Show Are They Worth the Candle A A G GAIN AIN some college papers are speculating 1 A lating as to whether it is worth worthwhile worthwhile worthwhile while to publish a college paper and as asto asto asto to what should be the nature of the publication supposing that it is worth while The opinions expressed are many and various Many editors feel that they are doing themselves an injustice injustice injustice in in- justice by doing so much work which seems to be useless since the influence of their paper seems to be so small and its standard so low and even where there is no difference of opinion concerning concerning concerning con con- the advisability of publishing a paper there is often much indecision as asto asto asto to what should be the nature of the publication Some huld hold that it should give the news of the college and not trouble itself about ideas while others think the every-day every happenings of college life too trivial to be recorded and so tk favor the expression of ideas to the exclusion exclusion exclusion ex ex- of news Still another class seems to be in doubt whether the average average average aver aver- r age student has any ideas to express This latter opinion can hardly be betaken betaken taken seriously unless we are to believe the words of a radical reformer of the rc present day who calls colleges II clogs on the wheels of progress II Yet it must be admitted that the showing at the present time does not shed much glory on the college press Among the hundreds hundreds hundreds hun hun- of dailies and weeklies which litter our exchange table how few possess any real merit Many of them are merely absurd imitations of the modern newspaper which newspaper which is very far from being a model worthy of imitation Imitation- many others seem to be in a state of chronic doubt whether to strike out in inthe the direction of journalism or in that of literature poor literature poor little lost without marks or brands pitiful brands pitiful waifs 7 in the world of letters The monthlies make a far better showing Many of these boldly and manfully enter the literary field and succeed on their own merits There are several college periodicals in this 4 country which rank with the best literature literature literature litera litera- ture of the day and which do not suffer by comparison with popular literary magazines of past or present time And why should they not rank with the best Most writers who have become famous have come from the colleges and it can hardly be supposed that they received their genious wrapped up in their diplomas diplomas diplomas dip dip- lomas on leaving college There must have been at least some evidence of its existence before the day of graduation Perhaps it will be said that those who possess talent do not write for their college papers that they reserve their efforts for higher honors that realizing J 1 how few there are who read college f h papers they feel that time spent writing writing for them would be thrown away It is IS likely that this is the case J Each must test his powers in some way and there is no better medium for the expression of first efforts than the college college college col col- lege paper And we believe that the best writers among college men usually do put forth some of their best efforts writing for them and that that best is often of a high order We find many things in in college papers which compare well with much that is considered first class literature Indeed many of the I. I great ones whose names go gol sounding down dow the ages have written hundreds l of lines with only here and there one which has the true ring While on the theother theother f. f other hand we are constantly coming Wr upon things even in college journals which bear the true impress of genius genius- t. t thoughts which spring spontaneously from the heart in moments of exaltation exaltation exaltation exalta exalta- tion and which are often set to the purest and highest music of the soulI soul Upon the whole we believe that the coll college ge paper has has come com to stay and that I as it progresses it will take more and tK more of a literary character and leave out more and more of what is ephemeral until it has gained a place of which none It need be ashamed i |