Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-11-03
CHARTER DAY EXERCISES,
Observance OF 1t6th Anniversary
In Mccullough Gy mnasIum

In Mccullough Gy mnaslum
The ll6th anniversary of the signing
of the original charter of Middlebury
College was observed by the annual
charter day exercises in the McCul-
Tough gymnasium Wednesday night
November /, with a large attendance of
townspeople and college students,
The program of the exercises was as
follows;
Orchestra selection, military Spirit"
Won Blon
Reading of the Charter,
Harold f. Hollister, II
Selection by the college choir, "To Thee
o Country" lehburg
Remarks, Pres, John M. Thomas
A Symposium: What Can We Do to
Make This Middlebury's Best Year?
/ In Academic Standards,
William H. Edmunds, II
In Quickening Everyday Response
bility, Lucy Smith, 'lS
In Religious Work,
Harold M. Davis, n
Orchestra selection, 'Lustspiel, y
Keller Bella
In College Loyalty,
Richard II. BufTum, 'lS
In Conflicting Loyalties,
Katherine Ball, II
In Our Campus Life,
Fred P, Lang, II
Orchestra selection, Dawn Of Love-
BendiX
Remarks, Dr. Julian w. Abernethy, '76
President Thomas said that it was
privilege to have membership in so old
an institution the twenty-seventh in
order founded in over six hundred insti-
tutions of college rank in the United
States. He said that too little was
known of the history Of the college and
the part it had played in the history Of
Vermont A sketch was given of the
various attempts to start educational
Institutions in Vermont, and an inter-
esting fact that was new to many isl
that at the time of founding Middebury
College and for a number of years later
Middlebury is the most ideal location in
the State for such an institution having
twice the population Of Burlington and
a large proportion of college graduates
as inhabitants compared to other cities
in the State. The legislature met in
Middlebury in 1900, and after much dis
cusson voted to grant a charter to the
college. At that time the Addison
County Grammar School,, which was
located in the village, was giving two
years of college work, but the pupils |
entered the college and in 1902 a senior
class of one man graduated. In the
first forty years of her history Middle
bury was one of the leading colleges of
New England, so her phenomenal
growth of the past few years is a right
fu regaining of her original standing
among the larger colleges.
At the conclusion of the remarks by
President Thomas he introduced the six
speakers from the student body who
spoke on various phases of college life
with reference to making this Middle
bury's best year in each,
Dr. Abernethy gave very interest
ing talk on the college activities and
the relative values of studies and other
interests which play so large a part in
college life. He said that a conspicuous
fact of college experience is the faculty
of college students not for learning, but
for forgetting Many forget what they
come to college for, and drift through
in an amless way. If they are not
awakened to the responsibility of life
during their college career their chances
of succeeding IN later life are small
An interesting simile he drew was
likening college to moving picture for
diversity. One of the present day
criticisms of the play is that the scenery
is so elaborate that we miss the real
plot of the play, as in a circus it is
difficult to find the main tent in the
many surrounding side shows, 80 also
we miss the main issue in college in
the multitude of other interests.
Briefly college life is more of a success
than college education" ="
DR.. Abernethy then urged more in
terests in the intellectual side of the
college, pointing out the big advan-
tages which follow later if one does
center his purpose on intellectual pur-
suits.
The college orchestra and choir fur
nished several selections during the
and the cheer leaders led the
1 / ~