The University Magazine has
not hitherto been a Magazine, but
one half of it has usually been
filled . with local- happenings and
current gossip Such was not as
it should be. The Magazine
should be more literary in its
character and free from those
lighter things in which only news
papers indulge. But there must
-be some channel through which
sucli cau escape and the Maga
zine offered the only channnel,
until the establishment of the
Tar Heel, which now proposes
to relieve the Magazine of such,
with the hope that we will see
more true li terary material , more
, book reviews, more thoughtful
editorials, &c. , fill the pages in
the Magazine hitherto devoted to
matter which was entirely out of
place.
When we speak , thus we do
not wish in the least to have it
understood that we belittle our
selves, but that the one should
- be the complement of the other
each with its duty in making
known to the State the excellent
opportunities offered young men
here and the pleasures of a stu
dent's life in the University.
The kindly recognition of the
Magazine meets a responsive
chord and wre trust that we may
be co-workers " in unison the
younger ambitious one stirring up,
and arousing the latent energy of
the older and steadier. '
The attention of those interest
ed in athletics is asked to our
weekly report on that feature, of
our University life. Our reporter
in charge of that department will
spare no pains m assisting , our
managers arid captains in excit
ing eijthusiasm in our athletes
at tfie same time he will fear
lessly and, conscientiously criti
cise the tactics pursued by those
in charge of our athletic interests
as well as the various men aspir
ing to represent us on the "Vas
sity," It must be plainly under
stood that no personal feelings
: will prompt any criticism, only a
desire to benefit each aspirant and
thus to render his chances the
better by making known to him
forcibly his . faults that he may
correct them. We feel that we
are thus carrying out the, spirit of
the Association and in helping
the individual the taut ensemble
is thereby improved, and fellows
remember it is the jirst game that
counts and each game must be
our first and we must win all.
" In oiir next' issue we will give
a review of ' the Magazine for
. February. ." ; ' ;
THE. SOUTHERN INTER
COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC
ASSOCIATION.
'Within the last three or four
years athletics in southern col
leges and universities have made
a most wonderful stride. , Not
only have improvements toward
that perfection . which we think
our northern brethren , have at
tained in that line, been made,
but there is scarcely a small col
lege or fair sized academy in the
south, which does not boast; of its
foot ball team or crack pitcher or
catcher. '.'
Thus chaos reigned in the
southern athletic world. Several
small institutions, ; ' with great
pretensions and a little ability,
merely by a forfeited game or the
decline of a challenge received
after the close of the season, have
laid claim to the title of "cham
pions of the south" and have so
styled themselves. Many of the
teams which were really the best
were therefore made to appear in
ferior to the public. .
The University of Virginia
took the initiative and a notice
signed by the president of their
athletic association was sent to
each college and university in
the south that had given any evi
dence of athletic ability, stating
that, on December 28th in Rich
mond, Va. , there would be formed
a Southern Inter-Collegiate Ath
letic Association and inviting
their co-operation.
The following colleges respon
ded St; John's and John Hopkins
of Mary land ; University of Va. ;
University of North Carolina;
and Wake Forest College of
North Carolina; University of
Tennessee and the University of
the South (Seewanee) of Teiin. ;
and the University of Alabama,
Vanderbilt University has since
been admitted by the unanimous
vote' required for admission.
The delegates assembled in the
parlors of the Exchange hotel
and there formed a temporary or
ganization with Dr. Venable i
(North Carolina) as chairman and
Mr. Robeitson (Virginia) as sec
retary. After a prolonged dis
cussion with mutual and un
avoidable concessions and. com
promises a constitution was , fin
ally adapted modelled as nearly
as possible after that of the Inter
collegiate foot ball association.
