The Denver star., 1914-06-20
YEARS WORK
AT TUSkEeEE
Noted Southern sehsd Grad
yates Largo Class.
BRILLIANT CAMPUS SCENES


Outdoor Reception to the Eisvsn STU
dent Literary Societies - Alumni
Discuss Practical Subjects From
Actual Experience In Doing Things.
Tuskegee. Ala.-The Tuskegee insti-
tute brought very strenuous year to
close on Thursday. May o. when
Principal Washington handed out 200
diplomas to graduates and postgradu-
ate students. These students. both
Ipostgraduates and graduates, repre-
| sented thirty-seven various trades and
Industries. the majority in postgradu
ate work falling to domestic science
snd agriculture in some phase or other
In no year has the representation
been so varied as to states and foreign
countries. Students from the Danish
West Indies. British West Indies.
Cuba. Porto Rico. Colorado. California.
| Iowa, several Of the New England
states and Dore nearby western states
tcarried on diplomas along with those
OF the strictly southern section Of the
country The commencement season
1
lcutdoor reception to the eleven student
literary societies of the school. On
Saturday evening the same societies
held their annual prize defamation
contest in the auditorium. Sunday
was baccalacreate day.
Line Of March Extends Half . Mile.
The imposing feature was the long
line Of march of teachers. students and
i graduates The school band took the
lead. 1t was followed by the young
men in tho Institution. who in turn
were followed by the young women.
making a line of 100 students. The
students were followed by the men,
bers Of the executive council and some
$50 teachers- Following the teachers
i came the graduates. The ye0ns wo-
men and young men marched In cou-
lples.
The girl graduates were dressed In
pure white, carrying white parasols
The young men were dressed in blue
coats and white trousers. The line Of
march started from the battalion
grounds. forming 4 circuit Of half .
mile, leading up to the chapel door.
Here the students In front halted and
fJsood In position while the faculty and
graduates marched through and into
tie chapel.
Students, teachers, faculty. pafent,
Iot graduates. visitors and white people
ffom the town crowded the institute
chapel to overfiowing, some 5000 or
1000 in number. The sermon this year
was preached by Rev. James 1. Vance.
I'm eloquent southern preacher, of
Nashville. Tenn. This Is a custom. A
Isenthern minister breaches the bacca-
laureate sermon, while a colored man
Of 0fstinction delivers the commence
ment address.
9xsreisss Of Bible Training School.
On Monday night came the gradual
ing exercises OF Phelps Hall Bible
Training school. Like all the discus,
don by students. the subjects here are
practical, growing out of the students
experience. Last year the graduates
discussed rural Sunday school work in
Macon county. This year the topic was
rural church work.
Students showed they had gone out
among the rural churches OF Macon
county. aided in raising funds to build
q new church, to repair an old one, to
put In seats, carpets. organs and to In
crease the general attendance. In all
cases they showed the training OF prac-
teal workers. which Is the purpose OF
thts school rather than to award de-
greess Of divinity
On Tuesday night the oratorical con-
test for the RoStun Trinity church
prize was held. II contest between elO-
Vt,ent representatives OF the two up
ier cinsscs
Class Day Exercises Hsld In Open Air.
Gu "Wednesday evening came the
class day exercises. This exercise was
unique. 1t Is held out OF doors. in n
hollow nil decorated with lights and
color. The two upper classes met In
front of olivia Davidson hall, formed
10 llne four abreast. the A middle class
lining On the outsides the seniors with
In. l.0nx strings Of paper ribbon were
strung along on the shoulders Of the
ines on the outside. "Auld Lang Syne"
wns struck up. and the classes march
! ID slowly to the entrance Of the hOl-
low Here the two outside lines halted.
while the seniors passed on under
trchcs tn their places around the plat
torm. A program sparkling with little
hits 1T the teachers and peculiaritics 0f
fellOw, stndents WIS given.
A new feature this year WIS that Of
changing the date of the alumni re-
union. Every year much attention has
t,sen given h the alumni. but only the
clAss that had been out twenty years
was expected to return ilr body. This
year the time has been changed from
twenty to ten years. To get this start
I'd the classes between 1894 and 1904
were invited back. Representatives