Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-07

eau Of education an excellent device |
for bringing together for mutual
profit a state university and the peo-
pie who support it.
What University week" really is
may be seen from a typical program.
Each day Of the six is devoted to
some special topic. with lectures and
demonstrations during the daytime
and hign-class entertainments at
night Thus: Monday is business
mems day. There are lectures on all
kinds of topics interesting to business
men, from marketing problems to
fighting forest fires, as well as a few
talks of more genera: nature. In the
evening there is a concert by the
university glee club. Tuesday is art
and literature day, with lectures on
libraries, children's books, women's
club, civic betterment, the drama,
and similar subjects. There is a
reading hour in the afternoon, in
charge Of a trained elocutionist, and
an Industrial art exhibit; In the even
ing an illustrated lecture: Art in
I Common Things"
Wednesday is home welfare day. In
the day sessions such problems as
''The Human Beings of High School
Age" why Babies Die" rational liv-
/ ing, kindergartens, and industrial edu-
cation are considered, while at night a
| prominent educator gives an illustrat-
/ ~ -
Gates Her Children" Thursday is pub
lie health day, with appropriate lee
lures and exhibits. In the evening
there is a dramatic recital OF a mod
ern play.
Friday is farmers day, and live
questions of farm policy are discussed
BY experts in agriculture There is
! also an address on The Social Pos
sibilities of Rural Communities" by
an educator who has made special
studies in this field. In the evenings
professors from the university give
scientific demonstration of the gy-
roscope and liquid air. Saturday is
town and country day, with Social
Life in Town and Country" as the
University Dramatic club appears in
Shakespeare's Merchant OF Venice.
Genuine interest is aroused In the
towns visited. In most instances the
people take the visit of the university
as the business Of the week, and de
vote all their attention to il. Not only
the townspeople. but farmers from out,
iGr Vip hn
sions. Boys farming camps are or
gained in connection with the uni
versity week, and always prove a pop
ular feature The university author
tiles and those who cooperate with
them-state health boards and other
agencies-are particularly careful 70
provide speakers who not only know
their subject well, but are able to talE
interestingly TO a non-university audi
ence. The expense of obtaining such
men would be prohibitive but for ar
, ingenious arrangement of circuits
: whereby the travelling university weel
. is able TO pay" six communities il
, the same neighborhood by interchang
{ ing days.
II 10 oSIIildOSN tHdI luSlS dIe SeH
eral ways in which this novel plan o
, extending the influence of a state uni
versity will have a direct effect: II
, the first place, it will make the worl
, Of the university well and favorabl.
known where it. has before beer
, known only vaguely or even mistaken
ly; II will. break down the alread!
, weakening barrier of educational ex
clusiveness; and more important still
, t. is one more link in the chain of rur
al betterment. It. emphasizes an es
sential point in the present-day con
ception Of rural life-that town ant
country are one community.