The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-06-28
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF THE
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
Examinations, Annual Address, Grad
uating Exercises, Baeealaureate
Address.

Annual AudreSSi urdG-
uating Exercises, Baeealaureate
Address.
The closing exercises of the State
Normal School were commenced on |
Tuesday and concluded on Friday |
of last week.
EXAMINATIONS.
The examinations were written,
and evinced very satisfactory work
on the part of the students and
teachers. We should have been
pleased to have seen the classes sub
jectcd to o seyerer test of oral ques-
tioning, and would suggest that in
our opinion 1t would be good, idea
to appoint a board of examiners,
composed of three or more of the
ablest educators in the State, whose
duty it shall be to be present at each
commencement and ask questions
appropriate to each recitation, and
thus enable visitors to judge with
greater facility and accuracy with
what degree of thoroughness the
school is doing its work. Welook-
ed over the examination papers of
classes in geography, botany and
geometry, and were as well pleased
with the neatness and systematic
arrangement with which they were
gotten up, as with the almost in
variable correctness of the written
answer to the written question.
The school, VIC believe, is under
excellent management, and is ac-
complishing a work in education
that will prove of great and lasting
benefit to the State. 1t needs, how
ever, a first-class professor of math-
ematics. The attention which this
department has up to this time re-
ceived in our State Normal School
has been entirely too meagre, but
we are gratified to learn that in the
future this is not to be the case.
An able educator in this department
will be secured, and mathematics
will hereafter receive the attention
their Importance demands.
ANNUAL ADDRESS.
The annual address before the
Literary Society was delivered by
Rev. p. McVicar, formerly State
Superintendent, but at present the
President of Washburn College,
at Topeka. Mr.. McVicor's lecture
was an intended refutation of Mr..
DarwiHs theory of the origin of
man. After stating that this theory
was that man had sprung from some
ape-like creature, Mr.. McVicor, in
q tolerably clear and convincing
process of augmentation set forth
the folly of Mr.. Darwin's theory
and his method of reasoning. The
insufficient and unsubstantial sort
of proof upon which Mr.. Darwin
and his co-thinkers rely was sub.
jected to Just criticism. The lecture
was delivered in the Presbyterian
church, on Thursday evening, anG
was listened to by a large but, a!
We thought, rather unappreciativt
audience.
GRADUATING EXERCISES.
The graduating class was smaller
this year than usual, being only two
in number-Mr. Davis, of Hesper
and Miss Daniels, of Burlington
A large audience asse mbled in TIT
Normal building on Friday evening
at half past seven to witness the
exercises. Most of the members o
the Normal School Board were il
attendance, and many of our citi.
zens manifested, by their presence
their friendliness toward the insti
tuition and their interest in educa
ton. The music was conducted BY
Professor Jones, and several pieces
were excellently executed. Mis-
Daniels read thoughtful essay upoI
'Thc Teacher and his Work" If i
had been read with greater empha.
sis and moro confidence it would
have been better appreciated. Mis-
Daniels has correct and adequate
notions in regard to the nature anG
importance of the teachers work
and if she puts them into practice
when she enters upon her duties al
q teacher, she may lead a life o.
great usefulness.
Mr.. s. II. Davis, of Hesper, read
the valedictory essay, quite an able
paper, upon the 'Relation which
the State sustains to the cause o.
Education" We think Mr.. Davi:
would have made still better i'm.
preston if before coming upon the
stage, he had thrust his manuscripts
into his coat pocket or into some
other invisible recess, and then de.
livered his thoughts as an grafton
BACcALAUREATE ADDRESS.
The closing event was the speech
of the President to the graduating
class, This speech was in every re-
spect worthy of the man and of the
occasion. "The Problem of the
Child; or, Children, what shall we
do with them ?" was the subject.
After mentioning q number of false
| fha0Hiao khak frorn ttT,o ~ f;v,,o ho-o
been put forth as answers to this
important question, Professor Hoss
elucidated his subject with much
force and great conciseness of die
ton. He asserted that in the child
there existed in germane form
faculties of mind and heart which,
if developed and directed under the
guidance of a master hand, might
make the future statesman, the emf
nent divine, the renowned historian,
the great mathematician or scientist.
The child was considered in relation
to his mental organization and
faculties, his social nature and ca
pacities, and his moral being with
its mate religious longings. To
enable him to properly unfold and
direct his intellectual faculties,t to en-
able him to cultivate his social quail
tiles and to strengthen his religious
desires and aspirations is the proper
answer to the question "what shall
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