,: It was clearly seen that for fi
nancial reasons it would be im
possible for each meiriber of the
association to meet every other
in a contest. A solution of this
difficulty was thought to be found
in dividing the association into
two sections Northern (Md. ,
Va. , and N. C.) and Southern,
(Ala. and Tenn.) There are a
great many objections to this, of
which we hope to speak in our
next issue, but for the present an
account of the immense area in-'
volved this seemed the only relief-offered.'.:
Most stringent rules were adop
ted against that most dangerous
of enemies to amateur athletics j
professionalism, which by the
way hasn't affected a few. of the
colleges. Now since all those
who had the athletic prestige are
invited ' to join the association,
and any one not now a member
which shows itself as deserving a
3lace will no doubt be admitted,
as well as those showing them
selves as undeserving will be
dropped, we will no longer have
those foolish and nonsensical ar
gumentative communications to
our daily papers designed to prove
why this or that college should
be styled "champion." But the
settlement of the title is a matter
of minor importance in compari
son to the numerous benefits that
should result from the elevation
of athletics in southern colleges
to a healthy standpoint. v We
congratulete Virginia for thus
quieting , that restless feeling
hitherto predominating in our
southern colleges.
In our next issue we hope to
insert such portions of the adop
ted constitution," . as may be of
interest, with a short discussion
of it.
THE PHILOLOGICAL CLUB.
On the evening of Jan. 20th, a
new scholarly organization was
born into' our University world.
Several members, of the Faculty,
interested in linguistic studies,
met at the office of one of
their members; and the result of
some informal discussion was to
show that all were heartilv in
favor of a Philological Club.
General interchange of philolo
gical thought; the opportunity to
present results of original research
before a sympathetic audience;
the regular review of philological
journals, and .tlie consequent
knowledge of what 5 is going on in
the world in this line of thought
and study; the desire to promote
interest and effort" in original
work on the part of advanced
students those were the main ob
jects which seemed to be arrived
at in the hopes of those present.
The Philological Club was ac
cordingly formed on the basis
thus suggested. The meetings
are to be held monthly, the mem
bers presiding in rotation; and
the work of keeping the club
informed of the contents of all
accessible philological periodicals
has been divided up among the
mem bers, who ' report at e? ch
meeting. Each member may
present original work at any
meeting, and those advanced stu
dents who may have anything
worthy of being before the club
will be invited from time to time
to present their work in person.'
Prof. Harrington was elected
Secretary for the remainder of the
college year.
The first regular meeting of the
Club was held Friday evening,
Feb. ioth, in Prof. Harrington's
study. Reviews of recent mem
bers of the American Journal of
Philology, the Classical Review,
Shaksfieriana, Modern Language
Notes and the Berliner Philolo
gische IVochenschrift were pre
sented by Professors Alexander,
Harrington, Hume and Toy.
Professor Harrington offered a
note on Plautus Capt. 851 argu
ing that the customary explana
tion of - the word boralum, there
used as an epithet of mackerel, is
forced, and that, on the contrary,
the natural ; interpretation would
be, ' 'of the season' ' , i. e. - 'fresh. ' '
Dr. 4 Hume called attention ' to
some investigations being prose
cuted by a member of the senior
class concerning the obsolete
words found in Passus 5U1
of Piers the Plowman; also to
other work recently done in com
paring the literary style of Milton
and Jeremy Taylor. Professor
Toy referred to the work of in
vestigating American pronuncia
tion now being carried on by all
the Phonetic Section of the Mod
ern Language Association. All
interested in this line of research
are invited to communicate with
Professor Chas. Grandgent, Cam
bridge, Mass. Professor Toy al
so gave an account of the organ
ized movement now being made
for the improvement of American
secondary schools, and explained
by the committee and sub-committees
engaged in college data
and formulating a deficit scheme
of work for all schools to aim at
in laying out their courses, giving
some particular notice to the meet
ing of the modern language sec
tion, of which he is a member.
The next meeting is appointed for
Friday, P. M., Mar:h 3d.
The Yale Rowing Association
has declined the invitation from
world's fair managers asking the
college to send a crew to the fair
to compete in a grand interna
tional: meeting of the college
crews. The invitation states that
the largest colleges in this coun
try are expected to send crews,
and it is hoped to have the large
universities of Europe repre
sented. The subject was care
fully considered by Yale men and,
having been advised upon the
matter, they have decided not to '
accept the invitation. The gen
eral opinion is that the contest
would favor too much of profes
sionalism. ;
At Princeton, no student will
be allowed to bring a watch into
the rooms at the coining examinations.