DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 73 



scholarly interest. An honor society, Omicron Xu, organized in the 

 spring term, has for its purpose the promotion of home economics 

 and scholarship among its students. The 11 senior women who were 

 its charter members had maintained high scholarship during their col- 

 lege course and given promise of future achievement. The faculty of the 

 Home Economics division, to whom the organization of Omicron Xu 

 is due, feel gratified by the attitude of the student body toward this 

 new honor society. 



The new and quite complete equipment of the Domestic Science labora- 

 tory has proven very satisfactory. Special student investigations on 

 corn meals, on winter and spring wheat flours, on shrinkage in pickles, 

 etc., have given good results and will be carried further in the future. 

 The report made by Misses Elizabeth M. Palm and Alice E. Jeffery of 

 an investigation conducted by them last year on lunch baskets was 

 published in the Home Economics Journal for June, 1912. 



Some special apparatus in the gymnasium makes possible more work 

 for particular needs of individual students. The music department 

 has, as usual, aided in various programs, has organized a Girls' Glee 

 Club and has given several recitals, one of which was the best for years 

 past. 



The textiles course gave opportunity for testing fabrics and their 

 adulterations and for microscopic work on the textile fibers. An in- 

 teresting problem was the cost estimate of a young woman's wardrobe 

 according to different standards. Two classes from the East Lansing 

 public schools came once a week to the laboratory for instruction in 

 sewing, given by the senior girls under the direction of Mrs. Peppard. 

 An electric motor, a skirt marker and other smajler articles have been 

 added to the equipment in domestic art. An interesting exhibit of the 

 dressmaking courses, showing the work in costume design, was made 

 two or three times during the year, on the occasions of the Women's Con- 

 gress of the Eound-up, the Michigan Home Economics Association, the 

 Women's Press Club, etc. 



In addition to these meetings, the committee of School Patrons of 

 the Xational Educational Association, of which the Dean of Home 

 Economics is member at large for Michigan, held its annual meeting 

 in the Women's Building. We had also the pleasure of entertaining 

 at luucheeon in May a company of faculty ladies from Ann Arbor, in- 

 cluding Mrs. Hutchins and Dean Jordan, who were interested in the 

 possibility of introducing Home Economics at the University of Michi- 

 gan. 



Some of the speakers from abroad who have been guests of the depart- 

 ment during the year are Mrs. C. E. Faulke of Ohio. Dr. Mary Louise 

 Hinsdale of Ann Arbor, Mrs. Forbes Robertson Hale of New York, Mrs. 

 Jennie C. Law Hardy of Tecumseh, Miss Mary Snow of Chicago, and 

 Miss Grace L. Coppack of China. 



We wish to express appreciation for courtesies to the classes in House- 

 hold Art and Institution ^Management, extended by ^Mesdames O. M. 

 and O. F. Barnes, Miss Parker, and Mrs. James M. Turner, also to Dr. 

 Kellogg and Miss Cooper of the Battle Creek Sanitarium for their 

 generous hospitality to the senior class on its inspection trip. 



The Students' Aid Fund, inaugurated last year by the College 



