The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-12
COMMENCEMENT At vAsSAn.
Forty.six Girls Receive Their Degrees ana
DIplomas-Six EssayIsts.

PouGHKEErsIE June 11.-vioe- President
Morton. Mrs. Morton, and two OF their daughters
ontored tho chapel OF Nassar College in the
middle OF tho commencement exercises this
morning. They modestly took seats among
tho audience. but Mr.. Morton was ut once es-
| corted to tho platform by Prof Cooley and
seated at tho left OF President Taylor. After
| the feast OF reason, Mr.. Morton. with Mrs
| Truman jay Dackus Of Brooklyn leaning on
his arm, wont with the trustees and faculty to
a room in tho lower story. where luncheon was
served. Mrs Morton and the Misses Morton
had some OF tho luncheon. too.
The commencement exercises opened with
an essay on the new national life in historical
study. by Adella Prentiss OF Cleveland. Miss
Premises aim was to show that tho study OF
tho nations history has only become possible
since the civil war. as slavery while It existed
did not permit the truth to be told about II.
The now South. oDthe other hand. is as willing
rs tho North to study the story Of their COM
mon country.
Miss Mary Durham, also OF Cleveland. proved
herself q student OF Shakespeare in trying TO
show that Lady Macbeth was not 80 black rs
she was painted.
Cora Louise Sconeld OF Washington. Ia. in
her essay on the Physical Basis of Mind"
had this to say in opposition to Herbert Spen-
GER:
IL mind were the product merely OF molecular
GiGeronses between these ana the nerve cell. Of tho
STaE NO such TO US Nehsf IN
cells the brain diqr from those q the 10 spinal PIN cord
Of n spinal cord as wo as lis braun ''nA W
:, A grand solo by Miss Sarah Frances King OF
Hannah Fancher Mace, who has already
made such progress in her pot science that she
Is expected to DO another Mary Somcrvillc, in
Mathematics" said:
The chief aim Of all eiuca,io accurate definition
other s"dy helps to tits 50 much as mst"nstet In
the c!enrlesS Of e.necrt,3n s,rctnGss Of tconng and
found the essence of true culture.
A description of the Greek festival in honor
Of Dionyslus. tho god Of wine. by Ida Shaw
King Of, Albany. was followed by tho essay OF
Emily Eugenia Morris OF New Haven ON the
sTe a4S Mo SS
Tho evils of sectarani'm sum themselves UP In u
hnnmIe[cd growth and restricted dgyeoPment and
i this sided character watch pictures TO us every
day the oIec 8 OF sectaranism urOn intellectual life.
All the ak essay writer's on those reconcile
subjects had TO attain n standard OF 80 per
cent in their entire college course 10 entitlo
platform. None OF tho six knows how much
more than 50 pei, cont; she may have got. rs
Is %bo n hI e5ons ~ f9
per cent. is thus put on par with the one who
barely got 50 per cent.
who already wore an Oxford gown, conferred
degrees on the forty-sx graduates. who !
stood UP while he delivered the usual Latin |
formula which precedes the ceremony. They !
formed a pretty RrOup rs they stood with cX- |
roctant faces, their white gowns also dstin-
gushing them from the surrounding audience; !
and as one by one they Went forward 10 got tho |
outward and visible signs OF their four years |
term. few OF them would have been picked out |
as blue stockings. not even the future Mary
Somerville. Diplomas were given well as |
degrees. Among the candidates for the d.
plomas OF the school Of music was Kate Lillian |
Mitchell, daughter OF Peter Mitchell Of New |
York.
President Taylor. in IN ndd.ess which fol-
lowed tho conlerrinG Of degrees. referred to |
the shortening OF the college course now being !
aGitated at Harvard. and declared that the col |
lege which adopted the shortened course would |
approach nearer a preparatory school than a !
university. He thought however. that STU |
dents might enter college earlier. In describ-
ing tho grand future which was before Amer- |
can colleges. he said there was no reason why |
i should not be shared by the ,womens college.
He said that wealthy women should endow the |
educational institutions OF thor sex.
Tho 500 graduates who are in town spent tho
afternoon in eating the commencement dinner,
which was served on small tables i'll the gym
nasium. In the evening the faculty gave re-
ception to the graduating class and their
trends and relatives. which was largely at
tended.