Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-10

CollegeT was delivered by George E
of 1913 of the Mckinley High School,
institution on the evening Of June 2
When say that have taken for
my subject the title Should One Go
to College," ! know that many Of you
will probably say, why don't you
get something new to talk about?"
And you may very well say it, for this
question, In one form or another, has
been argued ever since colleges and
universities were first instituted. But
conditions change with the passing OF
time and the answer to this question
today is not what 1t was twenty or
even fifteen years ago. Another rea-
son for my taking this as my subject
IDS the fact that very few people can
be found who have the same ideas re-
garding the wisdom of going to coli
lege. Therefore, ] beg of YOU not
to be too severe in YOUR judgment If
put forth few of my simple views
and If you do not agree with them
remember that they, come from only
a high school student.
As. ! have just said, this; question
presents "a decidedly different aspect.
today from what 1t did twenty years
i ago. The courses OF study In Ameri-
can colleges have been constantly
enlarging and widening, especially in
recent years, In their scope of SUBJ
iects. Half a century ago, the chief
aim in a college education was to
perfect person in law, medicine or.
theology. With this end in view, one
can readily see that man who in
| tended to enter upon business ca
feer could be spending his time to
better advantage.
But today, the course OF study COW
ers practically every phase of life
that a man could possibly enter upon
after he has finished college. TO the
original branches of study have been
added or developed, from time to
time, the departments Of Arts and
Sciences, Agriculture, Architecture,
Civil Engineering and Mechanical
Engineering, and in recent years even
q college of Commerce. And what
Is even more favorable about these
studies, is the fact that they look into
what people have thought and done
in the past. What would the world
Il
past? And what part does a college
play in this question? II i am not
sadly mistaken what q college strives
| to give, and does give, is the ability
to overcome the problems of life, and
| this is made many, many times easier
by, a knowledge of what people have
done before us. Take for instance
our governments. There Is not a
country In existence today that can
Claim it's government as original All
have been worked out from govern
ments that have gone { before, and,
while working out, 1t is the higher
education of time that has made them
more perfect. Then again, take our
| great inventions. A person does not
sit down and say presto" and have
his wonderful accomplishment laid
out before him. Not by any means.
| He studies what his predecessors have
done and with his more cultivated
mind turns what they have already
tried into something practicable And
then, side by side with this, wonderful
extension of studies, has grown the
| system of using electives. 1t is i'm
| possible for one fixed line of study
to cover the needs of all students,
and college authorities have seen this
/ and acted accordingly At colleges
now are many special subjects from
which person can take very useful
pick.
Therefore, as result of this we'll
lorganized system of college education
/ today, one becomes exceedingly well
Informed in modern problems and an
interest, which is created by ones
studies, makes the mind alert and act
i've inrcgard to real issues of the fu-
ture. The graduate is accordingly well
prepared to cope with the workers of
the world. This all goes to show what
a tremendous handicap college man
has over his more unfortunate broth
er.
But enough for studies. | think
that you will agree vita me that the
opportunities offered in the courses Of
study at college today are many
LmeS more favorable than they were
a few years ago.
Now let us continue into a second
reason why one should go to college
Suppose you were asked this question.
Are studies the only thing one goes
to college for" Upon first thought
you might say Yes, but after little
consideration you would withdraw
your assertion and agree that they
are not. knowledge of and interest in
the scientific problems of life,
when compared with some of the 9TH
eT activities, play but minor part in
ones career VIVA, is the life of
man worth that has no social. side TO
it? A person who spends four years
at college cemepts the foundation of
many OF his main friendships for life.