UNION OF COLLEGE PAPERS

Several suggestions to be proposed to the Student Council were discussed at the University Forum held in the Union last night. The question of how to get more undergraduates actively interested in outside activities was informally considered by the Forum.

A recommendation that the Student Council draw up plans for combining two or three of the University publications was unanimously approved. The advisability of such a union was especially noted from the financial stand-point, for the business managers are now engaged in unnecessary hostile rivalry. The Monthly, Advocate, and Illustrated, the publications particularly considered, have not been united in past years, even though many attempts have been made, because of disagreement over technicalities and desire to continue the individual traditions. The Forum believed that while the functions of the Illustrated differ from those of the other magazines, personal differences and trivial points in regard to the make-up of a general-literary publication could be over-looked in a wide-spread movement to relieve of their present burden the advertisers and subscribers. The result of this discussion was a resolution asking the publication committee of the Student Council, composed of the presidents of the magazines, to draw up plans for a union of at least two of the papers.

Limitation of Activities.

The majority of discussion centered on a proposition to limit the number of activities a single student might engage in. The purpose of the scheme, similar to that now in operation at Technology, was claimed not to be the bettering of organizations or securing the participation of more students, but to be the improvement in scholarship of those already engaged in activities. The main difficulty with the proposition is that it is purely arbitrary. The speakers agreed that the several organizations would not be bettered, and that while the plan might induce more to enter competitions, scholarship would not be improved, for the rigor of competitions would be increased accordingly as the number of activities for each man were decreased. The conclusions of the Forum were that no such restrictions should be imposed on college students, who should be encouraged in all-around development.

In an effort to find a way to get more students interested in undergraduate activities, the Forum decided that the result could be accomplished only by establishing a strong public opinion. It was pointed out in this connection that additional candidates for office must come mainly from public school graduates, and that the Territorial Clubs are now giving these men the advice and encouragement needed in competitions, which is now enjoyed by preparatory school clubs.

Discussion of compulsory athletics for Freshmen, a feature deemed advisable in some form, was deferred until the next meeting of the Forum.