Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-27

College Graduates.

Oe1Ah0BO 1A0<Ak40DO0s
Through the coming two months the
alumni Of our colleges will be assembling
II the halls Of their Alma Matters, on the
occasion Of the annual return of commence
ment. The walks of fair Harvard. of good
old Yale. of old Bowdoin, will ere long
be trod by feet familiar to them. So much
for the returning sons. but there is part
ing as well. soon to be gone through. A
new set Of men is to go forth into the
world, is to make its commencement Of
actual. active life. The classes, bound to-
gether by feeling which only the college
graduate knows, united by four years oil
companiorship in the same duties, are to
break up, and their members TO separate
10 many divergent paths. -Four years of
. .sIiberal education have turned out a
new set, full. maybe, of new ideas. of new
theories, anxious to do something. twill
be well for all if these are really anxious
TO be up and doing something. But how
will they be fitted for it' While
the student has been shut up
in his college walls, engaged in
studies. has the world been waiting for
him ? In one sense. yes; in another. no.
II he has received instruction that is going
TO fit him for better citizen-if he Is
eager TO put new, useful ideas in prac-
tice. 1t has been awaiting him as the COM
ing man. But the world has not been
standing still Ia the mean time. It has
been full OF activity of one sort OF an
other. While he has been studying over
problems. the world has been making
new ones. history has been growing. Has
the graduate been merely studying the
past, learning over what generations be-
fore have studied and learned. or has he
gained something to help him grapple
with fresh difficultiesp
The world expects something of the
'college-bred man." Its expectations
ought to be met. Ought to be. we say,
for when man has spent four years I'M
der the best instruction he ought to be the
better for it. More's the pity that nova
days the world is disposed to regard the
college graduate with somewhat
doubtful expression, as if he, after
oil. did not amount to much. Per-
haps sad experience has had something
TO do with this. Perhaps, in the good old
times. when it was rare fora man to 60 to
college unless he we're destined for the bar
or the pulpit, the college graduate was
more Of a man than now when the higher
education falls to the lot of so many more. |
He certainly was to look upon. In these
present days of increased advantages. he
ought to be no less man, although it is to
be sorrowfully admitted. that in many
cases the college graduate is but callow
youth. That to a great extent he has now
to make a place for himself in the world,
is true, but 1t ought not to be true that he
is bigger fool than he would have been
had he never seen the inside of a college
recitation room.
The elective system of study, which has
the support Of many able men. while
1t has many advantages. must tend to
break up the class feeling and rupture the
class bonds. Where, out of large en-
teringclass. few devote themselves to
one branch. few more to another. there
cannot be the same strong friendship that
grows out Of sitting day by day. all in a
class together, sympathizing with one
another for their "deads," and rejoicing
mutually in their "sa,ls."
Commencement has lost its old siguifi.
canoe of the beginning of the college year.
but perhaps it means more now than it
did then.