The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-06-29
VALEDICTORY.

pleasant themes es-competition. re-
ward, rest, vacation, boquets, ap-
plause, we'll wishes, pleasant retro
spect and brave. hopeful forecast
OF successful strife in the broad
arena of the great outside world.
Lile's journey is divided into
certain we'll defined stages. Ii
has its stopping places. where ore
may look back over the stretch of
country already journeyed. re-
cuperate ones strength, and meas
ure ones chances for the next ad
vance. For the young man, his
last college commencement is such
halting place; and if he be
gifted by nature with a character
at all alive to the serious side of
life-if he have the capacity to
look below the surface of things
and see the grand possibilities OF
success, the awful liabilities tn
disaster that lie around him,
lie will call halt, look himself
over and ask what kind of a future
am | about to carve out for my
self in the large sphere of life
ahead of me. a college gradu.
ating class may be divided into
halves; one of which, as re-
suit of the past three or tonr years
study, believes that it knows a
great deal; the other, the thought
full half, realizes that it knows but
very little. For the former there
is but little hope Of future ad-
vance; for the latter every hope.
1t has been well said that the
greatest benefit of a college course
is that it teaches one how to teach
himself. A college graduate who
has spent three years in serious
work makes his exit through the
college gates with a sma:tering OF
subjects. This is worth some
thing; but of infinitely more worth
to him is the habit of method in
study that has. or should have
been formed; the meutal disci-
pline which is received in follow
ing out the common college cur
riculum. Let him forget the Or
der and number of propositions OF
Euclid, if he will only bear in
mind that definitions and aXioms
'me before propositions, and that
the indispensable proof is only at
taine0 by careful consecutive lay
ing Of the Fundamental elements
that led up to it. The value of
this will be seen in his after life
in the great world. The fault CT
college life aud work is its hurried,
and tendency to slip shod, method
though III this respect it is ahead
of the great outside world of
which it is the prototype. Too
much is done on the "get there
principle. This fault lies not in
the scope and extent OF college
work, but in its execution. The
graduate will be richly repaid for
the time and expense of his course,
if he has formed the habit of at
tention to detail, of making each
consecutive step as he goes, SO
that he may always 'eel sure at
least Of solid ground to stand upon;
and have a fair vantage ground as
base for further advance in the
battle of life.
The most successful men in life
have been lovers of detail, careful
builders, slow and sure, rather
than fast and brilliant. Genius
may afford a defense with detail,
and may step to the front with
rapid strides, but genius is scarce.
One other almost equally valua-
bic effect of college lite on which
the graduate should dwell, upon
which he should improve IN the
future world life, is the social and
civic lessons he has, or should
have learned. The college is a
social worid-and the student has
already found that no one lives
entirely to himself. Considera-
ton for others, public spirit, large
heartedness and all civil virtues
should have their birth, and in
deed full and healthy develop
ment in the three years of college
life. In this field the college
faculty has grand opportunity of
showing to the students bright
example They should make it
evident that their work is marked
by that crowning glory of pro-
feSsional NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.;
that their devotion to the growing
people under their care, that their
zeal for their intellectual and
moral advancement Is the remun-
GRAFTON in their work, and that the
pecuniary remuneration is second
ary and subordinate as a motive
If this conviction is not deep
seated in the Students hearts, the
faculty has lost one-half of it's
power and influence or the after
life of the student will be simply
nothing.
The graduating class of '94 car
ries with it the we'll wishes of the