THE HESPERIAN
EXCHANGE BRIC-A-BRAC.
Garfield University, Wichita, Kansas, claims to have the
largest college building in the West. It has an auditorium
seating 4,300 people and two other halls which will set coo
each. The cost of the building will be $250,000.
The Simpsonian should be better posted as to the college
of our president-elect. Miami University takes some pride
in claiming to be the lucky spot were Hen Harrison studied,
flunked, and did other things peculiar to student days.
The Monmouth Collegian pleases us as a whole. The ex.
change department is particularly well cared for. The ".7
umni et alumna'' reminds us that our own graduates are not
so well looked after. Some of the editorials, however, arc
of that abstract nature which cannot well be original.
The Aegis is out with a strong editorial again&t a certain
"inquisitorial, kindergarten" system of excuses for absence.
Hope you will have some effect, Aegis. If you don't, come
down here where no such system prevails, but every student
feels that he "skips class" to his own detriment.
The editors of the Heidelberg Journal arc cither very mod
est, or they are ashamed of the paper, for no mention of an
editorial board is made. Some three columns of "axiomatic
truths," two contributed articles, and an assortment of locals
of various species, make up the issue. As a college paper it
might be improved.
The Delphic, of Drake University, is a new exchange.
To our mind too much space is taken by contributed articles.
We like to see college editors make their paper what it is, be
it good or bad. The editorial, exchange, and local columns
of the Delphic are fairly well sustained. Two of the editorials
would be better placed under the head of "literary."
We were about to write up the Whim, but were almost
turned from our purpose by seeing some very flattering re
marks in that little journal about ourselves. However we
will say what we think, believing that kindly-meant criticism
will not give offense. The cover of the Whim is not pretty,
nor even neat. It might be improved with little trouble or
expense. The most conspicuous defect internally is the si i ill
ness of the local department. Leave out the "chestnut col
umn," and give local news. We should like to say also "Ex
pand the editorial department," but hardly know where the
space would be found. The fact is, the Whim is rather small
all round for a monthly. If you can, enlarge; if not, we sup
pose we shall have to put up with homeopathic doses in some
departments.
It has been one of the stock inducements to become ex
change editor of The Hesperian that he gets to read all
the amusing little remarks made about our cover. The pres
ent editor has only been on the paper a week, but the fun has
already commenced. He got to feeling very blue over some
heartless ridicule; then he found a very approving notice, and
so on. He has now arrived at such a state of callousness
that he can look with curiosity to see what the next paper
says. To the Butler Collegian, which evidently labors under
a delusion, we would say that our present assortment of "owls"
rattlesnakes, etc." was only collected about four years ago
The Hesperian was not born to its present great size and
high literary standard. Like other western children it had
to grow. It did without a cover many a long year. And
now to have selected a design which does not fill the Collegian
with ecstatic rapture! It grieves us, dear Collegian oh, ever
so much.
Our taste may be pretty bad but wc do not like to see an
exchange department composed entirely of clipping. It you
have room for a column of "college news" and have sufficient
knowledge and judgment to exclude "news" that is getting
gray headed, all right. But to leave out the proper exchange
department, which should be one of criticism and general
discussion, and print instead items that have been read so
often that they fairly take off their hat to you as an old ac
quaintance, rather irritates our generally peaceful nature.
These "oldest," "youngest," "wealthiest," etc, items are
the worst abused. Wc notice the Mail ami Express offers
o settle the "youngest college president" matter, if Messrs.
Hyde, Warficld and Candler will send on their family bibles.
Now if there could be an assassination commitcd on that
grinning skeleton "the first college paper D. W., etc." we
would sleep better.
The Coup (PEtat is a pretty good local paper; the editori
als arc not bad; the exchange department does not show any
remarkable talent, except in the use of scissors. The re
mainder of the space is filled with two artichs, good, but
contributed. As you are anxious to "sustain your reputation
as the first college paper in the United States," Coup, you
will doubtless be obliged for the suggestion to pull a few
leads and use the two or three columns thus gained for some
literary matter original with the editors. Wc notice an edi
torial which shows a lamentable lack somewhere, either in
faculty or students. It sets forth the fact that Knox College
has a library and proceeds to expatiate on the advantages of
such an adjunct to a college. One would think that students
there were tied down to text books, and were never led to
investigate a subject further than such volumes carry one. A
student in the U. of N., long before he leaves prepdom, is
familiar with reference books and parallel reading which
broadens his view of any subject he studies. We would as
soon think of telling our students of chapel exercises, or or
dinary recitations as of our library. Every professor not
only recommends, but, in most higher classes, requires much
outside reading. It is hard on the books and they have to
be rebound, but the library so used is of some real value.
The Haverfordian, thanks to a metropolitan publishing
house, makes a good showing typographically, except that the
local columns are rather ragged. They arc made up with
total disregard to length of paragraph. Neither is the matter
contained in them commendable, either in quantity orquality.
The editorials show that "cramming" and examinations are
worrying the brains of one more college editor. Verily, if
discussion brings about settlement of such problems, it is
almost time for the settlement to be at hand. The point
raised as to the strict morality of "getting out lessons
together" is a little strained. If it were true that it is in the
act of "digging" that the chief benefit of study lies, the
argument would have more force. But the knowledge ob
tained is supposed to be of some value. Is it not better then
by co-operation to attain to a certain amount of knowledge
than by individual striving with difficulties to get a less
amount in the same time? Is it not better to use a clear,
easily-understood text book, rather than one written so illo
gically that harder study is required to master the subject?
In this hurrying age time is of some account. Of course in
the case of a bright student studying with a very dull one,
work may be shirked by the latter. But, ordinarily, co-op-erativc
study causes both brains to work more actively and
more nctual work is often thus accomolished ttmn h Jnur..
study. Do not understand us to advise cooperative study
as the only proper way of getting lessons. We wish only to
show that there is another side to-thc question. Another ed
itorial makes mention of a few of the many evils of the dor
mitory system.
