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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1900)
84 THE BATTALION. ing tests. Though many of the leading colleges of the South have long since been practicing this rule, the classes did not hesitate in the lease in saying that it was only a matter of form. Yet we thought that the honor system would be the more reliable, and that if time made any difference the earliest stage would be the weakest stage. We predict that the fictitious reminis cence of riding ponies through exams that are often told to new boys will soon be forgotten. THE LIBRARY. M. F. THOMAS. I think the average student overlooks one of the most pleasant if not the most important parts of his school course by not taking advantage of every opportu nity to spend his spare moments in read ing good books, not only for the pleas ure and instruction that it will afford him, but for the broadening of his mind and the cultivation of a taste for good literature that will be a source of help and pleasure to him all through life. A young man should be exceedingly careful in his selection, since as the tree is bent so it will grow. There are many public libraries scattered over our land, and books are so cheap that no one need be without the use of the masterpieces of most great writers. I am glad to note a change in the char acter of reading in the barracks, brought about, I think, but the department of English in giving the students books to read, and on which they write reports. This has called the attention of the students to the vast difference between the works of our standard authors and the books some of them have been pur chasing from newsdealers. The effect of this we can see by noticing how few “dime novels” are read and by compar ing the number of books drawn from the college library during this year with the number drawn between the same dates last year. Eor the month of November, 1900, there were 44 per cent more than in November, 1899, and the increase is still more encouraging in December, reaching as high as 97 per cent for the first half of the month. Our college library is entirely insufficient to the de mand made upon it by students, and I hope to see it enlarged before another year. Come to the library, boys, and let us show them that we are crowded and need more room. THE CALLIOPE AN SOCIETY. PH. DEOSS. At the opening of school a great “lit erary revival” was started, the depart ment of English having been enlarged and fresh energy infused into the socie ties. Though we have not accomplished all be hoped to, everybody feels bene fited to some extent by the work done. ’Tis true we have developed no great orators, no essayists, no dramatic read ers, no poets, but a fine spirit of inter est has been aroused. This is much, for, the spirit and energy awakened, the deed is half done. Though we are naught but “swingers