Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-05-30
ALMA COLLEGE
COMMENCEMENT
Thirty-First Annual Commence
ment Exercises Held in
Chapel Wednesday.
TWENTY WERE GRADUATED
Thirteen Members of Class Who
Probably Would Have Received
Degrees are in Service.

On Wednesday afternoon Alma col
lege closed her thirty-frst year
with the annual commencement at
which time twenty young people fin
ished their college course and receiv-
ed their diplomas. At the same time
seventeen young ladies were awarded
state teachers certificates for the
comuletion of the two years course
in kindergarten work.
The wonderful spirit of patriotism,
which has prevadod the men Of Alma
college since the entrance of the
United States into the great world
war, is the one thing which has kept
the class of 1918 from being the
largest in the history of the college.
More young men from this class have
gone into. the service of their country.
than remained in college to finish
their course, leaving the class far
from the largest. In all twelve men
from this class are in the service.
Commencement week opened Sun
day with the annual baccalaureate ad-
dress by President II. NJ Crooks, LII.
d., at the First Presbyterian church,
which was packed to the limit for the
exercises and address.
Considering Barrabas," was the
theme of the address, and it brought
to the students, and to the seniors in
particular, the nobleness of that great
spirit of unselfishness.
Barabbas, the unselfish, who saved
his life; Barrabbas, the robber, who
seized the chance to save himself at
the time of the crucifixion, was COM
pared with the Great Master, who so
unselfishly gave His life.
Then President Crooks brought the
parallel in, the selfish man of today,
who takes his choice and stays at
home, to gain for himself, and the
unselfish man, who offers his all on
the altar of sacrifice for Democracy
and humanity, the men in all walks
of life, but particularly the thousands
of college men, who are giving their
lives, so unselfishly, with never
thought of self, but rather with every
thought centered on the good that
they may do for humanity. So COM
mon is the sacrifice today, that it
passes unnoticed; but the selfish, who
elects to stay at home, who fails to
give of his wealth, his earnings, the
Barabbas Of today is marked man.
Without a doubt it was one of the
most important baccalaureate adj
dresses ever given here. 1t stirred
the entire audience. Ii stirred deeply
those college men and women who
were present. 1t brought homo to
them the important lift of today
Monday morning at the final chapel
service of the year the athletic, de-
batting and oratorical awards were
made and that evening the graduates
of the kindergarten department gave
their annual exercises, which were
well greeted by large number Of
college and townspeople.
- Tuesday the annual "a" mems
spread was held up the Pine, early
in the morning and was followed AZ
grove which was attended by only n
small number. this year. In the af-
ternoon the graduating piano recital
Of iss Ethel Palmer was given in the
college chapel At eight o'clock i'm
the evening the annual senior >prome-
made was held. and was followed very
son after by the presidents reception
at his home.
At the commencement exercises
held Wednesday forenoon in the Alma
college chapel the Rev. Joseph W.
Cochran, ID. d., LII. d., of Detroit
gave the annual address which was
well greeted by those who attended
He told the graduates that it was
their mission to make the world wise,
rich and united.
War, and the demands that war
is making for college trained men and
women, had big part in the address.
lie spoke of the part that college men
and women are now playing in the
big game "over there" of the nurses
going out under shell fire to bring in
the wounded; of the college men TAX
ing lowly places in the army. because
OF the feeling that there is where they
are needed. He said that America
had come to her own, prepared to do
the task which God has committed 20
her, and that the part of the college
in the war was an important one in
winning it; that it was to the glory
OF these institutions that so many of