The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-01
COLLEGE JOURNALISM.
HOW GIRL STUDENTS ARE TRAINED
FOR PRACTICAL NEWSPAPER
WORK.

They Are Taught to Cultivate Nose
fer News. Make an Abstract of
Sermon, Revise a Book. or Describe
an Accident, and Do 1t All in
Swift, Exact and BusineSs-liI<e
Manner-Tact in Approaching an
the Training.
New York, Dec. 3O.-Pract:cal journal
ism is one of the latest elective courses in
English at the woman's colleges. At Vas
sar this department has recently raised
its standards and made rapid advances
under Prof. Laura j. Wylie a Vassar
graduate, and one of the first feminine
doctors of philosophy to receive the de-
gree at Yale.
The freshman begins by having typical
pieces of description read to her. She
notes and criticises the distinctive methods
and noticeable points OF the author and is
then asked to write on similar subjects
until she has mastered typical methods
of description and logical order in compo-
sit.ou.
She is not given dry topics, but is told
to choose something of familiar interest
In her daily life. for instance a painting
in the art gallery, the lake in the sun
shine, the glen in a snow furry, the girls
dancing in the gym" all everyday
scenes. All these are critically noted by
the student with a view 10 writing her
strongest impression, and to carry the
scene most graphically in black and white
to some one else who has not witnessed it,
Details of the Training.
Paragraph writing is also made strong
point; how to construct paragraphs dea,-
ing with ali manner of subjects and for
all varieties of publications, as para
graphs have become the necessity Of the
present epoch of hurried living and hur-
ried reading.
Much emphasis is lad upon simplicity.
conciseness and concreteness; and exer-
cises are given the student to induce her
to express her impressions by a single
word or phrase.
BY continuing in this practical schooling
through the different prescribed and cleo
tive courses the Vassar girl who makes
up her mind to a journalistic career after
graduation takes hold easily OF the many
knotty problems that confront the Young
novice in letters, and finds her halfway
immensely smoothed down for her. This
is demonstrated in the excellent work al
ready being done along Journalistic lines
by such Nassar graduates as Margaret
Sherwood and Nancy V. McCleland. who
have been saved the experiences of the
green and salad beginner
At Mount HoIyoI1e.
Glasses in journalism at this college are
excellent examples of professional and uDl
to-date training for newspaper and maya
zine writer's. Aspirants TO Journalistic
fame begin at the very beginning. as
though they were poor unfortunates sud
denly thrown upon their own resources
and were trying TO earn bread and butter
by becoming reporters or contributing to
magazines.
This winter groups of these journalistic
girls, attended by their professor. viii
visit the Offices and composition rooms Of
a neighboring newspaper Go BE- shown
through the various departments where
the writing, editing and printing OF a pa
per are IN progress They Will be allowed
to ask ell the questions they can think
Of and gather practical points as TO whai
sort Of copy it is wisest 10 offer 10 the