Evening star., 1909-06-21
MANY EARN DISTINCTION
Baroness Uriu of the Glass of 81
One of the Visitors.
SPEAKS AT ALUMNAE DINNER
Bearing the Famous Daisy Chain at
the Head Of the Seniors.
Color Scheme.
POUGHKEEPSIE, Jur
ny WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

POUGHkEEPS June II. 1909.
Two hundred and seventeen sweet
girl graduates were released from Vas
sar College the other day for the good
of mankind. There are some odds and
ends in the class, the usual percentage
but the greater part of them are earnest,
sincere and sensible girls. and twenty
seven received honors for scholarships.
which is d high proportion. They rep
resent forty-three different states and
two foreign countries. Their average
age Is 22,24 years. They began with
:::s7 freshmen four years ago, and the rest
| have dropped out from time to time for
various reasons. The members of the
faculty tell me that it is an excellent
class from all points of view, composed
of girls of all dimensions and varieties
of figures and faces; of all the varied
talents that young women possess; some
with missions and some without; some
burning with zeal for the betterment of
their race and their sex, and others in
different to the fate of the universe. The
class has been distinguished above the
average in athletics and In scholarship.
but it has never attained the glory of
the class Of 1910. which has red-neaded
orchestra of sixteen instruments. The
players have hair of such brilliant hue
that when they are brought together an
Italian sunset would fade into mist
with envy.
When the roll was called at the class
supper TO discover those who are engaged
to be married. only thrty-eight answered
guilty" leaving 10 candidates on the
eligible list.
New York contributed sixty-nine to the
total; Pennsylvania is second, with tWen-
ty-three: fifteen come from the southern
states. and four from the Pacific coast:
Canada and France each has one daugh-
ter, and seven are granddaughter of
Vassar," which means that their mothers
are alumnae.
Tendency of the Glass.
The tendency of the class in their
elective studies has been toward philoso-
ply. English, Latin, economics and art.
President Taylor says he has not noticed
the sweep toward the sciences ant. mod
ern languages that has been predicted,
nor is the tendency among Tile other
classes toward the easier studies among
the electives. although it is losing fight
to retain Greek at Vassar. The young
ladies do not care for 1t.
In 1905 the trustees of Vassar College
voted that for period of Ave years the
number of students should be limited to
Loo, and. excluding graduate students
and students in special courses. there
has been just one more than the limit
during the past year. There are :l31
freshmen, -4o SOpnOmOTeS ana I'D juniors,
and you can judge of their tendencies
when you know that ~ to I4 have elect
ed history. 426 to 49, philosophy. 492 to
564 Latin. $50 to 4O1 romance languages.
30 to 312 German. 355 to 395 mathe-
matics and several other departments
have had above 80 during the past year.
Exercises of Commencement Week.
The exercises of commencement week
were about the same as usual. Monday
WIS devoted to athletic sports. class re-
unions and social functions. Tuesday
was class day. and the picturesque and
artistic ceremonies drew the largest
crowd of the week, as usual. to see the
professions, the Daisy Chain, to hear
known as the spade" ceremonies The
graduating exercises Wednesday were
marred by the rain, but that was not
much of calamity because they are
always held indoors.
The. most important incident Of the
class reunions was the presence of the
Baroness Uriu of the class of 81. who
is the wife of Admiral Uriu. who gradu-
| ated the same year at the Naval Academy
at Annapolis. and has been spending sew
eral days with his classmates and other
friends there. The baroness was one of
five girls who were sent over by the
Japanese government to America in 1871
to be educated. Another of the group
is the wife of Field Marshal Prince
Oyama. commander-in-chief of the Japa-
nese forces In the war with Russia. a
third is Miss Una Esuda the principal of
a school for young women in Toxic: a
| fourth is private secretary to the en-
press. and the fifth Is dead.
Baroness Uriu a Graduate.
| These young women were from nine to
twelve years old when they arrived: they
were prepared for college under the di-
rection of President Bacon at New
Haven. and entered Vassar In 1871
| Baroness Criu was Shigi Nagai in those
days. and was welcomed by that name
| by several of her classmates here last
week. She brought gift from the
Emperor of Japan to her alma mater a
magnificent bowl of solid silver twelve
| inches across and twelve inches high,
beautifully embossed with wistaria and
| chrysanthemums, and bearing the i'm
perial crest. 1t will be placed in the mu-
| scum as a memento of the good will of
the mikado to the institution in which SO
many OF his subjects have been educated.
| The Baroness triu made graceful
| little speech at the alumnae dinner. pro-
nouncine her words with dainty accent
which is quite fascinating. After COM
menting upon the changes that have
| taken place at Nassar and the enlarge
ment of the institution since she was a
student here. she spoke with great ear
nestness concerning the advancement Of
women in her own country. and the fa-
| clites for their education which have
| been provided there.
! We too have changed" she said. 1.-The
women of Japan have come forward rap