The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-07
STATE NORMAL
At HARRISONBURG
Enrolment Ending With 1919
Session Passed Three
Hundred Mark.
MORE BUILDINGS NEEDED
Every Section OF Virginia Repre-
scented in Student
Body.
Especial to The Timas.Dispatch,

Harrisonburg, Va. July e.-Tha
State Normal and Industrial school
was established by an act OF the Gem
eral Assembly of Virginia passed
March II. 1905, ground for two build
ings was broken the following Novem-
Der. the cornerstone was laid April lo.i
1909, and the doors were opened 10
students on the 27th of September. fol-
lowing During the hrst nine months
IN hrst regular session--2es students
were enrolled. During the oorras
bonding session of 19lO-l9Il the en-
rolment reached 249. and last session.
ending with the annual commencement
June II, tho number OF students was
500.
y fourth quarter. OF full length AM;
value with each of the three making
up the regular session. is held during
Inc summer. The attendance upou
these summer schools has been even
more gratifying from the standpoint
OF increasing nSures than that upon
the regular sessions The number en-
rolled Tor the summer OF 1910 was 2UI.
that for 1911 was $50 while already
the present summer the number OF
students Is ass. Women only are ad-
mltted during the regular sessions.
but during the summer quarters men
also are enrolled in the classes though
the dormitories are reserved exclusive
ly FOR women.
School Grounds Ample.
The school grounds, comprising
nearly fifty acres just outside the
southwest limits of Harrisonburg. are
ample for work and recreation. but tho
buildings have already been out
grown. y brick farm mouse. purchas-
&C with the grounds and used as A
| dormitory for students and women
teachers, and known as the Cottage,
accommodates about twenty persons.
Three buildings Science Hair and
the school. Altogether. about $50 stu
dents are accommodated in the dormi-
tories, while a. considerably larger,
| number arc given meals in the school
dining hall 1t will thus be seen thar
about half OF the students in attend
ance during the past session could not
rnd room in the school dormitories.
| livery available room in the latter is
invariably engaged months in advance.
and those not fortunate enough to Sc
cure a place therein are lodged in pri-
vate homes in the adjacent sections oc
! the town.
While the need for additional dorml-
| tories will thus be obvious the need.
Tor a larger library. a larger dining
room, an assembly room, etc. not TO
speak of additional class rooms. is
even more pressing. Just now the as
semblics OF the summer school are be.
Ing held In the east orchard. under a
| great awning temporarily constructed
| the apartment ordinarily used for such
purposes being entirely inadequate.
Widely Representative.
One of the most gratifying features
Y of the large attendance that has en-
/ couraged the labors OF the president
Y end faculty is the widely representa-
tive character OF the student body A
Few students have been registered from
states outside OF Virginia. but this is.
u In remarkable measure n State school.
"a slD f.1 fDt-tt aC
II exists for the State. and it is being
/ utilized by the State in a most impair
tial manner Already before the end
or the last regular session. students
had been enrolled from eighty four
counties OF the Commonwealth. and by
this time practically every county. as
well as every section of the Old Domin-
ion, Will have one or more daughters
cr sons numbered among the more
than 1000 students matriculated since
she opening OF the Institution in the
fall Of 1909
owing to the fact that nearly every
girl comes here with serious and
worth while purpose. the matter OF
discipline requires small eXpendi-
ture OF energy. and the results achiev-
&C IN the classroonls and laboratories
are unusually rich. The cost of living
has been reduced to such minimum
as to arord a constant and wholesome
| lesson in household economy. 4 girl
! is given place in one OF the excel
lent well-furnished ~lormitory rooms.
l. supplied with light and heat, is
! provided with nourishing food and has
! her clothes Numbered at the school
| laundry all for the seemingly mpos-
sible sum of sl+ month II has been
ascertained that SO per cent. OF tho
young women at the school are self
expenses by work done AZ the school.
supporting. and 10 per cent. earn their
Moi taip
For the second year of the school
entrance was based upon two years OF
high school work or It's equivalent, and
this standard has been generally main
tanned. with conditions shaping for tho
requirement, in a few more years. OF a
tull four-year high school course for
entrance. So far from lowering at
tendance. these requirements have
seemed to increase IT. Moreover. tho
scholastic standard OF the student
body has been not!ceebiy elevated A
great many students now enter with
full high school diplomas. and con-
siderable number OF others come with
hrst-grade or professional teachers
certificates.
The school is empowered to issue
beth diplomas and certificates. but
while IL issues certificates for the par
tial completion of courses. no one is
called graduate who does not finish
d full course, and no one else is
awarded diploma. on tho average.
II requires two years o. work--that Is.
two sessions OF nine month each-for
four-year high school graduate To
secure a diploma Last year twenty
diplomas were awarded; this year.
fcrty-iive.
Athletic clubs. literary societies. re-
lisious organizations. publication
boards and nearly everything OF tho
sort excerpts ororities exist here at
this young institution for the train
ing OF teachers and homo makers brs
the finest and beat thing o. all is the
1c a. ,I-,,.a - c, .-s.. :, o..