THE HESPERIAN.
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be better to have the chemistry work done in t he win
ter term and thus relieve the second year students
to a great extent? The work would be more evenly
distributed and would be better done. The com
plaints of the second year students should receive attention.
The state convention of college Y. M. C. A. was
an excellent means towards establishing the proper
relations between the colleges of the state. Such
meetings make the students more charitable and
broader in every respect. The best evidence of this
was the fact that almost all the students, whether they
belonged to the organization or not, made it their
especial care to attend. Such conventions should be
held more frequently. They tend to awaken j.reater
religious spirit and increase the feeling of. Christian
fellowship among students Everything that tends
to deveop the moral character of the students raises
the standing of the institution in a corresponding degree.
Steps should be taken at once toward making the
proper preparations for Field Day. The delays that
occurr-'d last year should be avoided. The commit
tees areappointed but no sign of preparation appears.
Prepare now and not on Field Day. If properly ar,
ranged for and carried out this day might be made a
very enjoyable occasion. But such affairs can not be
gotten upon the spur of the moment. Some thought
and some planning is necessary. If the committee
does not soon show some energy we would suggest
that the officers of the Athletic Association stir their
slumbering forces into activity. If that be impossible
appoint a new committee. If we are to have Field
Day at all, let us have one that we will not be asham
ed of. Wake up, somebody.
To deprive the students of holidays on Arbor Day
and the 30th of April is unjust. There is no good
reason for if It was stated that thestudents were here
on expense and therefore these holidays were withheld
in order to save the students additional expense, But
it has not yet appeared that the two days thus saved
are'to be taken from the spring teim. An addition
al week was required in the winter term also. No
holiday was allowed on Washington's birthday. And
moreover it is stated that there is a strong feeling
against allowing the annual encampment of the cadets.
An occasional holiday is a benefit rather tl an a det
riment to the students. The students here are allow
ed very few holidays, fewer than usual this year. As
a rule thestudents do the best of work and are wil
ling and anxious odo so. But there seems to be a
tendency to over-crowd them. Why this movement
against 'lolidays by the faculty, it is difficult to see.
It is questionable whether the usual amount of study
ing was done by the students when holidays which
they have always had, were taken away from them.
A half holiday on Charter Day, no holidays on Wash
ington's birthday, Arbor Day, or the 30th of April,
and a strong opposition to the encampment-no won
der that dissatisfaction exists among the students and
they have a strong tendency to "cut class" on those
holidays, Had the number of holidays and the ad
ditional week in the winter term been taken from the
spring term the students would have been greatly
pleased and would not have become dissatisfied. But
as it is they have good reason to complain. Nine
tenths of the students would have done just as much
work in the term had these holidays been given.
Although our students were disappointed at the
result of the state contest, still they are not ashamed.
Not at all do Ave regret that the University entered
the state association. At the time when the three
delegates from the University went to Crete to help
organize a new association, not a line had been writ
ten for any of the orations which were to be judged
in the local contest. The entire work on the part
of the University was done in about nine weeks.
Doane had held her local contest already. We scarce
ly dared to hope for victory, but we were bound to
awaken some college enthousiasm at least.
In face of the disadvantages did it pay to risk de
feat? Yes, it paid. There was a time when the feel
ing between Doane aud the University amounted al
most to genuine hatred. Ask the students at Doane if
that was not true. Yet two hundred students from
the University went to Ciete on the 12th of April
and met on mutual terms of good will the students
of Doane. Such a time of college enthusiasm and
good-natured rivalry had never been experienced by
any student of either institution. We have read the
account of the contest in the Owl and as regards the
fraternal feelings expressed therein, we are glad, to say
that such are the sentiments of the University students
since the contest.
It is true we made an unusul Wmount of noise and
that we shook the opera house with cheers; but it was
the first time for years that we had had an opportunity
to cheer the University.
We went into the contest with honest endeavor to
make it square. Not a single student kicked at the
decision. Such a contest was something of which
both institutions should be proud. The Hesperian
hopes that the succeeding contests may be of a similar
character and that the good-natured rivalry seen at the
late contest may continue. For the establishment of
such college brotherhood The Hesperian pledges
its sincere and earnest efforts.
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