Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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T H E acorn 11 (Class Iftstorg CoraS. Walter Esther Nelson:—Blekinge Lan, Sweden, is a very small province, located in tlte south-eastern corner of Sweden. Although it is a small province, it has become a very important factor in civilization, because. it was in this insignficnnt state that our heroine. Esther Nelson, was born, some time during the nineteenth century. As she grew up she felt crowded in that small province and decided to go to a place where she could expand her lungs and breathe freely. Naturally the little three year old chose North America as her destiny, and Minnesota became her home state. At the age of eight years she began school. At the age of eleven she again felt cramped among the skyscrapers or Minneapolis, so she decided that the country was the place for her. Accordingly she moved with her parents, to Princeton. Minn., where she completed her graded school work. At the age of seventeen she thought she was big enough to paddle her own canoe. She began on the very first round of the ladder called Labor. and kept climbing the rugged stairway of hard word and sacrifice, until she landed finally or. the platform of “Bethel Academy. She chose as her motto (and lives it). Deeds not words”: her favorite study is Latin ; her flower, Lily of the Valley. Elmer Turnblom:—During the very coldest season of the year 1897. the cold breezes around Trade Lake. Wis.. were warmed because a little redheaded boy revealed his smiling physiognomy to the neighborhood. It was no other than Elmer Turnblom. A little while after Elmer appeared, the snow began to melt, the ice broke up. the lawns turned green and the trees sprouted: by the latter part of May everything was green and the atmosphere was very pleasing. As Elmer grew up. his parents soon realized that in order to make Elmer a man they must give him at least a little education. Therefore, he was launched on his educational career. He graduated from the grade school, but he was not satisfied with this mere taste ot learning, but desired to get a better and a broader view of life, and in the fall of 1912 he entered the high school at Grants-burg, Wis., where he finished the tresli man year. His parents moved to St. Paul. Shortly after their departure Elmer was stricken by a siege of homesickness” and the doctors told him his only hope of recovery lay in his following his parents to St. Paul. Here he came in contact with Bethel Academy and entered as a student the fall of 1913. This was a very wise, also a very important step in Elmer’s life. After all Elmer has turned out to be a very brilliant student. If that is due to Bethel Academy or to Elmer remains yet to be decided. His motto is,— Only the best is good enough.” llis favorite study, — English.” His favorite flower.— The tame Rose. Edwin John Tanquist:—During the last twenty-five years. Michigan has grown very famous and has taken a very important place among the States. When Edwin Tanquist was asked the reason, he told very frankly, that he was born at St. Joseph. Mich., Aug. 10, 1891. in a beautiful building located close to the shore of Lake Michigan. This state, however, was not to have the honor alone, for Minnesota desired to share her glory. At the age ot six months he accompanied his parents across the waters (I.ake Michigan) to Minnesota. where they settled, a few miles from Mankato. Ed was a very ambitious boy and he realized at the early age of seven that he had too much energy: so he began to work on a farm. He soon realized, however, that farming alone, would not open up the life’s path he wished to tread, so lie began school. In the fall of 1910 he entered Mankato Commercial College and completed the course in the spring or 1911. Now, when our hero had prepared (Continued on page 16)

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THE ACORN i Tlie Acorn Kntc-rvd as second class matter October 20th. 1000, at the Post Office of St. Paul, Minn., under the Act of March 3rd, 1870. Subscription Price 50c per Year All articles contributed to the Literary Department should be addressed to the Editor-in-chief, and all business commit....ations to the Business Manager, Bethel Academy St. Paul, Minn. STAFF. Victor Larson '16.........Editor-In-Chief Edith Swanson ’16.......Associate Editor G. A. Gustuvson ’IS. .Bus. and Adv. Mgr. Alex Rex ion ’10. Asst. Bus. and Adv. Mgr. Alfred Dahlquist ’IS. .Circulation Mgr. Dr. G. A. llagstrom.. ..Presidents Corner Gunhlld Hagstrom..................Alumni G. S. Fr Kimil ’10..........Swedish Dept. Alex Kexion '10..........Religious Dept. Robert Anderson ’16.............Athletics Fred Mobcrg 17’............. Mamie Tanquist '16.........Society Notes Victor Bcrgfalk 16’..........- Personals. Elmer Turnblom ’10..............Exchanges Rose Nordstrom ’17......... ) If there is life there is motion and growth, bile tends to build up and expand. Death tends to tear down and destroy. Signs of Life. Bethel has grown and ex-panded the last years at a tremendous rate, which shows forth great evidence of life. Since last September we have been guests at Seminary Hall, but we arc now glad to be in our own home. It is a beautiful structure and convenient in all ways. It is a building of which the Swedish Baptists of America can be proud. We do not now need any more floor space, but next fall we will be in need of a great increase of the student body. We hope the students as well as our subscribers will boost for Bethel in trying to •get new students. Don’t forgot to boost! Commencement seems to be, at the first glance, a ciueer name for the exercises when diplomas or degrees are conferred by a high school, college or Commencement, university. We think of freshmen days as being the beginning, and the senior days as the ending of our school career. But when we take a view of life as a whole and notice what part the scholastic days play in our life's drama, commencement will have a greater and a more signi-ficant meaning than ever before. The school is only a place of preparedness for the life which lies before us. When we leave the school hooks, we begin to grapple with life’s battles and difficulties. Our school days, at times, seem hard and (Continued on page 27.)