Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-25
MAINE COLLEGES.
BaccaIaureate Sermons at Bow
doin, Bates and Colby.
Pres. Hyde, Rev. DR.. Penney and
Pres. Whitman the Speakers.
Programme Tor The Remainder Of the Week al
the Colleges.

Sunday morning with the baccalaurate ser
men by President Whitman before the
graduating class Of the university.
Long before the opening of the service,
every sea. of the church with the exception
of those reserved for the faculty and those
of the graduating class, w9e filed
to overfiowing. At 10 Is the
members of the class of '94. attired In their
graduating caps and gowns, formed into q
procession at the college chapel and marched
to the church There were 40 of the class
in the procession.
President Whitman's sermon was very
interesting one and was listened to with
close attention by everyone in the house.
President Whitman's Sermon.
The subject of President Whitman's
baccalaureate sermon was "a Question
of Advantage" To what purpose is this
waste?-Matt. 2G Is.
The practical man speaks here. What is
to come from expenditure, be it in time or
thought or coin? What promises no imme-
diate return is not worth doing. Why, then,
should men pay costly. treasure for senti-
ment or make investment which shall bring
reward only in distant years? Nay, rather
seize the present.
The question is so often asked concern
ing the students outlay for the future that
it will not be counted misuse of opportunity
if out of the sphere of application his work
shall be canvassed anew. Four years, sev-
en- years, ten years spent in getting ready !.
Time gone, effort gone money gone; to
what purpose is this waste? For answer
we consider -
1. Misconceptions and false ideals cf
college work.
College conditions are not always rightly
conceived even by workers. 1t is not
strange, therefore, that they are miscon-
ceived by onlookers. Student life is thus
made to appear different from what it is.
Perils there are in it, but nothing like the
perils often pictured. Safeguards are pro-
vided at every point possible. Body, mind
and heart are protected not less securely
than in other lines of action. For many q
magical quality inheres in the name of col
lege. Mere association with students is re.
garded as in some way changing man, so
that the dullard may become a philosopher
merely by looking at books and
seeing others use them. Frequently
the mistake is made of regarding
the gathering of facts as the chief func-
tion of college work. This is part, impor-
taut, but subordinate to the function Of de-
welcoming power To be added is false
ideal of liberty. Too much for individual
and general good student life has been con
ceiyed as exempt from the regulation which
controls the life Of other citizens. At the
opposite extreme is the picture of the stu
ient as a book-worm. Man was made for
a better purpose than to serve as book
mark, knowledge always has reference to
use. Possibly the commonest misconcep-
tion of all re CARDS the end of student work
realized in dilettanteism, a kind Of elegant,
useless performance of elegant, useless
tasks. Nothing could be farther from
truth.
If such conceptions were not misconcep-
tions college life would be non-moral, If not
positively immoral. Happily there are of
setting conditions which meet even the
semblsnee of truth involved in them. These
are found in: '-i..- .-t-r g..
III. Ends and aims of student endeavor.
There are at least four
. 1. Power. Every man to the extent
chat he 10 q man can say, 81 am able
That which thus finds expression is power
and the consciousness of it. To increase
power 10 q college aim. 1t involves de-
velopment, capacity, inspiration, persis-
tence, intensity.
2. Method The trained man has i'm
mense advantages over the unframed. Ee
knows himself and his work. He knows,
too, how to bring himself to bear upon his
work at least cost of energy.
8. Culture. This is practical acquain
tauce with the best in the worlds life. In
the spirit Of culture all callings are unified,
all power increased, all life ennobled.
4. Character. All training issues in
this. The man is more than the student al
ways. Education is seriously defective
which stops short of better life.
The wisest courses lay stress upon the
things suggested in these four aims. Pow
er, Method, Culture and Character cover
pretty nearly the whole of life.
III. The practical test.
Educational history is in part wri ten in
the special histories of societies and states
The fibre of manhood is then tested on
large scale. Our own Civil War bears i'm
portant witness. There is food for thought
ia the history of the college in the war.
Innumerable memorial tablets on college
walls tell the same story that is told by
monuments raised by grateful communities.
A further important element is in the dis
tinctively religious work of college. A
larger proportion than is generally sup
posed Of college students are Christian men
and live like Christians. There are few
towns that are not better morally for being
college communities. There are few col
leges that lack organized religious effort.
Conversions are not less frequent on the
average among students than among our
regular church congregations.
But the crowning test lies in leadership.
In professional lines educational influence
is undis sputed. In practical lines, too. which
educated men have entered, great advan-
taQe is found in completeness of mastery
made possible by discipline already under
gone. In the sphere Of moral influence the
college can claim worthy part. The lead
ers Of Christian thought today are trained
men, and it 10 the college that has made