Baltimore City College - Green Bag Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

Page 15 text:

THE GREEN BAG enthusiastic devotion of the students to the college, makes constantly for advancement in the mental and physical conditions of tl1e students, and in a steadily widening scope of usefulness for the college. Not only is the college bettered, but people at large know that it is making progress. Is it not strange how much we are influenced in forming opinions as to the value of what someone else has by what that person thinks of it? Our opinions as to the standing of a college are very much the result of what we believe the students think of it. Hearty enthusiasm and strong devotion on their part are sure to create a favorable impression of the college in the outside world. The students of a college are by all odds its best advertisers. A college spirit presupposes a college man, and it should be that being a college man presupposes the possession of a college spirit. The fallacy of this conclusion is unfortunately only too true. Many a man goes through college winning honor and distinction not only along academic lines, but also in other phases of 'college activity, even in athletics, without ever having felt tl1e impulses which a college spirit would have prompted. Not only has the college failed to get from l1i1n the best of what he was capable, but he also has missed from his life a force which he really neededg though it is possible, of course, that the void was filled in other ways, College'spirit shows itself in a high sense of honor. For instance, the ostracism and practical expulsion by the student body of any one of its members who has been detected cheating in examinations, illustrates oneof its highest phases. A proper col- lege spirit requires in many things that a man shall not be selfish. He must sink l1is self- interest in the common interest of all, and especially must he subserve his own wishes and desires to the good of the college. A form of patriotism results, all the more effective because constant play for its activities is given. His tenacity of purpose is strengthened, especially if he is an athlete. His enthusiasm to his college makes him stick wl1en frequently he would give up. His desire to win is something more than the enthusiasm of the moment, the eager- ness for success wl1iel1 rivalry naturally prompts, or the seeking of self-glory calls for. It is the practical forgetfulness of self in the intensity of his desire for the good of the college which draws from him the last effort of which he is capable. Since the child is father to the man it follows that the college student is father to the college alumnus. It ought to follow also that the college spirit of a student should be a sort of progenitor to a healthy and lusty college spirit in the college alunmus. This is another conclusion which does not hold true in the majority of eases. The average alunmus gradually but surely loses much of his interest in his college. He looks back, it is true, with pleasure upon his college days, continues to feel attached to his Alma Mater, but it ceases to receive from him the whole-souled disinterested devotion of his college days. . Aside from the good which an alumnus, imbued with the spirit of l1is college days may do for his Alma Mater, the benefit which results to tl1e alumnus himself is after all the most important. I refer to tl1e development and the following out in his life of those ideals which college spirit l1ad done so much to foster in his student days. Of course, as the years go by, a man finds that his tastes and inclinations change very materially. His plans when he was 16

Page 14 text:

THE GREEN BAG LARES ET PENATES. I1 1- Y,-jj qv E-I LL mankind is divided into three parts, 0116 of which has never been to college, another is at college, and a third has left college. Caesar in fication a division based upon geographical lines. In fact, he ignored h .74-gf 5, it altogether the question of college training. He published no statistics 1-Qi. flfxh , ' f'4 -fi-P-.ZW . 'r ll f ,.',f-,- ' . ' , .,' ..N describing the inhabitants of Gaul seems to have preferred to this classi- 'lzyvfiffilsgi - L 1 lr- I in regard to it, nor cited any instances of self-taught or college-bred men from among the doughty warriors of Gaul. Possibly Dumnorix and Divitiacus were materially aided on the road to fame by the training they had received in their Alma Mater. Possibly Ariovistus and Vercingetorix, leaving early in life classic shades, had been educated in the school of practical affairs only. The author of the Commentaries is silent on these points. Can it be that he wanted to avoid the neces- sity of discussing the question of the respective advantages and disadvantages of spending four or more years in getting a college education, or of deciding when and at what age a boy should leave school and go into business? Was he afraid to venture an opinion as to value of the changes made upon tl1e old method of devoting the college courses entirely to languages and the study of abstract subjects? What success had the Gauls met by introducing into their curriculums bookkeeping, manual training, cooking, sewing and such subjects? Caesar drew no conclusions. These questions are very interesting ones, but, however, so perplexing that for the most of us it is better to be not among those who rush in where Caesar, from fear or other reasons, has not seen fit to tread. Those who have not had a college training can hardly be said to differ from those who have had in language, manners and customs, as did the inhabitants of one part of Gaul from those of another part. We do not care to draw conclusions as to the advantages of a college educated man over one who is not, or vice versa. The fact remains, however, that there are things growing out of, and connected with, a college training which are unique. I have refer- ence especially to what is known generally as college spirit-an indefinite quantity, almost impossible of description, but easily recognizable when seen or felt. That a college spirit is a good thing no one disputes. The college is benefitted by it along every line of activity. We are constantly told that this spirit, carrying along as it does the 15

Page 16 text:

THE GREEN BAG a college student seem later to him to be crude and hopelessly fanciful and impossible. It may be that witl1 maturity of judgment, seriousness of purpose has taken the place of vague and indefinite dreams. It may be that upon tl1e passing of his dreams nothing took their place, and that he has lost confidence in himself and in his own success. Whatever the situa- tion may be, the spirit of his college days contains n1uch of what is really essential to him. His crudity of thought and indefiniteness of purpose and plan are soon found to be impractical and insufficient. These are natural to youth and are among those elements of a college man's make-up which should be left behind. He needs, however, to hold tenaciously to what col' lege spirit has stood for-optimism, enthusiasm, freshness and wholesomeness of spirit, self- confidence and his college ideals. - It is surprising how much of the past may be brought back to us by little things which we may chance upon ! A toy may recall to us vividly not only certain events of our childhood, but also the general trend of our thoughts and ideas at that time. By the exciting of a tiny nerve spot our entire mental machinery is put in motion. So may the toy carry us back to and permit us to live again in fancy the days of our childhood. The ancient Grecians found in the images of their household gods the glories of the past ever suggested and typified. XVe also should guard zealously the Lares and Penates of our college days. In concrete shape we would have them in the baseball bats, the footballs, the lacrosse sticks which we had used, the books we had studied, the medals and trophies we had won. The ancient Grecian sought, from time to time, his Lares and Penates, and found inspiration from the past in them. So would we do well to keep and to cherish the relics of our college days. A medal might often often remind us of a half-mile run won by sheer grit after all strength and endurance seem to have been exhausted. A football recalls a bleak November day when our tegun had been slowly pushed down the field and defeat was staring us in the face. We had put forward every effort of which we seemed capable, just as in our business we may now find ourselves apparently hedged in completely by adverse circumstances. When in our fancy the events of that day are brought before our eyes we hear again the voices on the side lines urging us on. We remember how renewed strength, witl1 a feeling of confidence, came to us, of a plunge through the line, and the game won. And that same spirit of confidence returns to us, and we break through another line, different in nature from the one on the football field, but just as formidable in appearances. The self-confidence which will return to us will not be that exactly of the past. The crudity, extravagance and impracticability of the latter we will have by experience learned to realize. The spirit, however, is the same, and it is one of the most valuable, yet least prized, of the possessions of our student days. Doubtless every member of your class, tl1is class of 1905 of the Baltimore City College, fully intends-to keep alive in him the spirit of the days which from you are just passing- However, you will find, as others who have gone before you have found, that this is not easily done. 'Fares will grow up more quickly than you realize, and they will try to choke out the earlier and more delicate plants. Of course, you do not want this to beg you desire to keep 17