of that which will give so much pleasure during
the coming spring and summer months. There
are many paths cut through the campus and very
little inconvenience would come to any one, should
we follow them entirely. That however, is not
necessary, as any amount of strolling will not in
jure the campus in the least. It may be indulged
in as often as desirable, but let us avoid making
paths, and in the spring, the beauty of the cam
pus will fully repay us for any extra exertions that
the effort may have cost.
IN the present session, football, popular as it
has been during the past season, will play no
part in the world of college athletics.
All interest had hitherto been so far absorbed
in the game that practically nothing has been
done in the other branches. Now the gymnasium
and general athletics claim our attention. Can
we not enter into them with the same spirit that
was displayed in football ? Our pospects for sue
cess in this line were never brighter. We have
plenty of good material and certainly the dispo
sition to train should not be lacking.
No one will regret the little time spent in the
gymnasium in profitable exercise, while many
who go out from our institutions with health im
paired, regret not having done so.
ALTHOUGH the Glee and Banjo clubs have
been meeting and practicing all fall, their
advance has not been as marked and satis
factory as could be wished. There are several
reasons for this, the most potent of which is
probably found in the fact that most of the stu
dents’ interest during the term just passed was
taken up by football. Then the breaking in of
such clubs is always slow and laborious work and
unless careful and painstaking efforts are put for
ward the results, are liable to be discouraging.
This was especially true this year, when so many
of the members of last year’s clubs , failed to re
turn to college and their places had tp be filled
THE FREE LANCE.
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by new men. Add to this the fact that some of
the old men failed to show the proper spirit at
first, and became careless of their attendance at
meetings, and we have a state of affairs which was
not exactly conducive to the best results from the
efforts of those who were doing their best. How
ever the organizations are gradually pulling to
gether, and it is to be hoped that on the opening
of this term, the members have returned to col
lege to put forward their best efforts to send out
on their annual trip, clubs that will well represent
and do honor to the institution whose name they
bear. Full meetings and hard work is the only
way to accomplish this object, and when it is ac
complished, in the general satisfaction felt by all,
not a single effort put forward will be regretted
by the person making it.
THE mark system ought to go. In this age of
educational progression, it is indeed strange
that a scheme which is so hostile to self
government, one of the great aims of education,
should be allowed to live and flourish. Neverthe
less such is the state of things, and in case the
question is raised as to how the college govern
ment is run, one is obliged to acknowledge that
it is compulsion rather than desire that performs
half the college duties. That a man seeking an
education, concerning the character of which he
is best able to judge for himself, should have
thrust upon him duties which are both disagreea
ble and useless in their point of application, is a
well defined fact which will tend to reduce the fa
vor in which some of our leading institutions are
held. Compulsory attendance at religious exer
cises, the lecture, the recitation and various other
college duties cannot but work harm towards the
efforts of a student, although they may at first be
urged by the highest enthusiasm. The knowledge
that certain things have to be done at stated times
and in prescribed ways, and that punishment al
ways hanging over is ready to fall for the first and
every succeeding failure, will certainly not tend
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