Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-06-20

time when the Senior class has en-
deaNored to award medal to a
member of the class who is the best
citizen, but failed because there were
two citizens IN the class who were
equally as good.
One of the greatest factors in rhe
success of a college is a high quail
lty of citizenship in the student body,
for, in the final ANALYSIS. the student
body is the college. 1t il the student
body that establishes the customs: il
is the student body that determines
the success o. tailure of the activi-
ties; it is the student body that rep
resents to the world the actual sta
tus of tke institution.
The need of maintaining a high
quality of citizenship at Colby has
been so deeply impressed upon one
of our alumni. Randall Judson Con
don. that he has awarded a medal
to be awarded to the best citizen oil
| the graduating class. so considered
by three -fourths of its members
The senior class, both last year and
this year. could not award this medal
.. because they Were unable to obtain a
I three-fourths vote for any one OF
! their members. This fact has caused
! considerable comment in the faculty
and student body, because it is felt
that more praC tical method of award
ing the medal could be found.
J. Let us consider the purpose in offer
ing gift of this nature. What is the
aim that Mr. Condor had IN mind
Did he desire that there be only one
! il the senior class who could comply
with the requirements for good citi.
zenship. or WAS he aiming to stimu-
late the whole student body, to quicken
them to strive for those qualities
which marx for character. which emu
late, which stamp the citizen as four
square to the world? His purpose was
democratic in nature. He wished to
have Colby develop leaders, men with
a purpose, men who dare and do. If
there are mora than one in the grad
uatng class who have fulfilled the
requirements # a good college citizen,
why award the medal to only one?
Let US consider some Of the essen
tials of good l.ege citizenship. Tneo-
dore Roosevelt says, The Good citi-
zen of a republic must realize that he
ought to possess two sets OF qualities
and neither al2ils without the other.
He must have those qualities which
mark for efficiency and he must also
have those qualities which direct the
efficiency into channels for the publie
good
Roosevelt's Cefinition can we'll appl.
the analysis f citizenship the two j..
stitutions are nearly Identical The
good college citizen. then. is one who
is charac terizel by energetic and use
ful activity and has those qualities
g hich erect as activity into lannels
for the greatest good of his collie, e
and Of the publ G. He is the man VINO
respects the ideals. thu standard A., |
t., Gust "r his college He is the
man who is "tair to himself, for he
cGn't then be false to ;.ny mai"
is activity must. primarily. 20 i
rected toward his studies. for 1t is 2
college with high scholastic stand
ing that attracts the thinking man:
he must foster athletics; he must fos-
ter the various literary. forensic and
musical organizations Of the college
In other words. he must be active in
every department Of college life.
College activity, however, does not
always mean Sodily activity. If stu
dent is physically infir-'. or is lacking
in talent, or if he possesses some lido
syncracy which would render him Of
no use to college activity, he is ben
efitting neither himself nor his college
TO strive for that in which he can ac-
complish nothing. On the other hand
he has an individual place to fill ANY
man, no matter how void of talent. or
how eccentric. can support every de-
partment of college liz in spirit if
not in body. If he can support his
team best in the grandstand, the
grandstand is the place for him. A
good college citizen must always re-
member that "he must possess those
qualities which direct his efficiercy
into channels for the greatest public
good"
Ever since Colby was founded, she
has emphasized these qualities