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THE UNIVERSITY BUMBLE-BEE.
THE FACULTY.
Ordinarily one would think this
term synonymous with learning,
wisdom and ability, together with
the very essence of equity. As the
U. of Ga. is no ordinary University
it would be expected that the
faculty would be no ordinary
faculty. However, such is not the
case when thorough investigations
are made. True, a Freshman, or a
stranger, might be awe-stricken by
the would be dignity and wisdom
of this body; but to one who has
spent three or four years under the
regulations of such a body of dis
tinguished gentlemen the idea of
their being saturated with wisdom
and justice fades into insignificance,
and he is made to exclaim “Oh,
what a workmanship is man!
Of course I am speaking of the
faculty as a whole, and not indivi
dually. Many of them are very
industrious, wise, gentlemanly, and
learned in their own individual
affairs. But when it comes to work
ing in a body their ignorance of
what takes place in their meetings
is astonishing. For example stu
dents have frequently asked different
members of the faculty how the
hones of the classes that graduate
after the class of ’96 are to be made
out. All claimed that they did not
know; and yet, they get out the
catalogue.
Again,classes have been known to
send petitions to the faculty asking
for certain things. These petitions
would be referred to a committee,
who perhaps would read them and
perhaps not—usually not—then
they would report back with an en
dorsement: “We your committee
recommend that this petition be not
granted.”
The other members of the faculty
would not have the least idea of what
the petitions were about. Of course,
the method of transacting business
by committees is a perfectly legiti
mate method, but we do think
the petitions ought to be presented
to the entire body in order that the
opinion of the faculty may be had,
and not that of two or three, who,
perhaps, are prejudiced against the
petitions, or for them — as the case
may be.
There is another feature that one
would scarcely expect to find in a
body of men who have risen to that
distinction which gives them such
honor as a chair in the U. of Ga.
I refer to the negligence of this
august body This was most strik
ingly brought out in the 1 ‘Ten Lec
ture” courses that were to be de
livered to the Senior Class. The
catalogue stated that these lectures
should begin in October and con
tinue one each week until finished;
but instead of following the cata
logue, (as they require all students
to do) they neglected to prepare
their lectures, and of course to de
liver any, until after February 1st.
Then with great wisdom and justice
lectures were piled upon the class at
the rate of four hours per week,
thus forcing an unusual amount of
work upon the class. Besides being
an over abundance of work, some of
the lectures given were old, inappro
priate and of course uninteresting.
In fact they were simply a makeshift
in which the “shift” would have
made little had it not been that
they were flavored once a week by
the very interesting and scholarly
lectures on Shakespearean blank
verse. We are glad to say that
Prof. Morris’s lectures were, per
haps, the finest of their kind ever
delivered at the University of
Georgia. Hence we do not class
him with those who, through neg
ligence, failed to look after their
business.
Another heart-rending example
of negligence is seen when we
observe the attendance of the faculty
at prayers. Th§ writer has observed
carefully this astonishing phenome
non and does not think it too much
to say that it has not averaged more
than two. We, each of us “naked
and alone by himself” (Chancellor),
would just like to ask this great and
good faculty if they don’t think
such, a poor example to set the
students? And don’t they think
the disorder of the past college year
at prayers was due to their in
difference to the religious ceremonies
of the University? Just think,
fifteen men in the faculty, and yet six
or eight times during the year the
students had to leave Chapel with
sad hearts because no one of the
faculty was present to offer up a
prayer, and to ask the blessings of
God upon the work of the new day
with which they were blessed-
Again we would like to call atteu-
tion to the fact that a number of this
great body of professors now occu
pying chairs of the' University have
too many “irons in the fire.”
When such is the case some one
‘ ‘iron’ ’ is sure to burn before it can
be looked after as it should be.
We don’t believe a professor can do
justice to his department and spend
half of his time preaching, survey-
inn, building organs, etc., which
takes so much time from his depart
ment and hence from the student
body. To be sure we like to see all
all the good work these gentlemen
perform go on, but we think, if they
intend to teach, they had better
leave such alone for some one else,
and devote all their time to their
departments. Then they would be
better prepared for their work and
could make their departments more
interesting, and in doing so, would
avoid a great deal of the friction
between themselves and the student
body.
NEPOTISM.
