The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-06-12

although the process was dlstastetul
he feels a self competence, and some
thing of mastery and power enters
his life that was never there before
There never was a time when men
take the short cuts and the easy
ways as they have tendency to do
now, when they ought to take time
for thoroughness in their education.
Liberty is the consciousness on the
part of the student that he knows
what he is best adopted for. The
task of education is to set one free.
Need Oliver Cromwells.
Love was not referred to in any
small sense by the speaker, who asked
what right anyone had to be educated,
and answered it by saying that he
had no right on any selfish hypothesis,
but if it was because the student
wanted to place his shoulder to the
wheel with a noble and Godlike pur-
pose then he had right. No per-
son had a right to be well born. edu-
Gated or even good unless it was for
the purpose of helping others.
/ The speaker told how Oliver Crom-
well, upon entering parliament picked
out the grafters and had them expel-
led and said that he wished that
there were some Oliver Cromwells in
the world today. The fact that they
We're wanted was proof that they were
here, purifying public life. 1t is a
splendid thing that some men are try
ing to lift up the republic to higher
plane, he said:
The value of life is measured by that
last analysis that tells what good
has been accomplished. The highest
culture today is not of the body or the
mind or of the aesthetic faculties,
but of the heart and conscious sl'rit.
Turning to the class, DIR. Willetts
said that he congratulated it most
heartily on the completion of it's
work, and he bid them godspeed.
The Treble Clef club, consisting of a
number of young ladies', sang Legends"
by Mohring, is a very pleasing man.
ner.
Some New Teachers.
President Cooper made several an
nouncements. One was as to the con-
tinuous sessions The school turns out
graduates four times a year The
June class numbers 1913, and twenty
more would receive, their diplomas in
six weeks, making LOS, for the year
The class had been, bitterly disap-.
pointed in not having the memorial
window in time for the closing of the
term, The school was very grateful to
the class for it, as it would help the
school not only by beautiying it but as
indicating the school spirit.
Two teachers, Misses Calvin and Fink
had been granted leave of absence for
a year to study, and their places would
be taken by Miss Fullerton in the
grammar work, and Miss FoXgrover in
the music work. No teachers were to
leave the school permanently this year.
Owing to the increasing size of the
school, another science man had been
added to the faculty permanently, Mar
vim R. Nichols, who would begin his
work next week, with the commence
ment of the summer term.
The school was happy this year in
having the promise of new building
by New Years. The gymnasium would
be located in the basement 45 by 80
feet, with lockers and bathrooms. The
first floor will be occupied by the,
and primary departments,
and the second floor by the interme-
date and grammar grades. This would
give much more room for, the normal
department in the old building The
manual training department would be
brought up to the main floor, and
there would be room for the department
of domestic science, and the classes
on the third floor would be brought
down to the first. This would give
much better opportunity for work in
the normal as well as in the model
department.
The close of the year occurred last
evening, and another year would open
next Tuesday. There would be double
classes because of the six weeks
course and the three months course.
The present class has completed the
requirements, and was entitled to the
diplomas.
! Superintendent Olsen's Address.
Hon. j. w. Olsen, state superinten-
dent of public instruction, then adj
dressed the class. He said that it was
certainly an inspiration to anyone
engaged in school work to see that
the educational forces of She state were
to be reinforced by so large a class
in the responsible work of develop
ing the noble qualities of the coming
manhood and womanhood of the state.
1t was necessary to have ideals, and
no more appropriate subject for an
address to the graduates could have
been selected by DR.. Willetts. Teachers
should have ideals and moral stand
ards in life. They should frame y for
themselves a clean and comprehensive
definition of education. 1t was a
privilege to be called into the re-
sponsible work of teaching, with all
the responsibilities thrust upon the
teaching profession, and with all it's
great possibilities. There never were
so many important questions pressing
upon the people as today How they
were to be answered would depend
upon the teachers of tomorrow. 1t
would be the duty of the teachers in
this class to give lessons in righte-
BUSINESS and civic f6ftitude so that the
American of tomorrow might answer
all the questions right.
"There Il need of strong men and
women, and this is your business"
said Mr.. Olsen. "It is your business
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