The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-07
FOR IND By PUPILS
President Ament in His Report
Outlines Pupil Government.
FACULTY TO BE A COURT
Board of Education Will be
Tribunal of Last Appeal.


Northwestern Normal school for the
quarter ending December 81;
GentIemen-In harmony with your re-
quirements, 1 beg leave to submit this
report of the progress and condition at
the Northwestern Normal school, for the
quarter ending December 81, 1899.
The fan term closed December p, the
final examinations occurring on the 21st
and 22d The work of the students in
these examinations was of very salts
factory character-very few, indeed, fail
ing to sustain themselves in creditable
manner.
The total enrolment for the term was
327, including Sc in the preparatory de-
Dartment.
This enrolment is the largest recorded
in the higher Institutions of learning in
our territory, and IS a matter of consid-
cradle satisfaction to the friends of the
school. It will grow.
l wish here to say word in regard to
the character of the students in this
school. In some ways our student body
is remarkable. OF these characteristics,
would speak, rating them in this order:
% self-reliance, % willingness to take
ON the forms of institutional life, C)
good viii toward their school, "a suscept-
Utility to culture.
1t is a very general custom for stu
dents to commit serious depredations,
such as the upsetting of ourbuildings and
the destruction of property, in college
towns. the night of Halloween. On the
day preceding, I requested our students
not to mar our good name by acts of fool
ish and wanton destruction. As a re-
suit Alva was free from molestation of
this sort entirely. / do not know that
we can make this statement every year,
but 1 trust we may.
The students have shown such excel
lent spirit in exercising self-restraint in
every direction, that 1 am thinking of es-
tablishing a form of pupil government in
the very near future. In a pupil govern
ment. the school governs itself just like
a body of people composing a town gov
ern themselves. The school must take
up this form Of government Of its own
free will, and adopt a constitution. The
pupils then elect such officers as are nee
essary from their own number, such as
peace officers and justices. In a school
like ours, the faculty would constitute a
court of appeals, while the board of ed
ucation would be supreme court whose
decisions would be final.
Two immense advantages to the stu
dent flow from judicious form of pupil
self-government. Under the present re-
gime, his government in school is that of
an absolute monarchy in which the
teacher is legislator, Jury and judge.
Trained under this form of government
till he reaches the estate Of manhood, is
it any wonder that when he comes to
take his place as citizen in a free gov
eminent, his right Of elective franchise
is exercised with Indifference, if, indeed,
it is not wholly neglected? Trained I'M
der a form of self-government in school,
ne will come to the state an interested,
conscientious, sympathetic and intelligent
voter.
The other advantage of self-government
that l had in mind is the growth of
power that the exercise of Ne same must
develop in the student. The present form
of school government is in its very ma
ture repressive, while to some it cannot
be other than oppressive. 1t is a gov
eminent from without and wholly exteT-
nal The student so governed has little
opportunity to exercise self-control act
uated by the higher and unselfish mo-
tives In a form of self-government, he
is called upon to act in the interests of
the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der.
In these remarks upon pupil-govern-
ment, l have, of course. had reference to
secondary schools and colleges. The idea
is not a new one, and of late years it
has been tried with success in schools
below the grammar grade. The only
school of this class organized under self
government of which I have accurate
knowledge is the John Crerar school, OF
Chicago, under Principal John T. Ray.
There are other primary and grammar
schools. however that are reported to be
operating successfully under some such
form Of government. Among these is the
Kellom school, of Omaha, and schools in
Philadelphia and New York.
More than a year ago. our school or
ganized football team. They have this
year played two engagements, and were
both times easy victors.
In this connection I wish to refer 10 an
uncomplimentary allusiou to our team
made by a teacher in another school, who
constituted himself an advisor TO our
people and school. In an article in the
Wichita Eagle. he very unnecessarily
thought implied that our team was COM
posed of tcughs and ungentlemanly char
acters I excused the implication on the
grounds OF its authors ignorance of facts,
l. g =
board. who have a right 10 know, that
the members of the Northwestern foot
BAH team are gentlemen. The rules O
our team are very strict. No one IS al
lowed TO De a member who does not carry
his studies. Profane or indecent Ian
guage Of any sort IS not permitted among
the members. have yet 70 hear @ re-
mark from. or see an action on the part
OF. orr boys IN any game that I should
feel called upon to disapproye- In fact
I can assure You that they are as clean
and geutlemaEly q team as ever lined III
| on a western gridi-on.
The TWO literary societies OF the North
western have been organized since ms
! last report. These two societies have beer
named the Orient and the Marumi1n
Z 1AASSc t4=1--4aeAttfftaS al AEEt- -A44l-t
student control. They are doing very e.
fective work. indeed. and are rendering
| programs weekly % a high order.
! BY their constitutions. these societies
/ VIII have On inter-contsst the last Friday
/ Of the winter term. The points o. cen
test viii be oratory. debate, essay. decla-
/ nation vocal solo and Instrumental solo
I trust the school, may enjoy The goot
/ fortune OF your presence AZ this time