The San Francisco call., 1904-08-23
v HELLER v ARMS
ALL FRESHMEN
President of University
Tells Newcomers to Re
main Well Under Cover
"LIE Low, SAW WOOD
Illustrates Welcoming Ad-
dress With Apt Phrase
From Slang Language
Berkeley Office San Francisco Call,
2148 Center Street, Aug. 90.

2148 Center Street, Aug. %.
President WheeIer's address to the
new freshman class entering the Uni
versity of California was a word of
warning against being too prominent in
the first year of their college careers
in merely class affairs, in balls, parties
and such. Work ought to come first
and play afterward. To illustrate his
meaning, President Wheeler seized
upon slang phrase to help him out,
his advice being to ''lie low and saw
wood" Here are President Wheeler's
words, spoken at the first university
meeting Of the new term this morning
in the Harmon Gymnasium:
This institution opens its doors to-day for
its five and fortieth freshmen class. Fresh
men class No. As, have a few gentle words
wish to say to you. MY dear freshmen. you
were just now thoroughly at the top of
things in your high schools that il will be hard
for you to realize how thoroughly you are at
the bottom OF things here. You will be well
comed you will be viewed with much interest.
you will be treated with much courtesy, much
eondescending courtesy; you will be enter.
tained at Stiles Hall and other halls; you will
receive delicate attentions from the various
uaternilles, Dut II Is well not 10 be deceived;
You at the bottom. II will be very hard
to believe II, when you find yourselves centers
of interest at the fraternity houses; but, after
the bottom. and the absolute bottomness of it
will be only the more certainly set forth when
some high soaring, noble soul among you in
vindication of his slighted worth shall gather
his manhood about him. and shifting off the
shacklco of inglorious obscurity. shall seize
the brush and paint upon the football fence the
cleaning figures naughty eight
The plain, wise thing for a freshman to do is
to settle down TO work as soon as possible and
retire from the limelight. 1t will be very easy
If you follow out all the distractions of these
first few weeks to wreck your college course
at the start. The men who are esteemed and
followed in later years of the course will gen.
orally be from the number of those who at the
beginning lie low and saw wood. There are al
ways some forward persons who are anxious
to organize freshmen balls and freshmen teas
and who bubble with class enthusiasm, but
they apt to transfer their allegiance to the
next following class and graduate with it, If
at all. Some people born prominent, some
have prominence thrust upon them, but pray
take my advice. and If you were born promi-
nent, try to hold destiny in check during your
freshman year.
The university opens to you here and
her gates and calls you to her feet, that she
may teach you various lessons out of various
be learned, but that you be free. that you
learn to love the noble, that you gain visions
OF the larger life that you stand fast in the
truth. VIII you hear her? Will you give her
your hearts?
The Glee Club sang number of
songs during the meeting and in the
last the entire assemblage Joined.