The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-02

Seniors VIII wear Caps ana Gowns
for tic First Time

University Of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill. June 1.-(Special)- Some one has
said that the three great attractions here
are shade, green grass and pure water
But there are others, and not the least
is the quiet. The general public holds
the Idea that commencement q Il col
lege or a university Is a time OF noise.
The quiet here Is Observation-Disclosures
full
There are 1923 students on the roll.
! They represent SIS Of the 90 counties in
the State. Only about $50 are actu ally
present at the commencement The final
examinations ended last Friday and i'm
nediately majority Of the students left
for home. This Is the custom here The
| seniors and students with means remain
| and participate in what may be termed
the gayeties, for which the home-goers
care nothing.
This is poor boys" university. The
poor boys are the workers, the bees. a
student was asked If this was not true,
and declared most earnestly that 1t was
y number OF the students are employed
in the commons hall, and thus earn
their bread. They are no whit the less
esteemed. nor Is q student who Is q
shoemaker. Then there Is a student who
walked here all the way from Cherokee
county, and who works on Il farm near
by, milks the cows and who aids the
farmers children with their lessons II
Is very pleasant to know that this
worthy young man leads his class and
that he Is honorcd. %
In the commons hall about 100 students
live, the expense being So q month.
There are students who saw wood, who
work on the buildings-altogethe quite
a colony Of workers.
or the ~ graduates this year IA say
| they will become teachers, lawyers, 3
physicians, preachers commercial
travellers, l newspaper man, manufac-
| turer. and are undecided.
The improvements at the university
| are numerous and OF n character to
| make themselves felt. Old students. Of
course, boast that "berore the war" the
grounds were more beautiful, but they
| are In error, for the campus was
never more attractive. It is lighted by
| electricity and the university plant also
illuminates the village The buildings
are. with the exception Of memorial hall,
| ancient in design, but the interiors have
! TO considerable extent been modern
| lied.
! There is no more the old system in
graduating exercises. There Is no sal
utatory or valedicto!y. The seniors this
time wear caps and gowns. The quaint
old Gerard hall has been modcrnzed
! as to Its interior SO that it makes an
| attractive place of assembly for the
smaller gatherings. For the greater
ones the memorial hall Is used, save at
| commandments, when the latter hall Is
| used for athletic exercises.
The first duty OF to-day was the at
| tendance Of the seniors at morning
! prayer. they marching from memorial
hall to Gerard hall The Rev n. H.
| D. Wilson, Of the North Carolina Meth
| od:st Conference, prayed. The senio!
class day exercises were next held The
class officers are: President. D. B.
| Smith; vice-president w. D. Carmi.
chael, Jr.; secretary, a. +. Williams
The historian was Ralph II. Graves, son
| OF the late Professor Graves; poet, Will
liam S. Myers; prophet. Henry G. Con
nor, Jr. The feature Of the exercises
| was the presentation to the university
library Of the class gIft--a bust Of Robert
p. Lee, on a handsome pedestal. D. B.
Smith making the presentation speech
and President Edwin Il. Alderman ac-