Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-09-20
Wisconsin Farmer Tells
Meaning of True Culture
OFTEN FOUND OUTSIDE OF THE
REALM OF HIGHER INSTI-
TUTIONS OF LEARNING

Soon the boys and girls, the young
men and women, will again be leav-
ing home for college and university.
Because many of these young folks go
from farm homes, feel that we may
with propriety, and l trust with profit
ask ourselves just what it is they go
to get. Colleges, we are told, provide
culture. Now, true culture is greatly to
be desired. But what is culture? How
may we know it? OF what is it made,
and in what manner does it manifest
itself?
One of the best ways to answer the
foregoing questions concerning culture
is to determine, first of all, what it is
not. True culture does not consist
merely in knowing all the usages of
'polite society and being able, easily
and gracefully, to put these into prac-
tice. One may be graceful dancer,
an expert at golf or tennis, and yet
possess none of the true qualities of
culture. One may know when and how
to bow and scrape, to smile and smirk
to talk small stuff and to appear to be
interested in the highest Of gossip,
yet know nothing of culture. Familiar
ity with the latest novel or screen pro
duction, or with the names of all the
famous artists, and ability to sing the
newest songs, or play or whistle the
latest musical hit-none of these ac-
complishments represent culture.
Glibness of speech and the fopperies
that are all too much in evidence may
represent lack of culture rather than
the possession of it.
In brief, to go away to college and
to return home wearing a fraternity
or sorority pin does not mean to be-
come cultured. For young folks to i'm
agine otherwise is to make as great
a mistake as does the get-rich quick
father or mother who seeks culture by
taking the eligible daughter to a
fashionable resort in the mountains or
on the seashore or for trip abroad.
There is, though, a true culture in
college. 1t is there developed just as
it is everywhere else, by bringing out
the best there is in young men and
young women, not in finding fault
with all that is old fashioned, not in
seeking to destroy the influence of
the environment that was, but in re-
tanning the best thoughts and ideals
and building upon these. College cnl-
ture such al has its birth in the read
ing of good hooks, in being made famil
lar with great truths, in better I'M
derstanding of the whole wide world,
in the ability to see and feel helpful
influences such as one has never be-
fore felt, to sit under the teachings of
able men and women, to share in the
riches that great poets and others out
of the past have contributed, repre-
sents real culture. The great trouble
is that too much that is thought of as
culture is only "culturine, and a sorry
substitute it is.
Education does not always make of
woman or man cultured individual
l have known among the unlearned.
among those counted ignorant, men
and women of true culture gentle
women and gentlemen by nature. On
the other hand, few of the worse
snobs, the rudest individuals l have
ever. come in contact with, boasted of
college coreers and had been award
ed university degrees. To add college
culture to that priceless gift, natural
culture, the basis of which is good
breeding and human sympathy, is 70
make more attractive still the fortu-
nate possessor. From farm homes
there will go, during the next few
weeks, many young men and women
who, whether they know it or not,
possess real culture. If, when they
become a part of the crowds into
which they are sure to be thrown,
they are not ashamed to reflect this
quality they will, while taking on COL
lege culture. give to others that which
mere learning alone cannot provide
Wisconsin Farmer