University Items

Board of Regents are in session to-day. The college chimes will be rung on Christmas Day, it is stated. R. W. Kitchen, M. D. '84, of Elkhart, Ind., lias located at Allegan. The librarían of the state agricultural college, Mrs. Merrill, is studying up at the university library. Wm. Olcutt, lit. '83, leaves for Iron Mountaln, Lake Superior, soon, to accept a mining engineer's position. The Students' Christian Association failed n its endeavor to secure Moody's services for a revival meeting. A less nutnber of students remain at home duiïng the present holiday season than ever before, it is asserted. It is with extreme pleasure that we can announce that Prof. Stowell is now on the gain, and it is hoped he will be about agiiin in a few days. The university trust fund held by the state, the interest of which goes to defray the running expenses of the university, amounts to $495,822.72. Cliamberlain s definition oí a subfresh " (one who writes college jokes without knowing wliat they mean) isa surpriing but frank admission on his part. Prof. Prescott, was called to Grand Rápida several days ago to testify in the Millard murder trial, and the testimony was continued through several days. Prof. Payne is down for an address before the state teachers' associatlon commencing Jan. 29th, at Lunsing, upon "The English Language in the Public Schools." Miss Bessie Hunt, claM of '81, is with her fatlier, Gen. Hunt.of the regular army, stationed at Fort Vancouver, Washington Territoiy, where slie will reinain during the winter. The sum of $200 yet remains unpaid upon the lot puruhased by the Students' Christian Association, and a subscription paper is soon to be sent upon lts rounds to raise that mnount. Mrs. Plues, of Lake LiDden, L. S., kindly remembered the boys of the Beta TheUPI iraternity.ofwhich her brother, the lamented vValter Harris, was a member, by sending thera a larsre Christmas box of turkey, cakes and confectlonery. The fírst librarían of the university, Uev Henry Uolclazer, appointed to that positiüti by the regen ts, in the year 1837, and holding it for eight years, to 1845, died ra cently at his home in Philadelphia. Ut was a minister of the M. E. church, and had been an member of the Wilmington, I Del., conference for several years previous to his death. The Michigan School Moderator, referring to the change of Prof. Payne's title, remarka : " Intheannounceraent for the state teachers' association, we see that Prof. Payne of the university hasihe chair of ' Science and Art of Education,1 instead of 'Pedagogics ' as formerly. Th is rhangr ot name- not of positlon will at once cali to mlnd the discussion at Madison during the summer meeting in which Dr. Harris took occasion to express hls strong dislike to the word pedagogics. He referredto the original meauiegof pedagogue, tlave-drlvcr, and pleaded for an English expression which would mean to-day just wliat was supposed to be meant by the harsh soundingand awkward appearing Qreek expression. Tho uuiverslly authorities may not have acted on this suggestion, but the change has been made and we think for the better." The foliowing is taken from the Pontiac Gazette. We have no desire to comment upon it: The Fort Scott Monitor says that if it is the desire of the people of Kansas to sustain a university for the dl8semination of the dogma of free trade, they have such an institution In the state university. But if they want an instltution in which politlcal eeouomy shall be taught by unbtased men, they will have to malie several changes In the university. The remarksof the Monitor, we suspect, may be applied wlth equal force to our own state university. We do not know the opinions of President Angelí, but we are certain that the board of regents would do well to look into the teachings of soine of the professors, and the character of textbooks used. We know it to be exceedingly unpopular, and is regarded as borderin" upon assumption to criticise the state xmversity in any particular, but in this matter of free trude sophistry, as a protectionist, we exercise a right tliat belongs to every citizen of Michigan. We can conceive of teachings far lessobjectionable than free trade, that would not be tolerated for i moment within the state university.