Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-20
BIC CLASS LEAVES THE HIGH
Two Hundred and Nine Boys and
Girls Are Graduated.
DR.. DAVIDSON DIRECTS CEREMONY
Diplomas Handed Out ~ Son Of First
Superintendent OF the Omaha
schools, Himself = Hish
school AIannus.

AANhA Ahb CNuhNA hAkn SCHOOL
and received from the hands Of Alfred c.
Kennedy. vice president OF the Board Of
Education, diplomas which will admit them
to most Of the higher Institutions OF learn
ing In the country.
Tho graduation exercises were held in
the orpheum theater, w. M. Davidson.
IL. d., superintendent OF the city schools,
presiding. Every seat was occupied by in.
terested patrons Of the school, while the
boxes were reserved for members Of the
alumni association. The boxes we're decor
ated with the colors Of the classes that
have gone before, classes Of 1904, 1905, 1907
and 1905 being represented. while the
juniors. who will graduate in 1910. occupied
four boxes.
a notable feature OF the commencement
ceremony was that the diplomas to the
graduates were handed out by q son Of the
first superintendent OF schools Of Omaha.
Fifty years ago. b. f. b. Kennedy pre-
sided over the Omaha schools, and last
night his son. Alfred c. Kennedy, himself
a, graduate OF the Omaha High school,
vice president Of the Board of Education,
addressed the class and gave out the diplo-
mas. The fact was noted by the great
audience rising to its feet as a mark OF
respect to the elder Mr.. Kennedy.
There was no class orator. but six Of
the graduates gave essays or orations and
three others gave musical selections. Rev.
7. j. Maekay, canon of An Saints Episco-
pal church, offered the Invocation. James
w. Maynard. acting for the teacher5' com
mittee Of the Board Of Education, pre-
scented the cadet certificates to the gradu-
ating officers, and superintendent David
son gave a short address to the class and
the audience.
The six class speakers were chosen by
competition open to the whole class.
Lectures the Daily Press.
Walter Berndes VAS the fret speaker. the
subject of his Grafton being THE Daily
Press" Reformation of the daily paper,
which he termed a great institution, was
the speakers theme, saying that it is for
everyone to do his utmost to effect the
reformation needed.
THE possibilities Of the daily paper are
almost boundless," said Mr.. Berndes. 1T
can educate the masses or degrade them;
II can create high moral sentiment or per-
vert it almost completely; It can promote
justice. peace and neighborliness, or II may
foster corruption, restlessness and public
strife"
Holding that the average daily paper is
not the moral force 1t should be, for the
reason that the average reader demands
lurid headlines and sensational stories
WILDLY illustrated, the speaker said that
the American people should strive for the
clean home paper, worthy Of power as an
educational instrument paper in which
the news is carefully sirted and crimes
made little OF instead OF enlarged upon by
the aid OF imagination.
What Americans Need.
f''rhe Need of Humor in America" was
The next number OF the program, being
a essay by Miss Helen sorenson. She
luiiIas,ed humor with wit and said that
today America needs reformers who will
4. huInor as a weapon to rescue us from
III follles and monstrous absurdities to-
, dld which wa have a tendency, and she
famed the Merry Widow and the peach
/. l.sAet hats. directoire gowns and the
,.normai ooiffures as some OF these
'i.onstrous ~absurdities."
"EIumor must not be confused with it's
l~o.a,ive, wit" said Miss sorenson. wit
IL negative, analytical, destructive; humor
IS elemental, fundamental, creative. Wit
is short, dashing, seornful; hamor Is a
shy, emotional quality which exists by
TIE marriage Of love and sympathy. VIII
lhAAAN u NiliSSt nuhiOI WIN lnoHl. Dul
at pI esent humor Is at a low ebb In
America because of the earnestness Of the
age"
Linking character and reputation to-
gether, Howard Roe made THE Ideal Citl-
zen" the subject Of his grafton, though he
placed character high above reputation,
declaring character to be something per-
manent, while reputation is something
merely for the moment and the hour.
Mr.. hoe said that the future Is in the
hands OF the ideal citizen and that the
ideal citizen Is the man or the woman
= with a strong character which dis
: tinguishes the ldealist from the Idolator.'
This character which is to mold future
d~estinies must be carved out by ones self
for ones self, and men with character
are the men who viii be needed in the
future to keep governments from taking
the privileges ana the benefits that belong
to all and giving them TO the few. for a
government that does this is itself an an
sichist, and the government that shows
Itself TO be a p%lunderer eNcites more con.
tempt than "a oitzan."
Gospel of ~OptImfsm.
According 10 Miss Mary Hodge. the hsxt
speaker on the program, tile "Billikeh" h
the idol Of the American today, the same
as .apish images are The idols Of the
heather today and In ages gone by. -
Brliken Age" was the subject OF her es-
say and she closed by declaring the BILL
ken" TO be the god OF happiness.
She said that tho "Bnliken" does moi
promise TO work miracles or TO help the
man who calmly stands back waiting fol
something 70 turn up" but that he helps
those who help themselves.
rs there any significance in the fact
that Americans are taking BIlikens' a.
the representative of their beliefs. OF theii
idealsY' asked Miss Hodge. "Is the wor-
ship OF Bnliksn' a mere Joke. a transpar-
ent bubble ready to burst at any moment
Is he not only an idol OF elay7 Surely no
He stands for happiness, confidence. sue
: cess-and that means mere than a passing
fad"
Miss Martina swenson. in an essay OF
Morse Ideals" eontrasted the ancient and
the modern Greek to the ancient and nloa