Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-27

real prvmise, Charles Boaydfnan
Halves. 1871. whose stories Of sdyen-
lures on the sea had already made him
the rival OF SAbatine and gave hope
that he would prove the American heir
Of Stevenson. The establishments, by
the Atlantic Monthly Press Of prize
in his memory 10 very unusual tri-
buts7-and well deserved since few
younger. men had shown more literary
power than In Ms all too brief career
he had displayed. A college Is Judged
not only by its work but By its prod
| uct; and we are glad to have the meas
ure OF an education in the liberal arts
| at B6wdoin assessed BY creative lit
efafy work Of such promise.
In beginning the collegiate year the
| college can wish Tor YOU all notains
better than the. ability to work hard
and to get satisfaction from hard work
What we need in our college as IN the
country at large IL return to indus
| try. The American Ii probably the
busiest person in the world; but he
does not know how TO work. There Is
| great difference between being busy
| and working hard. In too many walks
| of life men are afraid to work, try to
avoid work, wish to escape from the
drudgery and persistence Of work and
take refuge in merely being busy. 1t
Ii POPULARITY supposed that the Ameri-
can business man works very hard in
deed; but IL you follow him through,
the routine Of day. you will find that
he very seldom concentrates; he goes
from one thing to another and ex-
Ponds great deal Of nervous energy
and dissipates his time. The Ameri-
can laboring man too often tries to
get out of doing hard work. No lib
eral minded person would object to
high wages and short hours provided
there is honest, thorough work. But
Of that all too little exists.
For this national weakness our sys-
tenn of education is in part responsible.
In our schools very few have learned
to work hard. Too many students are
content with getting by. with knowing
good deal in general and very little
in particular. This attitude is by no
means confined to the United States
A distinguished Scotch professor in an
address at Oxford! last May said that
for the last 80 years the standards Of
scholarly requirements in the Scotch
universities had been successfully
lowered in every field Of knowledge
with the possible exception of natural
science; and English editors in their
SOIIthCHIS dSIeCu IHdI Ine Same InlnR
was true in England. There has been
SO much experimentation in education
that the value Of thoroughness has
been perststently minimized.
No one institution can do much to
stem the tide by itself. But when a
college sets reasonably high standards
of accomplishment and tries to live I'D
to them, it is performing a real ma
tional service. Our colleges are IN,
sisting today on better intellectual
work, not from any narrow point Of
view. not because college teachers do
not realize the complexity of modern
life, but because we believe in the ethi-
cal as well as the mental value of hard
work.
1t is important to resist the tempta-
lions Of thinking that being busy is
the equivalent Of working hard. In
the modern college we are all far too
busy. There is altogether too much
heard Of the word Activities" Many
college student makes the mistake
OF going into activities as If they were
the be-all and end-all Of college life.
Someone asked Calvin Coolidge. SO the
story goes. If he went into activities at
Amherst. NO" he said. II tried to
educate my head" It is by the way
Significant that the present president
or the United States was during the
larger part of his college course not
at all prominent either on the campus
or in the class room. But every one
who knew him says he minded his own
business and worked hard.
There are many satisfactions In eoi.
lege life; friendships. athletic rival.
ries, generous cooperation for com.
mon ends. varied loyalties. growth in
body. mind and spirit. But a good
many college men never experience the
satisfaction Of working hard There
ought to be periods of intellectual
training as OF physical training for
athletic contests. Work hard and he.
have" was the laconic and spartan
message recently sent. to a school by
President Coolidge. It does not Of
course comprise all the duties of man.
But hard work and appropriate moral
behavior go long way. In addition
to that rather prudential advice we
need also to- remember the ideal and
romantic side of college life. It Is not
only good to work hard; 1t Is fun to
know things. 1t is great bore to be
ignorant. The world is a pretty dull
place to people who are ignorant and
pretty fiat and stale and improbable
to the loafers.
Another advantage of working hard
is that it gives you a right to express
your own views about things, to'take
an individual stand. in word to be
more OF an individual. If you attempt
TO WORK out your own theories without
ever Thinking Hard or having them
passed on solid grounds. You are likely
to be conceited. variable, fussy, inse-
cure If in popular parlance you Know
what you are talking about, YOU will
nave better outlet for the expression
OF your own individuality. Like ali
other colleges Bowdoin expects you. 10
learn how to think for yourself and
also never to be afraid to take 4 stand
on your convictions no matter Few UNI
popular such stand may make you.
III IN college You learn to work for
yourself. you will find out that YOUR
professors will not want you to be.
lieve anything because they say II Is
true but because you have found It to
be true. In the same way you ought to
hold to your own opinions about col
lege affairs and not accept current nop-
ular views unless they agree with your
own convictions. Because men In COL
lege who are prominent as captains Of
teams. or popular men. or members Of
the student council say this or that is
no reason for You TO follow unless you
yourself are convinced that their lead
ership Is wise. If you let others i'm
pose their views on you in college, you
will be less likely to be independent I,
after life; for the characteristics you
show in college you will be pretty
sure to exhibit later on. Properly
considered. college is a training school
for moral and intellectual courage, and
OF that rare virtue the world can never
have too much.
Crow Not 4 Swift Flyer F9t'