Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-06-04
SFNIOUSARfALUMNI
RURDIcK MAKES ADDRESS AT
COMMENCEMENT
Tells saith Graduating Glass That
Success Depends on Ones Def
initIon-Seniors Take
Part

matter so much what q man thinks;
It's what he does that counts" VIII
lead a young man who follows II
into a very serious mistake, DR.. w.
L. Burdick of the University OF
Kansas told the thirty-fourth high
school graduating class in the course
of his commencement address last
Friday night in the seelye. 1t
makes all tae difference In the world
what you think" the speaker en-
phasized. "Your future and your
success depend on your notion OF
success" A crowded house heard an
interesting address made vivid by
anecdote and pointed Illustration.
Too many times, DR.. Burdick as
serted, the excuse is made when q
young man does wrong or fails to
live up to the wishes Of his parents
and friends, that "a young fellow
must live" THAT is just the excuse
that the son of a friend of mine
made to me when he was arrested
for embezzlement," he declared.
THAT was his reason. "A young
fellow must live Tomorrow, Mem
orial Day, is a day sacred to those
who fought for the nation and FOR
freedom. Do you think that the
boys of 81 would have gone into
the battle line in defense OF the
flag II the thought had been up
permost in their minds that a young
fellow must liver There are some
things more important than life It
self"
Commencement time, DR.. Burdick
continued, ought to induce the grad
yates to choose worthy ambitions
no matter how far away those am
billions might be or how difficult
their attainment. Young women
and young gentlemen" he asked,
what will be the thoughts In your
minds tonight when your friends
will congratulate you upon your
graduation? And you who Will
graduate these seniors, what VIII be
your thoughts? Back of everything
there must be some high ideal. We
are not the creatures of impulse;
we act upon motives. 1t is highly
important that your thoughts for
the futuer be those that stand for
something. No life ever has succeed
ed, in the true meaning Of success
that has not had definite purpose.
"Your are old enough to look out
fearlessly and ask what is there to
have before me as something worth
while. Your salutatorian and vale
dictorian tonight have spoken OF
the discouragements that have come
and the obstacles you have met in
YOUR high school life. More of US
in this world have failed in the
crisises of our life because OF dis
couragement than for any other
reason. 1t is a good thing for young
people not to realize when they have
been licked"
mo life," said DR.. Burdick, fn
closing his address. lever has left It's
permanent impress that has not had
faith in a power stronger, higher
than itself
A mixed chorus of high school
singers opened the evenings pro-
gram. The Rev. J W. DeYoe offered
the invocation. Miss Gertrude En-
gle, salutatorian, spoke briefly OF
the years the class of 1914 had
spent in the high school and what
those years had meant to the SEN
Tors.
The valedictory was given by
Miss Marion Seelye, in which sht
as speaker for her classmates bade
farewell to the high school and ex
pressed the class appreciation o.
the interest and aid of the faculty
H. E. Ackers, president of the
school board, prefaced the presen
tation of diplomas with brief tall
upon the meaning of commence
ment. Abilene, Mr.. Ackers said
strives to give its schools the bes
support that it can afford and al
an illustration of the personal IN
terest the people take in the schools
pointed to the large attendance a
the commencement exercises and a
the other school events of the week
inc, girls chorus of the high schoo
sang several numbers.
The following is the list OF thos'
who were given diplomas, by courses