Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885, March 01, 1890, Page 6, Image 6

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    G
T II E II 13 S P BRIAN,
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bad, It Is certainly to be deplored. We should think the
tlcnr, sweet creature would try and tench a little etiquette.
Hut the etiquette to which she refers Is tlmt of the giddy,
flirty sasslcty class. We arc proud to say that such ridicu
lous tomfoolery and affectation docs not prevail here. A few
students In the university, however, would fain Introduce such
snobbery. Her remark indicated that she has about the
snmc quantity and quality of brains as one of the prominent
Phis who didn't believe a person ought to attend school unless
he could wear fine clothes. The boys In the uivcrsity may
not all wear flue clothes and may be entirely ignorant of the
kind of etiquette to which the Kappa girl in question referred
and still not behalf such big fools in every sense of the word
as the two distinguished people who pose as critic. Com
mon sense should prevail by all means.
There is one subject of which we would like to speak. It
is the attendence of the faculty at the chapel exercises. Once
in a great while as many as six members of the faculty go to
chapel, but the average is seldom moic than three. Almost
all the students attend chnpel. Now why is not some effort
made on the part of the faculty to be present? If the faculty
consider the chapel exercises unworthy of being attended, or
if there is so little time that they cannot come, why not abol
ish this feature entirely? At the University of California no
chapel exercises arc held, and the plan is said to work ex
cellently. But thcr this condition exists by reason of the
fact that no room is available for chapel exercises. Here it
seems to be due to negligence that the faculty do not attend.
Let us hope that something will be done in regard to this
matter. It looks bad to have ministers from the city and vis
itors from out of town come to the chapel exercises and sec
only three or four professors present when there ought to be
at least ten or twelve every day.
The recent charter day address, although in many re
spects an excellent one, is open to the same objections to
which all of them aic. Year before last the address was a
long production, full of good truths and all that. Last y em
it was of about the same nature. The last one is no ex
ception. Two years ago the audience grew very tiled. They
grew weary last year in spite of the fact that the address was
given by a man who is at the head of the most promising in
stitution in the country. This year the audience became
weary and sleepy.
It seems to us that the old way of celebrating chaitcrday is
preferable to this one. The old way was to have alumni and
prominent educators in the state take part in the program.
This made the celebration of charter day something which
it ought to be a kind of birth day party for the university.
Then the alumni took an interest in charter day. Now but
little attention is paid by our graduates. They do not care to
come to Lincoln and listen to a long, dry address by some
great educator. If on the other hand charter day should be
made as of old, a birthday in reality and an endeavor made to
secure the attendance of all the alumni great results toward
advancing the interests of the university might be accomp
lished. Professor Lees has made an important innovation in the
work of the second year of the Latin school. It is the intro
duction of original work. Special topics on diflercnt subjects
connected with the study of Latin and the places and institu
tions of importance In the old Roman civilization have been
assigned to the second year Latin students. These subjects
arc to be properly worked up and report made to the class.
In the Latin department of the college proper work of this
kind has been carried on lor some time and the new plan of
trying it in the second preparatory year Is a good one. Work
of this kind is without doubt the best possible way to devel
op a student's mental faculties. In the scientific department
a great amount of special topic work Is done. In fact In the
senior year scientific students generally make a specially of
some particular branch of science. In the department of his
tory this plan is probably carried out to a greater degree than
in any other department in the university. The department
of English literature afiords excellent advantages In this line.
Frequent complaints have been heard that In the department
of Greek no work of this kind is done. This Is to be de
plored. The modern spirit of original investigation should be
Introduced in this department. The study of Greek should be
made something more than mere translations and a study of
grammar. In other departments of the university also there
Is much room for advancement in this line.
Well, let the world roH on in peace again. Let the ele
ments resume their natural condition. Let the cold north
wind cease any longer to blow through the whiskers of the
unshaved prep. In fine, peace, be still! Tllli IIusi'KltlAN
boaid held a meeting on charter day and celebrated the
twenty-first birth day of our institution by repairing to one
of the finest studios in the city and having a picture taken.
We were seated about two tables. Each editor was supplied
with a pencil and tablet and was industrously writing.
(These were borrowed for the occasion.) The plate was pre
pared. The machine was ready for operations to begin. We
heard the office devil shriek loudly, "more copy!" We looked
up from our work and the gentleman In charge of the camera
told us to remain in that position a moment. We did so. It
was over. But alas; not so! He told us the plate was spoiled
by a little negligence on his part. That was one on him.
We sat again. When he told us to be still this time a gentle
"um-hu" was heard. Mr. P had to laugh. The second
plate was spoiled. We told the aitist that was one apiece.
Now we played the rub with him. We were successful.
The picture is pronounced an excellent one by all the great
artists. When we leave this great institution and in after
years sec this pictuic it will seem as a reminder of many
happy days and pleasant college association, and none of us
will regret that wc weie thus drawn together during college
life.
A great deal has been written during the past few months
concerning the famous painting of Willet, the "Angelus."
This picture was painted about thirty years ago. The artist,
Francis Willet, was a peasant. He has produced one of the
most famous paintings of the century. It was recently purchased
by the New York art society at a cost of $ico,ooo. The fol
lowing brief description of the fine coloring of the picture may
be of interest to our readers. It is from the pen of James W.
Pattison:
"A good deal of effort is required to bring the wandering
thoughts into condition to appreciate the fineness of this work.
The great canvases of Vercstchagin jump at the cjaJmt not
so this peaceful bit. After some half hour of careful study
and much thought, the first decided impression is that of
'quality' in the work. It is an artistocratic picture. No vul
gar mind can comprehend it. Here all is 'color,1 and yet'
there arc almost no colors at all. Up at the top of the sky
appears a tiny spot of pinkish red, which is faintly echoed in
other parts, and repeated quite decidedly upon the woman's
iwmm
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