Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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14 THE ACOHN further, I saw Benjamin C’s home country, where he, a college president, had made the name Cape of Good- Hope,” fully worth its meaning. Turning my spy-glass to the right, 1 saw the big continent of South America which, even then, belonged to the United States. In the state of Argentina, Paul D. had been governor since the annexation. In Brazil Gertrude C. had been the Superintendent of an Educational Society of that State, and she had succeeded so well in her work that even the worst crooks had been changed into princes. Paul J. had for years astonished the whole world by the wonderful enterprises he had performed in Africa. I adjusted my glass westward and saw the former desert of Sahara changed to the most fertile part or the continent by proper installations of water-supplies. Some have said that he could be made king there if he wanted to. But I was heading for the North at a tremendous speed. Still, I felt safe in my flyer, because she had never failed me. And keeping my eye to the spy-glass constantly, I soon saw the great republic of China. Ruth J. had made the name Johnson so well known by her medical and religious work that, when her name is mentioned, all other Johnsons are forgotten. The same was the conditions in Tibet, where Anna L. had been doing missionary work. Since the people . learned to know her, all the doors were thrown wide open for the Gospel. Coming nearer my destination, I was reminded of Gertrude E’s place in San Francisco as the editor of a social-political paper called “Woman’s Right.” As Florence U was running for the presidency of U. S., this paper played the largest part in advocating the first I ady-President’s election. My machine was slacking up and 1 commenced descending. I was reaching Bethel. The first one I met after landing, was lion. Harold K., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who had just arrived from Washington, D. C. Asking him if any others had come, T was told that he had just seen Edith H. arrive from Russia where she, for several years, had been at the head of American education over the entire country. Anna S. had been in her company on the way from the Hand of the Midnight Sun. She was dressed in a nurse’s uniform with half a dozen shimmering medals on her breast for skillful service in the Royal families of the Scandinavian countries. At the appointed time the class of 1917 gathered in the Banquet Hall to enjoy old but never ceasing friendship. The Chairman took his place at the head of the table. All of us were jolly, because we enjoyed ourselves immensely. However, all by myself, I was thinking of the happy days of 1917, when we used to have our class-banquets. Now the faces were wrinkled, and the features showed signs or strenuous work. Thirty-eight years had brought about these changes. Our reunion was a real success, and before we departed we decided to meet every ten years, as long as at least two of us were living. 51jp impart Esther Tmiquist Grieve not at that which thou hast done, A rose has many thorns; Eclipses stain the shining sun, That moves the dewdrops to a run Without a single scorn. In sweetest bud lives worthless flow’r, All men have faults in all their pow’r. Then friend go on! despair not now. But put a smile upon thy brow.

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THE ACORN 13 (Elaoa iJrcjihery, 191Z Georgius We certainly realize, when we stop to think about it, that this latter part of the twentieth century is most wonderful. The developments during the last forty or titty years have surpassed the most vivid imagination. When 1 went to Bethel, we used to speak of the press-button age,’ but then we always had to get up early in the cold winter mornings and build a fire in the stove and make it comfortable for the rest of the family; in the field we always had to follow the plow up and down after a pair of lazy horses, or have our whole family engage in hard work when harvesting—but to-day all this is as strange to the new generation as tallow-candles and homemade spinning-wheels were rare to the youths of 1917. Nowadays: press a button, and you get all this done while sleeping. Press a button by your desk and you can speak with whomsoever you wish and from any distance desired. In a word, press a button and you can get whatever you want when you want it.” It was a morning in the fall of 1955. My ‘‘button-phone’’ was buzzing and I found that our prominent class-president from Bethel-days, Anton S., had called up from Petrograd. He was there on his tour as a Superintendent for a world-wide missionary movement. I was then, on behalf of Uncle Sam, In Reperio, a country newly discovered 1,500 miles west of the South pole, as the first priest to attempt the Christianization of the inhabitants, who were quite different from us in manners and culture. He told me to be at Bethel about evening as the whole class of 1917 was to meet there for reunion in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the