quently with longer vacations and poorer facili
ties the time was not thought wasted.
At present the College can be reached from any
point in the State by a single day’s journey. But
to be present at the opening chapel, this trip must
be made on the day previous, and this produces a
considerable loss of time, and an unwelcome
shortening of a not over extensive vacation. This'
state of affairs is of course not desirable, and the
students usually get around it by coming late,
thus producing dissatifaction to all concerned, and
causing a great deal of trouble which might be
avoided by a little regulation. If the hour for
opening or registration would be changed from the
forenoon until six in the evening, everybody
would have an equal opportunity to get back, and it
would be safe to say that the number of stragglers
would be materially decreased. Another argu
ment in favor of an opening hour later in the day
is found in the fact that even under the present
system, nothing is gained, while a great deal of
confusion and necessary explanation is caused.
Very little work is done on the first day of a term,
and it is always of such a character that its loss
would not be felt. Most colleges at the present
time open late, in the day, and considering our
peculiar location, it would seem both advisable
and beneficial for State to do likewise.
FEW things are absolutely useless. Even bal
loon sleeves have their good points. In
rural districts, on resuming the dance after
refreshments, they serve to brush the crumbs from
Uncle Silas's whiskers.
WE have always considered Dame Rumor as
fairly reliable authority, but when she
circulates the report that our faculty are
considering the advisability of abolishing exami
nations, her reputation for veracity "in these
parts” is cancelled. Her statements are no lon
ger to be accepted without hesitation.
THE FREE LANCE.
*
*
THERE is one thing that can be said about
examinations, State College side, walks,
two flunks, and the grading system ; they
are not as bad as if they were twice as bad. -
A GLANCE AHEAD.
Now that the discussion of the foot ball season
of ’94 has about closed, and the "ifs” are all ex
hausted and the “might have beens” worn thread
bare, it would be a good thing for us to look at
the future and dwell a few minutes on the possi
bilities of the coming season. By this we dp not
mean the probable make-up of the team nor the
victories and defeats that next autumn may have
in store for us. The utter foolishness of attempt
ing to make such forecasts has repeatedly been
demonstrated, not only in our own case, but at
many other colleges. Yet there is one feature of
the season that it is not only possible, but emi
nently proper —we almost said necessary—to dis
cuss at this time. We refer to the schedule of
games to be played.
There is hardly a college of any standing in the
foot ball world that has as much trouble in secur
ing dates as we have. Our isolated position up
here among the mountains makes it difficult for us
to arrange meetings with other teams, where other
poorer but more favorably situated institutions
can have all they desire. During the season we
do not play half as many games as we should,
simply because we can not arrange the dates. It
would even be difficult to fill up our schedule
with .local athletic clubs, and small one horse
teams, if we cared to play them. We do not
wish to meet such elevens, except'a few at the be
ginning of each college year for practice, and the
result is that sometimes three or four weeks will
pass right in the part of the fall without our
boys playing a single match game.
The events of this season just finished encour
age us to hope that it will be the last under which
we shall suffer this inconvenience. The great
trouble has been that, outside of this State, we