FOR the last two or three years, the classes, upon their advent to the Senior year, have expected that they would be excused from military exercises. The present Seniors have more nearly approached the realization of this dream than any previous class. After the battal ion had been thoroughly organized and reached a reasonable state of perfection last term, the com missioned officers were required to drill only once a week ; and since the Harrisburg trip, at the be ginning of this term, they have not drilled at all. with the exception of important occasions. This good luck is due to the fact that it is impossible to supply two hundred students with rifles when there are only one hundred and fifty to distribute 1 With the organization of a signal corps some two years ago, everybody was thought to have been provided for, but the indications are that, with as large an entering class next year as the present Freshman, matters will be more crowded than With such a state of affairs, what could be bet ter policy than exempting the members of the most advanced class from drill. This is quite a common custom among institutions where the students have increased beyond the equipment of the military department. Or because of a similar reason, the exercise is often made voluntary with the Senior, or Senior and Junior classes. We venture to say that there would be rare cases where the volunteers were so numerous as to exceed the accommodations at hand. It would seem advisa ble for the proper authorities to look into the matter, and if found necessary, to grant a release to such men as may have drilled regularly for three years. We do not mean to speak of this as an ex emption from an irksome duty ; for the students freely acknowledge that the drill is benefi cial, but simply wish to call attention to a matter that must have been apparent to all. THE members of the Senior class, in several of the courses, have about completed arrange ments for taking an extended trip during THE FREE LANCE. the first part of next term. This way of becom ing acquainted with the practical workings of plants or processes distinctively connected with the students’ researches must commend itself to every one. It is impossible to conjecture a better way for a student to spend a week or ten days, of his last term in college, than in visiting plants di rectly connected with the bent of his studies, and having everything explained to him by one who has an intimate knowledge of the subject by mak ing it his especial study. In any of our large cit ies there are many industries, interesting alike to engineers, chemists and physicists,'as well as nu merous works especially interesting to the men connected with any of these courses. This way of rounding off a technical education is heartily en dorsed by all of our professors, and all Seniors should, if possible, make the tour. CAP and gown 1 O, ye shades of Vulcan and the Cyclopes, where are we at ? Turn not away from thy votaries in ‘anger and dis gust, but we beseech you hearken unto our cries and cause to shine on us the inspiring rays from thy soot besmeared countenances. Let not thy wrath descend upon us. Witness our struggles for the right, and give us strength from thy right arm to withstand our brethren who would willingly cause us to insult thy sacred memory. Think you for an instant that they can succeed ? Can we thy loving disciples and followers, having just fin ished a careful apprenticeship under thy thought ful guidance, and about to enter into life as thy journeymen and devotees ; —can we walk through this important and glorious stage of the game in the sombre garb of a mediseval priest, and of a hue as black and funereal as the smoke that arises from thy everlasting forges ? Surely not. Coming from the forge, from the transit, from the draughting-room, and from the laboratory, there is a protest which says that this thing shall not. be. Folly and ingratitude are written on the brows of those who propose such a
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