The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-12
THE Meaning Of College" is
Title of the Winning
Grafton.
(By Anna McIlraith.l

s"S's.SeANes' anu VI tHelf parents. Inc
question arises. Is it worth while,
is there sufficient recompense for the
tour years spent in college halls
Jour years delay in beginning work
as a oma In those years, the girl
undergoes a marked change. Is it u
sudden, temporary. abnormal growth,
due to the many new incentives. or
Is It a r development of the pos
abilities in u woman?. Those who
have had the experience can answer
There are those college women,
X some college men. who do not
make the most of their possibilities,
but the number of those Is smaller
than that of their brothers. To the
majority. college life comes as a BEN
eficial influence to broaden. to deep
en-, to heighten character and life.
College Training.
College training. as nothing else
can. opens the mind to the great de-
partments of human interest. History
becomes more than a succession of
wars n change of rules. 1t means
q development of peoples, each act
Ing because of circumstances, affect
ing that particular nature and being
but all bound together by the same
great, general laws Of cause and ef-
feet.
Economics contributes a phase that
opens a new world to the woman.
she begins to realize the problems of
managcment and mismanagement Of
the institutions dealing with produce
ton and consumption. All science
plays its part in showing the won-
ders of rock and tree, the energy
file man. She learns the relations of
all with real life, the uses and abuses
man makes of the possessions God
has granted him.
The expression of the best this
world knows, whether it be the liter
ature of our own people OF that Of
another. brings breadth and inspira-
'ion. through acquaintance with the
great thoughts and the lives that
nave thrilled the pulse of the world.
Whether it be the serene depths of
Saphocles. the universal appeal of
Shakespeare. the quiet sympathetic
touch of Wordsworth, the stirring
Nisor of MISUNDERSTANDING with
these never fails to comfort. or to
stir to worthy endeavor . The stu
dent enters a realm where the great
without a touch of the CLOVIS of the
kingdom of pure and noble thought.
Very different from this. and vet
as necessary in development. is the
influence of philosophy and sociology.
h college woman more nearly un-
derstands the real meaning of life as
she learns what the worlds great
values. AS III looks at life and hui
manity with the discerning eye of
science. she begins to see that the
great aggregations of human beings
which have moved and progressed
and struggled. have not lone so en-
tirely of their own volition. There
are reasons for personalities as there
are for situations. AS she studies
the workings of the great impelling
forces. which place some on high
%pinnacles and others deep in the
shadows. the woman feels in SYM
pathy with the work to help mould
conditions. The Study of human ma
ire and its institutions results in
a working interest in the lives of her
fellow man. This awakening to the
realization of the. depths of this
real truths. this. probing to find rea-
sons for conditions and to make each
prove it's right to existence. extends
until the religion of the college wo-
man is touched. She comes to COL
lege with a religion that was made
up chiefly of traditions. She finds
that there must be a reconciliation
science of geology. that she must
adjust her religious faith to the doc
trine of evolution. she learns that she
questions the right of her old beliefs
to her obedience n reverence. This
woman has been taught to probe
problems. to see hat in nature where
there seems to be contra ictions.' 1t
simply calls for a little more probing.
So in the realm of religion there must
be no hating until she knows what
to believe. She goes farther than to
destroy faith in the authority of ira
ditions; she constructs real beliefs.
Her questions are no longer about
the historicity of the account of the
fall. but how to help uplift her fell
low creatures: not so much the ques-
ton of bliss in the next world. but
to come nearer the realization of that
kingdom on earth.
John Sprago asks what he consid-
ers an unanswerable question:
Where today are the dreamers of
dreams. setting the hearts Of men
afiame with holy enthusiasm. setting
the feet Of young men and maidens
marching toward the vision? Where
is there faith in mankind. faith in
the future Of the race, in the capa-
city of mankind to rise higher and
higher to complete the evolution from
brute to brother?" We answer in
our colleges. Our college woman
who is receiving earnestly the new
wealth OF advantages open to her, is
ready for service.
Not Learned From Books.
Among the valuable lessons which
come to the college woman. are many
mot learned from books. Many which
contribute to give her poise. true
appreciation, womanliness. are gain
ed more or less unconsciously. The
contact with the many types Of per-
sonality develops the ability to under
stand. syrnnathize with. and work
alongside others OF different habits
and ideals. This touch brings the
knowledge that "the opinions Of 9TH
ers must be respected. but she must
act on her own"
There are many difficulties in the
way OF the college woman. the COL
lege Is no place for the weak. Therel
are always disappointinents and de-
feats, times when 1t is hard to realize
that ideals are not too high, there
are d~isillusions. but these are fire.
quently wholesome. There are times
when in the struggle against misfor-
unes that hamper progress. she feels
1t Is not easy to see that God and
one make a majority" This is very
near the battle with the great, living
world, h will have better and bold
er courage to meet it. She is learn
ing to endure drudgery as a necessity
to success. to vanquish opposition
from her worst fOes-those within:
she is learning to know self. her frail-
ties as we'll as her possibilities: she
learns to understand what Browning
means when he says:
Then welcome each BLUM
turns earth's smoothness rough.
Each sting which bids nor sit. nor
stand but go.