Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-12-16
THOMAS BLA|SDELL
ADVISES A SMALL
SCHOOL FOR RESULTS
PRESIDENT OF ALMA COLLEGE
GAVE AN INTERESTING
TALK TO SCHOOL

advantages or Alma College" He
said in part How many of you
students remember that l talked here
two or three years ago? MANY rails
ed hands,. That is good. How many
OF you remember what / said to you
at that time? (No hands,. Well,
just as / expected Now don't you
remember that series of limericks |
recited TO you? There is a difference
! between poem and a verse you know.
Lots of people can write verse but IL
! takes a genius to write poetry. Well,
In order to have you remember what
l said here before l will recite some
OF those limericks that | gave you be-
fore. (Several limericks were given
here.) Well ! was down to Ann Ar
Dor some time ago and in a gathering
there the members of the freshman
class were reciting original verses on
other members of the class.
Finally my name became the sub
ject of verse and | made the as
sertion that no one could make a
verse regarding my name. Blais-
dell-who eyer heard of such q name Z?
But young fellow jumped up and
gave the following verse with myself
as the subject There was a young
the boy he was raised well, But when
he got older he also grew holder, And
went out one night and he raised it
daughter). Now | hope you will re-
member my name in the future
Il want to give you new poem
now. And | want you to learn it. II
is worth your while" Then stepping
to the black board Mr. Bfaisdel wrote
the initial lattnrS Of
posing the following gems of thought:
What ! Would BE
would be true, for there are those
who trust me.
would be pure, for there are those
who care.
would be strong, for there is much
would be brave, for there is much
to dare.
would be friend to all, the foe. the
friendless.
l would be giving. and forget the gift.
/ would be humble, for | know my
weakness.
would look up, and laugh. and love,
and live.
Now the last line is the one that
wish TO impress on your minds Why
should you look up, and who should
you look up to? Let me suggest that
you look up to your teachers for they
are Interested in your future success.
You should look up to the people in
your community who are making a
success.
II once knew man VINO had been
the superintendent of a company for
several years. He had made success
of his work and had built the company
up 10 the place where il was recognize
ed as one Of the best in the country
When a meeting of the directors was
held the president of the company
said that ii was time to let the super
intendent go. A protest went up from
all the rest of the directors. They
could not think of letting a good man
go He had made such a grand sue
cess OF The enterprise. But the presi-
dent made the assertion that the man
had in times past been a good one,
but that he was now beginning to talk
about what he mad done all OF the
time. lie used to talk about what he
was going to do. At that time he was
"a good man for the business but now
that he was always talking about what
he had done his usefulness To the
plant had ceased. The man was retir-
ed.
Why did | tell you this story? Just
to show you how the attitude OF people
toward their own ability. as braggarts,
will effect their usefulness. You should
have confidence in yourself to be sure,
but you should never get pulled up
over what you have accomplished.
There is where your downfall begins.
IL would advise you TO go to college
as soon as you are out of high school.
4 If n young man has 800 i'm sight and
will come to Alma with the determine
! ton to go through college he can go
the full year The rest OF the money
can be earned or we will find a place
he can borrow it, With a girl IL would
be necessary To have about $50.
/ Chances to get outside work are not so
good for girl as they are for boy.
Some of you say that you can get
all of the education you want without
going to college. Then you cite
7 Washington and Lincoln as examples.
7 True those men gained an education
by hard knocks in the world and re-
CARELESS of financial conditions, but
, only "A few men have the backb bone to
stay with thing as they did And
besides il is possible for you to gain
more knowledge at college in four
years than the average person will
gain in the school of life i'm twenty
years. A college education is a pay
ing Investment
- ! also favor the small college. First
because you are closer Co the instruct
ors. You are required to study more
thoroughly to answer the many ques-
7 tons that may be put To you ia small
class than you would be required to do
in large class where you could slip
through without being questioned SO
closely. Second II is usually cheaper
To go through small college. and you
have more OF "A chance to get into
athletics and other sports where your
minds and muscles will he developed
for your life's work"
Mr.. Blaisdeifs remarks were full OF
good advice from beginning TO end
and the school showed its appreciation
Of his talk by giving him "A series Of
yells. Chorus music was given pre-
liminary 60 the address