Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-06

departments small coteries of students
have been attracted to each other as birds
of a feather flock together. and have had
dinners and other designations in an in
formal but enjoyable way. One of these
organizations and the most famous of
them is the Speculative Society, familiar
ly known as "Speck. and composed en-
tirely Of students of metaphysics whose
patron saint and idol was the late Sir
William Hamilton. the famous metaphysi-
clan. For nearly half a century that pro-
found thinker and distinguished scholar,
without a superior in his field of investi-
cation, gathered around him the best in
tellects of the undergraduate population,
and in an absent-minded way accepted
their alteration. After his death they
occupied for so long, a quotation from one
of his lectures:
On earth there is nothing great but man;
In man there is nothing great but mind.
The Students Club Home.
Perhaps the most important service that
the students council has done is the es
Establishment of the University Union-a
clubhouse which is the center and focus
Of college life. a home for the alumni as
we'll as the undergraduate and completely
equipped for its purpose The building is
an imposing structure conveniently STU
ated in the midst of the university build
meals are served at the usual hours for
a little more than cost, and several hum
dred students take advantage of the OPP
pOrtunity. There Is library filled with
useful books a reading room with maya
zines and newspapers, billiard room,
card rooms, chess room, other amusement
rooms, and a debating hall capable of
seating 800 people. which is the storm
sions it is used for dances concerts, anna
teur dramatic performances and other
events of a social character.
There is a series of committee rooms in
which the innumerable organizations of
the 1900 students have their headquarters.
each with a locker for it's records. The
list OF organizations is very long. There
is rifle corps of 800 members battalion
of highlanders, who wear the native cos
tune, several athletic clubs. three foot
bali clubs. four cricket clubs. boating.
golf. tennis, cycling. Photographic. dra-
matte chess and other clubs, five debating
societies and four literary societies, OF
which Robert Browning. john Ruskin,
Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson,
Sir Edward Bulwer LyttOn. Lord Brough-
am, John Morley. Andrew Lang. Conan
Doyle and many other eminent men have
been members and officers. There are sew
eral foreign language clubs, a line arts
society. choral society, an amateur Or
chestra, and different organizations. m
Guiding a missionary association, three
temperance societies. four pOlltical CLUBS
OF students from the BIRTHS hcolonies.
A Plane Where All Meet.
The University Union is the seventh fac
ulty OF the university embracing all the
other six and bringing together the fac
ulties the students and the alumni, where
they can meet on a level among genial
surroundings, with mutual interests. The
soul of the institution is James Walker,
the treasurer, who was one OF the organ
izerS, and has been associated with II from
it's start. He is the inspiring genius the
general manager, the confidential ad-
wiser and the court Of appeals for all
students on all subjects. Holding the
office of treasurer, as he does. he is eX-
pected to find the money TO carry out
any undertaking that may be suggested.
1t was Mr. Walker who raised the funds
for the building. and l noticed that ms
gentle touch separated Andrew Carnegie
from the goodly sum Of $4,000. The mi
tiation fee of the union Is only Snlli-
ings, the annual dues are 81 for UNDER
graduates and SO for members OF the
alumni.
The women students are not admitted
to the University Union, but they have
a little one of their own. based upon the
same plan and with a similar orsanlza-
ton There are about 500 women stu
dents in the University OF Edinburgh
and nearly half of them are members or
the union.
The students representative council pub
fishes a monthly magazine as an ex-
ponent of university life and sentiment.
1t Is really an admirable publication.
Academic Consuls-A Splendid idea.
Perhaps the most important work of
the council has been the organization of