A little bird told me a wonderful
story the other day which has di
rected my thoughts to some funny
things that have happened during the
past year. Now his Omnipotence,
the Chancellor, would not have
these things known by the Trustees
for anything on earth, not even for
his brilliant son who is now, per
force, called Professor.
It’s just a little matter of Ne
potism—a very small matter, but I
want to tell you about it. Among
the applications for the Tutorship
in Latin and Greek for this year
was one signed by A. A. Boggs.
Don’t understand me to insinuate
that the application was presented
or managed by the Chancellor—of
course he wouldn’t use his high
position for the private interests of
himself and his family. But it is
true that the then Professor of Latin
and Greek refused to endorse this
application for the simple reason
that there was a plain, unassuming
native of the old hills of Georgia
who was more competent to fill the
position and who was applying for
it. It is also true that there then
(commenced a correspondence which
jthreatened very strained relations
between the Chancellor and the Pro
fessor of Latin and Greek. For
once the Chancellor was not
omnipotent and, the honorable pro
fessor standing firm, the competent
Georgian was given the place.
But this is not all. A second
application was filed signed A. A.
Boggs. Now don’t believe me to
insinuate that the Chancellor had
anything to do with this application.
This time ’twas for the Instructor-
ship in French and German and,
there being no competent man close
at hand, the position was given to
the son of the Chancellor.
During the year, as I said
before, some other funny things
happened. One bright morning
when the Chapel bell ceased ringing
a second son of the Chancellor,
without his influence of course,
took a seat on the stage to mark the
absence from prayers of the Juniors.
Later in the year this same second
son of the Chancellor left Athens
for Philadelphia where he is taking
a course preparatory to teaching.
My little bird-informant told me
what chair he was being groomed
for; but that is irrelevant here.
There were two or three other
graduate students and all but two of
the members of the faculty who
could have taken his place on the
stage, but ’twas a third son of the
Chancellor who did it, without the
influence of the Chancellor, of
course. I ha/e not yet been in
formed what chair in the University
this third son of the Chancellor
designs occupying.
There is a very promising fourth
son of the Chancellor coming on,
now a member of the Freshman
class. From his brilliancy on the
drill-field, I would not be surprised
some years hence to" see the
announcement of his succeeding
Col. Snelling as Commandant of
Cadets.
The latest news from the family of
Boggs is that Competent Adam is to
spend the summer in Mexico study
ing the Romance Languages. Why ?
In order, Gentlemen of the Board
of Trustees, to prepare himself t>
fill the chair of Romance Languages
which he thinks you are to create
for him, without, of course, the
influence of the Chancellor.
Now, Gentlemen, as a Georgian,
as a man w r ho will now take my
part in maintaining the University
will you answer me in plain English
several direct questions which any
one can understand ?
First, if Mr. A. A. Boggs was in
competent to be Tutor in Latin and
Greek, his first choice of positions,
isn’t it natural to suppose that he
is incompetent to be Instructor in
French and German, his second
choice of positions ?
Second, if a native of Georgia
loving her sons and her University
could be found who was more com
petent to be Tutor in Latin and
Greek. Mr. Boggs’ first choice, isn’t
it natural to suppose that another
native Georgian loving her sons and
her Universijtyxould be found who
would be more competent to be In
structor of French and German,
Mr. Boggs second choice?
Third, will you create the chair
of Romance Languages and send
Mr. Boggs to Mexico to make him
competent to fill it?
Fourth, if you will, don’t you
think that would be slighting the
second, third and fourth sons of the
Chancellor ?
Fifth, and seriously, Gentlemen,
is the meager appropriation for
salaries to be expended in providing
for the numerous sons of the
Chancellor, or in obtaining competent
men as professors in the University ?
The statements made in this arti
cle are of facts which can be verified.
Now, Gentlemen of the Board, if
the sparse funds of the University
are to be expended in this charitable
provision for one family, do you
think that a needy, worthy family
can be found, all of whose members
are natives of Georgia, loving her
people, her sons, her history, her
traditions—nay, Gentlemen, could
not the funds be better expended in
providing for those unfortunate
natives of the state, who for four
years faced foeman’s bullets because
of love for Georgia’s rights and who
now have not where to lay their
heads? Are not these numerous
sons more able to provide for them
selves ?
Will you answer, Gentlemen ?
N. B.—If all these things be
Nepotism, surely the Chancellor is a
Ne-pot.