The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-11-23

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To the Editor of the NEW DOMINION
/ understand that some of the Pro
fcssors did not like what l said il
your psper last week. Now. don,
want them to get mad at me for
didn't mean to hurt anybody's feel
ings, but was just giving may views
on few matters. or course have
only been here since September and
it may be that things don't appear
to me in their proper light, neverthe-
less, l feel like giving my views on q
few matters. If l said anything
about the Professors going to chapel
that hurt any of their feelings am
sorry for it. But 1 heard some few
of them were hardened old sinners
and that it would take good deal
to affect them any. And I'm inclin-
ed to believe that some of them are
little careless for they are not very
regular in their attendance on relig-
ious worship. For it don't seem a
very great requirement for the mem
bers of the faculty to spend fifteen
minutes in chapel five mornings out
of the week.
The examinations are down upon
us now and they are making the boys
and girls work with a will. They
seem to think they won't pass and
some are very nervous. Well, it
seems to me that il a student works
faithfully through the term, study
ing each lesson carefully as it comes,
that he needn't fear examinations
very much. They all talk about
examining for each examination, but
l don't think l shall do much of it..
OF course, / want to review my books
a little to refresh my memory but if
cant pass the examinations after
working hard all term on the study
there must be something wrong with
the marking. don't know what
way the Professors make the stand
ing, but l hear that few of them
have miserably hard and unreasona-
BILE methods. 1t is said that it is
nearly impossible to make your
standing under some; that you may
study hard and make reasonably
good recitations and have very fair
knowledge of the text book and yet
not pass on the system of marking
| say that it has reached my ears
that this is entirely possible under
some few of the Professors. OF
course, don't know how true it is
and hope it is not true. For l don't
come here simply to make big marks
and try and stand at the head of my
classes. know some students who
just commit their lessons and recite
them, but Afterwards lose all knowl-
edge of it after they forget the words.
Such an education don't give us the
discipline we seek From what l
gather from the talk of those who
ought to know, would say that we
come to the University to acquire
some knowledge of facts, but prin-
cipally and mostly to acquire dis
cipline and get broad culture,
That the mind is to be broadened,
and the reasoning faculties strength
ened. That we are rather to lay a
foundation for knowledge. That
here we are to dip into few of the
departments of learning, getting
taste and learning how to study them
Systematically and with effect. That
we should accompany our regular
text books with views of other au-
thors on the subject and general
reading outside. In other words,
the most that can be aimed at in a
college course is to take the student
on brief general survey of the fields
of learning, show him the instru-
ments or tools and teach him some
thing of their use, making him if
possible able to take up the study of
any department alone and prosecute
its study successfully. Now, If this
is the case, and / have no reason to
doubt my advisor, then it seems to
me that they should not place too
much stress on the simple little mat
ter of marks, especially examination
marks where some are scared so bad
they can't do anything. / am sure
that if Professor is the right sort
of teacher he can tell through the
term what kind of work each student
does and if it is honest hard work
the student need have little to fear.
He wont stand or fall entirely by ex-
animation. / don't think the stu
dents need be so uneasy about ex
aminations; it seems to me that near
ly all have been working hard and /
believe that they will have very lit
tie trouble in passing.
There is a matter, Mr.. Editor, that
! would like to speak about very
strongly and that is the matter of
ventilation in the class rooms. Not
only do speak from my own expert
ence but also from what other stu
dents have said in my hearing. The
air in some of the class rooms gets
so impure that it almost makes me
sick. Now if some of the men who
have charge of these rooms are ac-
customed to be shut up in close
room and and breathing the same
air over over and over again until it
is poisonous enough to kill cat,
nevertheless / for one object to their
making the students suffer with them.
And more, l heard that there may
be named more than one room the
students go in and must pass an
hour with little or no ventilation
causing the impure and hurtful
atmosphere, and besides this, adding
insult to injury, the odor from used
tobacco fills the room penetrating to
the farthest corner Is it any won
der such a poisonous and sickening
atmosphere should be objected tor
And the ladies must recite in these
rooms too! l speak of this matter
because it is something that needs
change. think Professor should
have enough respect for himself and
his classes to refrain from the use of
tobacco in his class room at least,
and especially SO, since ladies must
spend an hour or more in the room.
Not being exactly certain who use