The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-25
Student Life as
Known at Old Penn


| Special Correspondence Of The Tribune.
| Philadelphia, March e.
~r>Hr MORNING I arrived in Philadelphia to
| begin NY college career at the University
i ui rruu,, l,ania, I was QUO of the grccncst
| aud lunclicst freshmen that ever left hoIHe
| or mother for a college education. | had never
| been in tho city before aud the gray light of
! the early nom reflected itself in my own spirit
| My chun, who had come down the day before,
| met me at the station aud took me to our rooms
at the university dolmitorcs. There is a marked
| difference between those rooms as they appeared
| then aud now--tl"n the walls and floors were
| bare and an air of dcsoatop pcryadcd every.
| thing; now the walls arc covered with pictures,
the couchcs piled high with cushions and an
| idea Of comfort is conveyed TO the mind.
| do not wish TO leave the impression that the
| durmitorcs arc naturally Laro and desolate;
more comfortable and lively place it would he
| hard 10 fnd. The real student life Of the
| university ccntcrs in the dormitoiics. They ac'
| Comnodatc between 200 and coo mon, and arc
| new buildings furnished with all the mode,n
| ron,cricnccs \ man may ic up his room ac.
| "crling 10 his taste and means. Nowhere have
| seen finer rooms more artiStcally furnished
.han right here IN the dormitorcs.
With over $40 professors and Instructors and
| 1900 students, rubs up against all manner
of mcr This is one Of the advantages of at
| tending a large university. Men Of national
| rcputc in different branches here impart the
knowledge which has taken them lifetime
| perhaps to acquire. Among the student body
| nearly every country in the world is rcpIc'
| acncd. I remember with what pride fresh
man I told those at home that there were
| twchty.niuc separate buildings covering an area
| Of over ffty.fyc acres, and spoke famary of
some Of the best known professors whose boo%s
,lipI ,,l IL, 40" " il., Ii,yh hnn
o.
One oi cur most interesting buildings, the
gathering place tor students OF all departments
| is Houston Hall. II il an imposing white stone
structure built as memorial to Henry Howard
Houston, ir., member of the class of IS. Be.
yond doubt it is the finest students club in
the country. Fitted up with a we'll supplied
reading room, pool and billiard tables, bowling
alleys correspondence room, gymnasium
shower baths and large swimming pool, an aG-
ditorm with a fine pipe organ, and many other
rooms tor general purposes, II affords an ad.
mirahlc place for a man to spend his leisure
hours. The membership fec is well within the
reach of every student, being only - year,
and no Investment he can make Offer, such ample
returns.
steady practice and conscicntiou, training on.
ablcd mc to make the freshman foot ball team,
| and when | doomed a red and blue sweater with
| my class numerals across the front, ! a
| happy freshman indeed. | watched with cnviorls
| eyes the upper CassinCn who wore biz p on
their sweaters and wondered il should ever BE-
| entitled to wear one. II is a rule here that
before one can wear the University p he must
| cam it by playing one of the Varsity teams.
Some people do not approve Of college athletics.
They say it diycrts the minds of those engaged
from their studies, and that anyway only few
are benefited by il. They should realize that
Just such diversion is necessary. After a tel.
low has attended lectures for five six hours,
what could he more beneficial than exciting O..
crci~c in the open air? And then in the even.
ing one can go back to his books refreshed in
mind and body While it is true that only a
comparatively Jew men make the Varsity teams,
many Try tor them and receive the same phy,i
cal benefits. Then, too, the college athletic;
set the standards, and boys all over the country
arc filled with the desire to be physically strong,
and follow out the example set 10y the college
man. There j. rule adhered to in the tn
; vcrsity of Pennsylvania which has done mucl
to elevate college athletics and therefore all ah
= lctics. II provides that student shall repre-
scut tho university on any team who has moi
proven satisfactory in his studies We are stu
; dents first, athletes second
We have debating societies. and each year W,
, | meet in joint debate on some topic Of the day
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