THE NEBRASKA BLUEPRINT (March 1925)

  The Dean's Corner

Some Lessons of Engineers' Week

by Dean O. J. Ferguson


The Engineering College is growing. But we never outgrow our Engineers' Week. In fact, it is growing with us. Many very complimentary remarks are made about Engineers' Week each season.  Anyone who comes becomes a " re-peater." But if we started in to laud it, we might be accused of patterning after him who said, " Lord, we thank Thee that we are not like other men." I'll therefore limit my bouquets to a few modest flowers— primroses, as it were.

The work was well done and the leaders and workers deserve the praise which has come to them. May those who follow next year do as well!

The work is primarily educational. Even the stunts have educational values for they all have engineering bases and a content of applied science. They are educational to the students who study out their possibilities and the details of their practice. They are likewise of interest and value to the visitors and onlookers, for they exhibit in a rather catching manner some phys-ical truths we have learned to apply. The de-signing and building of last year's arch and this year's lighthouse are exercises worth doing. The social features do not detract from the value of the week. The banquet is an inspiring " get-to-gether."

Nothing is so good that it cannot be better. Why not profit by experiences and improve in some of the several ways which are so apparently possible to all who have the work at heart?

Time spent in perfecting an organization is generally well spent. The preliminary work should be more carefully done, and the organiza-tion should carry down farther into the body of students. Surely, chairmen are the responsible persons who are to be held for the success or failure of each day. But the chairmen must have better support— more workers— more reliable backing. They cannot do all of it themselves. .

In some cases this year, classes were omitted, to allow the fellows to get things ready for the events of the week, and yet only about half of the men so released were on the job. This shows some lack of organization by chairmen and a con-siderable lack of spirit and interest by engineer-ing students. Is the college too big to be fully occupied by this job? Shall we need to limit the excusing of men from class to those who show that they are to be usefully employed? Ought we not to cease granting favors to “deadheads?"

In looking forward to next year, we must expect that the Engineering Society will see the necessity for appointing the active staff early. That the chairmen pay strict attention to organizing responsible committees. That committeemen are found who have the time to do the work they undertake. That duties do not over-lap and cause confusion. That all activities are provided for and scheduled—the clean-up as well as the erection. That everybody is in on something and no loafers allowed.