The Raymer enterprise., 1911-12-28
PRESIDENT WATERS TO BOYS
Head Of Kansas Agricultural College
Makes Interesting Talk to Students
on Opportunity"

PRESIDENT Waters Of the Kansas Az
ricultural college recently used the
following language in talking to the
students Of that institution:
You are willing enough to assume
the entire responsibility for whatever
success may come to you, but you are
Just as ready to lay the responsibility
OF your blunders and failures upon
someone else. Have the manhood.
then, to carry both, and have sense
enough to profit by both. A success
improperly utilized may be your UNI
doing; a failure used In the right way
may contribute to your success more
than anything else that could happen
to you.
You may have asked yourself
whether you have not come upon the
stage of action too late. after all the
really great things have been discov4
cred or accomplished, and you may be
wondering II there is left any task
large enough to justify your present
pains in preparation.
The truth is, this Is the hour Of op,
portunity. and mean large opportu,
nifty. So long as famine stalks unhin,
dered through the most prosperous
countries on the globe, and there are
bread riots in every civilized land; SO
long as the world lives from hand to
mouth. never having more than two
weeks food ahead; when such pros
porous and powerful nation as the
British empire must protect the trade
routes from foreign countries over
which come four out of every FIVE
loayes Of bread her people eat. the
question most fundamental to mankind
that of our food supply-is far from
being settled, and will tax the ingenu.
ity of the best trained scientists and
economists that this or any other col.
lege can furnish.
THUS far In this age, which we
class as golden, we have been profit,
gate of natural resources Of every sort,
and our progres has been dearly
bought.
THE problem Of maintaining this
high standard Of living will give en-.
ployment to the best equipped engI.
neers and chemists. When, in tho face
OF abundant yields, the cost of living In
every land has risen to the breaking
point, there Is room for all the help
that can be afforded by those trained
In. the arts Of science. Of home max.
ing and homo management.
You need have no fear concerning
the magnitude or Importance of the
work before you.
What may very properly give each
of you and us the gravest concern Is
whether you will be capable Of meas
uring up to the opportunities pre-
sented.
1T you will go out prepared to do
something, and do 1t right. the world
will meet you more than half way and
will cheerfully supply the chance"
A good many farm boys when they
come to town or otherwise get away
from home take vacation from church
assuming that the essentials Of life
may be different in the new environ.
ment. To them President Waters
says: ...
1T is mistake for you to suppose
that coming to college means a reli.
gious vacation. You should go to the
church you attended at home. You
should not shut yourself away with
your books. Join q literary society.
Take a reasonably active part in col.
lege life. You are not here primarily
to be football player or a college
rooter. These things are incidental
important, but not TO be thought of as
against the things you came here to
do; to fit yourself for life; to study"