N. girls. Geo. M. S.
EXCHANGE.
A new Exchange, the Butler Collegian, is on our table.
The locals are constantly reiterating 'confidentially approxi
mate.' Wonder if it refers to prof, tutor or soph.
The College Cut rent speaks of two interesting events at the
university: advent of the mumps and an old fashioned "spcl
lin' bee." The first has honored us, and we arc in hopes of
being able to announce soon, "Spellin' Bee: Seniors vs. Sec
ond Preps."
Crescent, you would verify your name better if you put
more preparation and hard work into your productions, in
stead of trusting entirely to ready wit. Off-hand writing is an
art acquired mly after years of labor. A high school journal
should not attempt it.
Wc notice quite a flow of genius in the last number of the
Campus. One of the students has written an epic of four
cantos after the manner of Dante, upon which we congratu
ate the Campus. We shall no longer have need to delve in
to the Italian intricacies when we have such a wonder in our
own language.
The Ariel and Dartmouth are always welcome to our ta
blc. Though the last issue of the latter was too local to be
of interest to us, the former makes up this deficiency by an
especially complete number. Among the best is an article
on 'Gladstone and Tennyson." In spite of the difficulties
of the antithetic style, the writer has handled the subject
well; the thoughts are good, and the whole forms a very read
able article.
Wc find an apparently sky-scraping article on the "Desire
for Power" in the Muhlenburg Monthly. From the title and
a few of the high sounding words a io-ycar old child might
think it wonderful. But upon closer inspection into such ex
pressions as "wealth, the mental rudder of man," and the
farfetched comparisons between a college student and an in
fant, our awe would speedily subside and we could but
think that he, comparing very favorably with the said infant,
needs 'power to write something besides fustian or keep his
pen on the stand.
When will our college papers learn that they are not pub
ished to fill up so many columns am' pages, but to instruct
and interest their readers? A paper is not so large, nor is an
ordinary student's mental capacity so small that he is obliged
to go hunting all over the world for old love ditties, adven
tures of circus men, or s. s. stories in order to fill its columns.
What we want is matter belonging to the 19th century and of
intcrestto students. Some in order to avoid this extreme go
to the other and fill every column with locals or jokes, inter
esting only at that time and place. Why can wc not find the
golden mean and not send out such weak representatives of
our colleges?
What is the matter with the poetical genius of the Varsi
ty Has his best girl gone back on him? Has he received
luns from his washerwoman? Or did he flunk in the last
exam, that he should warble forth such plaintive mclo.1i..s?
They have such a woebegone, heart smashing, tear drench
ing passion that wc feel bound to offer condolence of some
kind. What shall it be, a lump of taffy or a new tie?
Fearing the change would be too sudden for his health wc
offer more moderate soothing syrup:
"Cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining,
Thy fate is the common fate of all."
The engrossing topic now is "examinations." Our e
changes arc eloquently expatiating on the evils of the sys
tern in such a manner as to threaten the safety of this drag
on. O, that it were forever banished from poor, suffering hu
manity!
Our educational system has been in process of evolution
for centuries. Gradually it has been pruned and changed un
til now it has become the most practical system for develop
ment ever attained. However, there are some relics of the
past generation, which in future ages will be entirely abolish
ed and forgotten. One of these is the cxamiuat on system.
This is an unmitigated evil, retained from a narrow sense of
conservatism throughout the majority of colleges.
Its evil results arc widespread. It robs time from both
professor and student. If wc could compute the titm. wasted
in cramming, examining papers, grading etc., we should be
shocked at its enormity. It is urged that a faithful student
has no need of cramming. We have often heard of such but
fail to sec them. Look at the goody-goody boy who says "I
do not dread the exam." Sec if he don't look deceitful! Then
look at him again about 2 o'clock in the morning and if you
don't find him with his head bound up in cold water, study
ing at the rate of 100 pages an hour you may know that he
has his cuffs all fixed or a few well covered cards in his pock
et. How many students are there who can with six or seven
studies, themes, society work, etc, be prepared to pass an ex
am on three months wo;k without any reviewing? The old
custom was that final reviews should precede the examina
tions. When we have eschewed the one, why not banish the
other? The time spent in cramming is lost. It is not like a
systematic review, which fixes in mind more clearly the im
portant points, omitting the less prominent ones. In order
to review a term's work in a day or two a very superficial
glance is all that can be given to any of the subjects So all
alike is recalled for the next day, but immediately afterwards
forgotten. Of what profit is this? Only the consolation he
can obtain from the highest marks. How few really consider
for what we are striving in this mad race for 98 and 99! How
much worry is spent on the thought of some one else recciv
ing a higher mark, and if it were really known there is an
immense amount of childish feeling over being excelled.
Hence the no less conscientious students in order to attain
success have no scruples about ponies, etc. Should this go
on? What is the system compared to the temptation? If
the university does not exert an entirely moral influence it
does not come up to the required standaid. '
Examinations originated in order to test and grade the pu
pil. A true test they are not. Why should they longer ex
ist? From a thorough system of review they have degenerat
ed into a system of cram which is most injurious to the mind,
inducing superficial knowledge and forcing so much at once
upon the mind that it is not trained but stupefied. Cannot
some other system be substituted?
Many students anticipating the examinations, pay little at-
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