Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-06-20
ANNUAL
COMMENCEMENT.
A Busy Week For the Students
and Faculty of Alma College.
MANY INTERESTING PROGRAMS

membered as one of the most pleasant
commencement seasons in the history of
Alma college. All the elements have
been present which are necessary TO IA
successful close of the college year. The
weather has been perfect The number
of returned alumni and alumnP was
unusually large. The class of 02 has
shown itself to be up TO the high stand
ard of other classes preceding it. In
fact the whole thing, from the bacca-
laureate address on Sunday evening. TO
the big reception IN Wright Hall on
THURSDAY evening, has been of very
high order and "A credit 70 the young
and flourishlng institution
The haccalaureate sermon was preach
ed Sunday evening by President Bruske
TO large Union gathering Of several
churches in the resbyterian church.
His subject was Self reliance and God
Reliance. He showed that certain
amount of self reliance is necessary to
succe IS IN lie To illustrate, he drew
strong pictures from the lives of Napo-
L. on and Grant Without great self
reliance these men would have failed 20
achieve what they did achieve. But
extreme self reliance, untempered by a
reliance on h CHER strength, degener
ates into sell cOncelt. Then the other
side of the theme was developed. The
meag gerness of the human understanding
was dWelt upon aut illustrated and the
supercone of the Divine sermon was
closed by showing that the two reliances
should be CORE lated. Ii was master
ly effort an held the closest attention
of the audience. Special music was
furnished by the choir, Miss Conat and
Mr. Bagley
The last chapel exercises of the year
were held Monday morning. From nine
TO twelve o'clock public oral examina-
tions of classes were held At three in
the afternoon began one of the most
unique and mirth provoking class day
exercises that IL has ever been our lot TO
witness. 1t lis needless to say that the
writer is not IA member of the faculty
The chapel vas literally packed full of
people who were ushered in by two
seedy Juniors in rube costume The
fun began before you got fairly IN, and
continued throughout the whole per-
formance. The class of '02 certainly
gave evidence of ability in the by-no-
means-easy art of provoking continuous
laughter. They first produced series
OF moving pictures all of which were
take offs on members OF the faculty
Every one Of the acts was we'll executed
and showed originality After the NOV.
ing pictures "A sham fac ulty meeting " as
held IN which foibles and hobbies of
faculty members were ludicrously set
forth. All the jokes were at the ex-
pense of the faculty. Perhaps that is
" ny the students enjoyed the exercises
so much.
Monday evening the graduating ex.
ercises OF the Commercial School were
held III the chapel, beginning at eight
o clock After the usual musical mum
bers which were given by part of the
college orchestra, and Miss Sergeant
(piano), Prof. Conner introduced the
speaker of the evening ,Supt. A. l.. Cook
OF Ithaca who addressed q the graduating
class of ten on The Outlook The
memb rs of the class are Misses Clara
PrIngle, Carrie Nj. Hoyt, Mae +. Snov-
er, Nellie Taylor, Bessie Sergeant, Ber-
tina Il. Spicer, and Margaret Nevills,
and MessTs. j. w. Andre, Geo. W.
Young and Frank r Adams
Supt. Cook : talk was somew hat ram
bling, owing TO lack OF time for prepara-
ton, but 1t was pregnant with sound
advice to the class TO whom 1t was ad
dressed lie emp haslzed the new now
a days of men and women of broad cul-
ture IN all the walks of life Twenty
years ago professional men did not get
the training that they get today. Some
one says that many have succeeded with
poor preparation | say, they have sue
ceeded in spite OF the handicap of defici.
ent training. A man cannot attain his
fullest usefulness without college
training" Then he turned to the class
and advised them TO take a course of
college training.
Nearly all our great men have been
college men" Cecil Rhodes and DIR.
Kedzie were instanced as examples of
college men OF broad influence.
The conclusion of the speech vas al
dressed directly TO the class, with fire.
quent use of the second personal pro
noun He exhorted them TO adapt
themselves 20 the new conditions which
they would find in business, TO be self
reliant and 20 form good habits. The
program was finished when Miss Essy
Hooper sang in her usual sweet voice,
two charming numbers.