Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-26
Exercises, Receptions and Senior
Prom Fill Many Hours at
University of Vermont.
NEARLY 1000 HEAR SPEAKERS
ideal Weather, Social Activities
and Planting of Ivy Are
Features of the Oc-
casiOn.

Ideal weather for the out OF door
exercises OF class day WAS the good for
sune Monday OF the seuiors at the
University Of Vermont, and nearly
thousand persons gathered ON tho col
tese green to hear the parting messages
of the orators of the class Of 1918
IT was dstinctivey the social day OF
commencement week. The focus of at
tention was of course the senior class,
the members Of which, clad In caps and
Gowns and carrying canes, bore upon
their faces expressions that combined
both Joy and gravity Around the
graduates was grouped a throng Of adj
miring friends, Of whom well-dressed
women were in the majority; and more
in the background were alumni, both
young and old who watched the fam
iliar proceedings with an interest scarce
ly less real than that which they felt
when taking part themselves in the ex-
erclses of byEone years. These, as they
heard the seniors speak in forecast of
things which to the odd grads" have
become the hard facts Of experience,
moved about on the borders of the
gathering and renewed acquaintance.
When the orators had finished and the
ivy was planted, there were receptions
at the fraternity homes. In the morning
professors and instructors had informal
~ received former pupils in their re-
spective class rooms, and IN the senior
walk" members of tho graduating class
had gone in cap and gown from house
10 house about the city, calling their
professors to the doors for last brief
word Of retrospect and advice. The day
closed with the senior prom in the
Billings library.
PRESIDENT ADDRESS.
The class day exercises held under
the old trees on the college green, opened
at 2l5 o'clock, when the seniors fled
into their seats to the strains of a pro-
cessional by Bartou's orchestra. The
literary program was opened by the
presidents address. delivered by Asa S.
Bloomer. After few words of welcome
he told how important this last meeting
of the class seemed to those Immediate
~ concerned He dwelt upon the value
md pleasures Of the four years spent
at college. College llfe he said, is life
n a small scale. If "A man succeeds in
plcge, his chances are good in the out
ade world. The pleasant sojourn in the
beautiful with all its new friendships
will be remembered with mingled
pleasure and sadness Addressing Presi-
dent Benton, he asserted that It was un-
necessary to tell him of the respect and
admiration which tho students felt FOR
him. \ ready advisor at all times I'm
whom all could place their confidence
and trust he could rightly he called the
"father Of the student body" for his
Many have had the opportunity Of init
mate acquaintance with him. To the
members Of the faculty the speaker de-
clared that they were responsible FOR the
best that IS I'm the individuals Of tho
class Speaking to the undergraduates,
he said that a. great task was left for
them. lie counselled them TO go at their
duties enthusiastically, and 10 cooperate
with the administration that all might
be proud of the university.
CLASS HISTORY.
The class historian, Ralph ". Simonds,
recounted at length the exploits of the
class, some Of which had never before
been given to the public ear. He first
told how faithfully the class had per-
formed their duties in freshmen year,
most Of their duties being other than
those assigned by the faculty. The
achievements of each year were enumer-
sted in humorous vein Those which
seemed TO be most memorable were con-
nicts with the police department, class
scraps, and class banquets, In his opinion
the class had showed very liberal spirit
IN aharing with other classes the honors
OF the class contests. He referred tC
the death OF President 8ucl<ham and the
coming OF President Benton. The speaker
also dwelt upon the deaths OF four o.
.he class members, John Brewer Dora
Reiss'g, John SCHNEIDER and Johr
Thorpe. His duties rs historian endet
with class day, said he. From now OF
each one must become his own historian
md it lies with each one what sort OF
history he writes. He closed with the
,oem Of A. II. Grout Oh Farewell tC
Vermont"
CLASS ESSAY.
Tho class essay entitled "Fictlon II
the Magazines" by Miss Cora A. Park
hurst took up in a semi-serious way tn,
prevailing types Of short stories in tn,
,epresentatiye magazines Of to-day. Sh
lealt with six different classlfcatlons
IN every case the class Of readers appeal
typc was the Kind founded on ingratitud
md resignation, such as is cXempllhed b,
,hildren going off and leaving neglected
PARENTS on the old homestead, The sec
md we're stories of social and economi
problems. The third We're idyllic stories
continental twaddle, with little plot o
literary value. The fourth group lnClud
ed stories of neglected children of par
ents interested I'm society, The fifth
came the detective stories, The histor
of these were traced through Poe an
Conan Doyle. Last came stories Of tn
DEVELOPMENT of character, which deal
with social relations and the nicetes O
modern life. Supernatural, adVontur
and ghost stories were not included i
any of these cassihcations, and were no
treated. In concluding the speaker sal
that some of these too modern magazine
cause an injury In that they are used b
foreigners as standards of American al
probation of literary values.
The boulder Grafton was delivered b
George NJ Nelson Students and facult
may change, he said, but the college SUI
roundings do not lnanimate objects !
some measure determine our habits an
help shape our characters. The large an
symmetrical boulder which stands on tn
campus exerts a powerful influence owe
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