University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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may In- in its oxcrcisc. no one ran say of a rnivoisity of Texas man that lie is aiiglit hut loyal. The one thiiiK needed is some organized effort to pive i)oint and emphasis to this loyalty. With ten thousand alumni and ex-students jealous of its jrood name, alert and watehfnl of its interests, courajreous in the administration of its affairs, the Tniversity of Texas could iiev ' r jirove un- worthy of the heritable of the uohle men who made its exi.stenc-e po.ssible. Let not the unthinkiufr critie aeeu.se us of deiKirtiiifi from our text, or eliarne to us a coniplaininfc spirit in this plea for orftanized student effort to hrinji about bu.siness methods in the administration of their affairs. The seojie and o])])ortunity of sueh an oriianization has been meicly hinte l at. The good to be aeeomi)lislied no proi)liet may foresee. We have an abidin-i faith that this action and all others that i)oint to the fjlory of their University will be taken by the student body, who year by year are weldtnl more elo.sely together by the ties of muiual asscjciation auil a coumion love. We are all Te.xans . as our Pre.sident is fond of sayin-!;. Hut we arc uKire. We are . meneans. citizensof the cultured world. Neither our vices nor our virtues have any distinctive peculiarity. Like o .d Shylock we have hands, organs, senses, affections, i;assions; we are fed i)y the same food. hurt with the .same weajxins, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed by the same winter and summer as other Christians arc. If you jirick us, we bleed : if you tickle us, we laugh; if you poi.son us, we die; if you wrong us, we shall have our revenge. But unlike Shylock, our inheritance and environment have cut our wisdt)w-tceth; we have learned the roijes. and given off hankering after the moon. We are dominated, let us hope, by a sweet reasonableness that teaches forbearance, moderation, jjrudence. In ;ui iiffectionate loyalty for our Alma Mater, we are all willing to stand and fight together, .saying wiili l:u .Muurier. with a little tinge of sadness, it may be, that our lives, Hke all others, are but A little work, a little play To keep us going — and so guod-(la ! A little warmth, a little light Of love ' s bestowing — and so, good-night! A little fun to match the sorrow Of each day ' s growing — and so good-morrow! A little trust that when we die We reap oiu ' sowing! . iiil so, gcjod-live! I ( i

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societies of the fraternities (iiieliiiliiiT;. of course, the important and newly introduced societies whidi repudiate the name of sororities)? The literary societies are but loosely inter-organized; their work lies along definite lines, far removed, in most cases, from matters that would interest the entire University community. Their influence on .student thought has, especially during recent years, been waning. Similar argun ents can be used regarding fraternities. Primarily they are social organi- zations, and every departure from this, their legitimate field of activit} ' . results disastrou.sly for them, and is violative of the i)rinciples which called them into existence. As here conducted, political jealousies and the rivalry that exists among them forbids a common connecting bond, and precludes the possibility of concertetl and unanimous action on any object of common endeavour. The.se are the only visible student sources to which we may at present look for help in unifying student life and in establishing ideals of student conduct. Nineteen years seem to have brought us but little nearer to the .solution of the question. During last ses.sion a suggestion was made that looked fruitful, but which was killed by unhappy jealousies among the departments. It was proposed to organize a Students ' Council, which should be officered by the free ballot of the entire student body. The officers so elected were to have control of all matters relating to student conduct, wherein the good name of the University was involved. A student adjudged unworthy of the institution could, bv this tribunal, be recommended to the faculty for expulsion. It was not to be a court of law only, nor were the .students who brought it into existence set as spies upon the conduct of each other; its greatest work was to set up a common standard of student honor antl to hold up that standard as an encouragement to the stumbling, and as a warning to the dishonest. We all know that when a student goes wrong, he ilreads not as much the disapproval and condenuiation of the faculty as the contempt and scorn of his fellows. Such an organization, created and recognized by the students themselves, would add tenfold .strength to the power of this influence. Much wise forethought is needed to perfect the plan in its details. To some it would always be an object of criticism. But to one who stops to consider its power in molding, unifying, and maintaining a healthy tone in student life and action, there can be but little doubt of the good it might do. Certain is it that its creators would respect its findings, and would abide by its decisions. And eciually certain would its affairs be administered in a spirit of generous and sympathetic forbearance. To such a common council all questions of student policy and activity could bereferretl for final settlement. The old-fashioned majority rule could always be invoked and many matters, which in former years have vexed us, because no competent authority existed to handle them, could be quickly and peaceably settled. Right in our midst and almost unnoticed, tluring the present session, the students have hail an opportunity of observing the practical working of an enterprise that carried with it more responsibility than would be imposed on a Students ' Council. University Hall has this year been administered by a committee of ten st udents chosen from the one hundred and seventy five who board there. They have handled all matters of discipline, financing, and general manage- ment of the Hall, including the servant problem. The boarders have been satisfied; complaints of any kind have been few. a comfortable cash balance is kept in the bank, and but few minor cases of discipline have arisen. The most noticeable feature has been the absence of a single instance of malicious conduct on the part of a student toward the Hall or its management. Not a window-light has been wantojMily broken, and violent and disorderly contluct has been absolutely unknown. The Hall has been the students ' home;, they have felt it so and have respected it. Some such feeling alreadv exists in the heart of everv student for the University. For, however unwise or illogical he

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