The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1952-04-16

In eight or nine weeks you will
have left high school days behind
you. Before you is life, calling to
you with all kinds of promises.
ALREADY. there have been discus
sions, and arguments too, with NON
and dad, about what you shoulder
shouldn't do-with your life. To
NON and dad, you are still their
little girl. It's strange thing "a
bout parents, jamie, but they will ac-
knowledge your girl friends growing
up, they will condone errors in o.
Their girls, they can be impersonal
or even understanding with other
peoples daughters, but with their
own, it's quite another thing
I know you, jamie. You are no
longer a child. You've waited so
long to grow up, to be able to do
things your way to be able to live
life the way you want to live it.
You're eager to go out to earn your
living, to become independent. I
think you've even tolerated your
nom and dads "old-fashioned" j.
IDEAS, their strict codes, their mai
ve'' attitude, looking forward to the
day when you would finish school
and go out on your own.
Now, MON and dad want you to
go to university.
Your MON tells you that with a
university education, you'll be able
to stand up to others. Your dad
says it'll enable you to pick and
choose your job, that you'll never
have to worry about financial Sc
curity.
Your MON and dad don't put it
very we'll do they? You, jamie,
know better. You've seen that what
nom and dad say isn't quite true.
You know of boys and girls who
have degrees, in jobs which aren't
any more higher paid or lucrative
than those held down by people
who haven't been inside a universe
ty. And you've looked at yourself
pretty closely. and have appraised
your abilities. And you're not quite
sure what you really want to do
that is, you don't have any definite
vocation chosen for which you're
willing to sacrifice four long years
or more
And you're little tired of school
too, aren't you, jamie? You've told
nom and dad: Why should go
to university? 1t won't do me any
good!"
jamie, you see only half the pic
ture.
I'm one of those university grads
whose salary does not compare ia
vorably with those of lot of Nisei
who have not gone to university. I
knew what wanter to be. but since
that choice was blocked by parental
disapproval and racial difficulties I
went to university with no specific
goal And vet, jamie. if I had to
live my life over again I would go
to university I wasn't offered the
chance on a platter had to work
for it. but nv university years were
the four happiest years in my life
You see, jamie. you can't evaluate
a university education in monetary
terms. 1t doesn't as most people
think. enable YOU once YOU gradu-
ate. to make more money faster It's
aim is more subtle and more far
reaching. 1t has something to do
with the developing of human per-
sonalitv. the deepening of percep-
ton. and the broadening of iudg-
ment 1t is like being led down a
long. unending corridor, with many
doors ready to open at ones touch.
Each door is a new experience. And
the years of university training are
but the beginning of a long walk
down a corridor of human expert
ence. from now until you die, That's
a long time. jamie, and four years is
very little to ask in return for an
experience which will grow with you
as you grow
jamie, a university training deve-
lops an insight into what it is to be-
come a human being in a democra-
tic society. Perhaps you're wonder
ing what all this talk about "becom-
ing human being in a democratic
society" has to do with you JAMIE,
you're just sixteen. Being sixteen
isn't easy. It's a strange and
perplexing time. There are so many
pulls. all of them attractive. But
if you think life at sixteen is COM
pleted, don't let anyone fool you in
to believing that it will become SIM
pier as one becomes older
jamie, you and your generation
are heirs to complex world, It's an