School. As space and time are now reduced to the insignificant by our modern inventions, when we compare the past, so it was no difficulty at all for me to be in Bethel at the requested time. 1 placed myself in my new flyomobile and, pressing four buttons; one for the height I wished to reach, one for the direction, one for the distance, and one for the speed, 1 could sit down and enjoy the trip all the way from the South pole to St. Paul, knowing that I would land within a rod or so of the place desired. Even an old man like myself felt happy to make this journey and meet with m former fellow students. Some of them 1 had not seen since the days in B. 1 had. however, communicated with them often and was well informed about what they were doing. I remembered so well the good old schooldays both in the first Bethel and the second one—our class meetings, our society doings, our chapel services, our class recitations, our social hours, and our teachers. How different it was now on the old School campus! New buildings erected and a University established, attended by more than three thousand students. As 1 sped on thru the air and felt the warmer climate of the equator surround me, I was reminded of the fact that I was nearing (he regions where my classmates were located. They were living on all continents. Clarence H., it was said, had even tried to get to the Moon by means of his great inventions. He had progressed wonderfully in his research work as an astronomer, and the whole learned world is excitingly awaiting his future achievements. As I passed between the two continents, South America to my right and Africa to my left, I was able with my strong glass to espy Australia at a distance. I was reminded of how well Mar-gareta A. had followed out the class motto, •‘Facta non Verba, ' in the southern part of that country, so that the Government had decided to change the name of the state from Victoria to Margareta. A little

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THE ACORN 15 President’s Corner G. A. Hagstrom, D. D. Careful investigation has shown that the average boy who leaves school when he is 14 and goes to work, earns about $26,000 up to the time he is 65 years old. On the other hand the average boy who enters high school and remains till he graduates at 18, earns $665,000 up to the time he is G5 years old. The boy earns a little money during the four years when he should have been in high school, but by the time he reaches the age of 65 he has earned $40,000 less than if he had finished high school. In. other words the four years in high school would have been worth $10,000 a year to him. Hence, we are face to face with this question as seniors: Are we going out to be worth $40,000 more to the world than before we entered school? Are we as undergraduates going to continue studying in order that we may count for full value when we have completed our course? What of the future? is the question for the class of 1917 to answer. Are you preparing and planning to enter college or the seminary this coming fall? Do not for one moment consider your education completed. Can you stand the test that President Butler of Columbia University says your education must stand? Does it show these five evidences? Correctness and precision in the use of the mother tongue; refined and gentle manners; the habit of reflection; the power to grow; and the power to do. You do not always have to go to college to meet these five tests of an educated person. Master your Bible and Shakespeare and you will be correct and precise in the use of your mother tongue; learn refined and gentle manners and acquire the habit of reflection and the power to grow and to do. Even if you have been through college you are not educated unless you are refined and gentle in manners, given to reflection, and ever growing and doing something worth while. Pray earnestly, consider seriously, and plan definitely as to what your next step should be, if you have not already had clear light upon the way before you. Make it your life’s ambition to count for the most, the highest, the noblest in the work that demands of you the greatest sacrifice and opens the widest door to a career or usefulness and helpful uplift of mankind. In these serious times when much is needed and expected of us, let none fail to do his or her full part for God and home and native land. We want to welcome every undergraduate to return to Bethel Academy September 18, bringing other new students with you. We need, at least, one hundred new students next fall. A list of our other needs was published in the April number of the Acorn. To our Seniors we wish to say that we commend you to the guidance and care of a Kind Heavenly Father and wish you all the good which He has in store for his followers. We feel confident that you will always love your Alma Mater and accord her a warm place in your thoughts, plans and service. Bo ours to say: I want to give to others hope and faith. I want to do all that the Master saith, I want to live aright from day to day; 1 am sure, I shall not pass again this way.