Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-09-19

three hours per class, we would reduce
conditions one-half and raise apprecia-
bly, the academic standard of Middle
bury College. am ashamed to make
this confession and you ought to be
ashamed that | am forced to it. A
man who essays to fit himself for
leadership who looks to some honor
able calling in which he will use his
mind, ought to scorn to allow himself
less than the laborers hours of work
: No student has a right, in considera-
ton of the sacrifices OF money and time
necessary for his education, and in con-
sideration also of the high privileges
secured for his benefit at great cost OF
time and labor for many generations,
to spend one moment i'll amusement
and sport, however innocent and valu-
able when legitimately pursued, until
he has first devoted at least one-fourth
OF his time to the main business of col
lege work. Study first, then recreation,
all the pleasanter for that it has been
earned Don't indulge in sport and
pleasure and study what time you can
catch up afterwards. That is the
Stacker" attitude, that of the man who
flinches in the face of duty and it is
almost as bad to be Stacker" toward
ones college as it is toward ones coun-
try.
We ought all to get clear beyond the
border-land of success and failure, be-
You'd all question of just getting
Il, oil Ona'c oraAttc Inv
not receiving more than one d and
ones scholarship by not incurring two
conditions beyond all this into the far
more pleasant state where fear of fail
ure does not even threaten, and a man
works with joy and eXhiliration from
the very joy OF learning and the thrill
ing sense OF the growth of power. When
| was a student in Middlebury, Pro-
fessOr Wright, my teacher and yours,
assigned me several topics for indie
pendent investigation and directed me
in the use of library material and the
production of thesis which should be,
not a compilation from textbooks and
encyclopedias but the embodiment of
my own criticism and research. l re-
member working for months on a topic
assigned me by my Professor of Latin,
Dr. James M. Patton, Ciceros Treat
ment of EpicuFus, determining as best
could what Epicurus really taught
from the fragments that have come
down to us, from the presentation of his
philosophy in the great poem of Luz
cretus, and comparing these results
with the portrayal of Epicurus in the
philosophical writings of Cicero. look
back upon these special outside studies
for which | received no credit, as the
most valuable part of my college
course. Professor Wright has promised
to be with us through the entire year
He has minated that it must be his
last year, that he feels that he has
earned the right to rest after thirty
five years of service of this college, dur
ing which he has not only instructed
a larger number of pupils than any
man who ever taught in Middlebury,
but has also borne far more than his
share of administrative labor Two
Presidents have leaned on him for coun-
sci and neither of them but would
testify that he had in Professor Wright
his kindest critic and his most faith
full friend l trust that before the
year is over many of you will have OPP
portunity Of his guidance in advanced
studies which you pursue independent
" and on which you do not expect to
reCite.
Many other Professors will offer the