Augustana College - Rockety I Yearbook (Rock Island, IL)

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niv, c M, Essmnm nzv c. l. swzussom Raw, 1. n EnMnAHL REV M. WAHLSTROM REV c. L PETIL JOSHUA HASSELQIJIS'I FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF AUGUSTANA CLASS OF 1877

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ahtgfbhllh C. S. D. degrees have been earned at the institution. The average attendance through- out the years has been somewhat mere than 550. Student life, in the Paxton days, and during the hrst period at Rock Island, pre- i sent: in some respects phases diHering very much from the present The students of i the early clays were as a rule. older men than those of the present time, and their views ii i of life were naturally more sober. During the days of Paxton. school life can best be ii compared to the life in a large Familyi Dr. Hasselquist was looked upon more in the il i light of a father than in that of the President. The students had various dutites, in il : the nature of chores, to perform such duties as chopping ancl sawing wood. They were even known to work in the heids on the college farm. Tu Shirk one's chores or rebel , against the established order invariably brought upon the deiinquent one the displeasure i I of Dr. Hasselquist. In fact. drones were not tolerated by the students themselves. t i As a spirit of piety and religiousness preveiied in the school circle those whose interests i were not in harmony with the standard such a condition set up. soon became unnum- i i furtable and usually left of their own accord. Generally harmony prevailed but -i - occasionally disagreements would rutHe the tranquillity. These disturbances usually were in the nature of Arguments indulged in between those of the students who had he come Americanized and those who carried with them the inHuences of previous training i in Sweden. The disagreements were. however, mostly on the surface and as time t I went on the difterent factions learned better to understand and appreciate each othetis- views and life long friendships often resulted. The students of Paxton fame are not to be thought of merely as austere, puritanistic beings, The humozous was by no means excluded from among them. As remnants from the humorous phase of the life there have come down to us several stories and anecdotes. One of the most interesting features of their love for fun we find in the names attached by them to the different buildings. The place where their meals were taken was called, Valhalla. because pork quite frequently appeared on the hill of fate. The home of Dr. Hasselquist was called, Asagard. Other builciings bore the names i i'Muspeihem. Nifelhem, and Ragnarok. One builtfing was called Skarselden. That Was the place where examinations were given. Gradually as the student body increased in number and varying conditions created new eicments of interest. the student life took on a diHerent appearance. The change however graaually became more pronounced as the initial years at Rock Island were added to history. During those first years of the Rock Island peIiDd much at the usimplicity at life was retained. Each student, for example. was required to keep his own room swept and clean and to make his own bed. and was expected to wait upon himself at meals. Each one was to keep himself supplied with an oil can, a custom, which, by the way, prevailed until recent years. There are many sadlyahumemus experiences on record in connection with those oil cans. If the supply of Upplysning should suddenly give out of an evening when the stores were closed the mental vision might be badly impaired the following day in the class room. The primitive mode of exercise at Augustana was as we have mentioned the use of the buck saw 01' similarly useful instruments. When the school was removed to Rock 16

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weanhuw IQID Island. much of this useful exercise had to be dispensed with. Its place was taken by athletics and gymnastics of a more general nature. In time the work was organized into a definite system and for several years Augustena was abreast with its sister institu- tions of Illinois in athietic contests. Some yeaxs being decidedly in the lead. In the year, 1906. the Synod. however, placed a ban on all inter-coilegiate athletic contests. Literary work. independent of the class roam, has always enlisted much attention. Among the literary societies, which have exercised the greatest inEunce on student iife are the Phrenokesmian organized the same year as the institution was founded; the Adelphic, organized the same year that the institution became co-educational. or l833. and the Concordiai organized in i893. These three societies composed what is known as the Lyceum. The Lyceum conducts yearly a course of entertainments and pub- lishes the Augustana Observer. Some years back debates formed an important part of the programs rendered befure the literary societies. This branch of work has now been almost wholly taken over by smaller dehating clubs. There are at the present day three strong debating clubs at the institution. These clubs have not eonhned their work to the home institution alone. but have from time to time selected representatives to measure strength with debaters of sister institutions. Such contests have been carried on under the auspices of the College League-teumpcsed of the four college classiest, but will in the future be carried on by the Debating LeagueH which was organized last year and comprises the members of the three debating clubs. The religious spirit still continues intact at the institution. Prayer meetings cone ducted hy the students themselves are held Saturday evening. There is also a class conducted by the students. which meets every Sunday afternoon to study the Bible and such other topics as shall tend to arouse greater missionary zeal. The class on Sunday afternoons stands in direct connection with the Augustana Foreign Mission Society, organized in 1556. Since its organization this society has, for missionary purposes, collected no less than $l5.000.00. During the last nine years the institution has been under the leadership of Dr. Gustav Andreen. He came from Yale University in 1901, to be the successor of Dr. 0. Olsson. It is owing to his activity more than that of any other man that the Fittieth anniversary of our institution has been made a Jubilee year in actuality. In his strenuous and successful work for the Jubilee fund he has been aided by an able force of ec-wnrkers, but it is through his enthusiasm and his personality that the work has received the impetus, without which there wouId have been small hope of success Fifty years of constant progress have been added to the history of Augustanai Fifty years made successful. not through the efforts of any one man alone. but through the eu-eperatiun. the prayers, the sacrifices of an entire Synod. Fifty years of pIDgIESS have passed. but what of the future? With the blessing of God upnn us in the days to come. as it has been upcn us in the days that are gone. the future is assured. We conhdingly look forward, behulding at each stage of progress a GREATER AUGUSTANA. 16