Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-09-30

There is subtle something that they
will impart, and you will imbibe, that
is not nominated in the bond" The
older grow, the more sensible ! am
of this fact in my experience. |
could name dozen men and women
who impressed themselves upon me
in fashion that gave me something
greater than the technical training
of the branches they taught. Per-
haps | could not now stand a very
stiff examination in the History of
Philosophy" as given by DR.. James
McNesh, my grand old President and
Professor. But he gave me something
before which yet bow with pro-
foundest reverence and tenderness.
You, having come to a smaller college,
will have better chance of this than
we who went to larger colleges where
we had less frequent opportunity to
meet the masters. / am sure that
those who teach here will strive and
pray to be so used of God for you.
And here are your own classmates,
perhaps hundred of them. Every
one will be exerting a most sympa-
thetic influence upon each of you, and
you upon them in reflex power. And
here is the whole college community
doing the same thing. Every student
here is a force cultural and disciplin-
airy to every other student in college.
This summer | walked the pebble
strewn shore of a Michigan Lake.
Every particular pebble had been
rubbed and scrubbed and secured till
its quality and beauty stood out
in conspicuous finish. They were as
round and polished as the stones from
the brook that helped a royal youth
to master a braggart and boastful
giant. Their faculty had been the
winds and the waves of unnumbered
years. But they had polished and
rounded and finished each other. And
that is a parable of life in a college
community. Every member of it is
helping to make every other what he
or she shall be.
Under the process, if you yield
yourself to it, you will emerge from
your college, four years hence, even
one year hence, far other than what
you were when you entered her. You
will be yourself But you will be
yourself, plus. Plus what? Plus
what uncounted influences, intellect
ual, moral, physical, religious, have
put upon you; plus the by-product of
your years of college training.
Some years ago, a college class
photographer conceived the idea of a
composite photograph of the class.
The negative Of every member of the
class was imprinted on the pictures
card. The dominant features of every
man took its place in the picture. And
the result was, not picture of any
one man in the class, but a picture
Of what every man had made every
other man in the class.
This, too, is a parable of what you
shall make of each other as you in
corporate in your culture all that each
gives you.
Dear young people! | feel the
the mighty momentuousness of this
hour. / never stood in such a place
as this before. | never attempted
such an address as this before. 1t is
more than a generation since ] heard
any such address at the opening of
an institution of learning. | have
read no model addresses as guide to
this hour. | know not whether |
shall ever attempt again such an adj
dress. Probably not | know not
whether what / have said conforms
to standards. in such eases made and
provided, or not 1t MAJ be far wide
of the mark. 1t may not command
either the judgment or the sympathy
of any Of you who have so patiently
listened.
But one thing do know, and it is
his: | have tried to come to you
with an unselfsh and sympathetic
spirit / have tried TO say something
20 you that seemed to me to fit the
hour, some things that would have
valued years ago as illuming my way
in the world.
stand here approaching, in some
degree at least, the majesty of this
hour in your lives as you face the
future with your fresh, youthful
powers and hopes and enthusiasm.
know that some OF you are strain
ing at the leash that holds you in
You want to be up and out into the
magnificent things that wait to be
done. We want to fit you for that
hour when you may go Out to do and
achieve. We want you we'll fitted. We
want you to go with sense Of sufii-
cheney efficiency and appreciation to
bear your part in life, even as you
realize with your high intelligence
that
Eve are living, we are dwelling,
In a grand and awful time;
In an age on ages telling,