Bridgewater State University - Alpha Yearbook (Bridgewater, MA)

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20 OFFERING tivity of children, as in the case of Geometry. Still, do you suppose the frank- ness and imagination of a little child could have produced anything more delight- ful than the following statement? Potato sprouts started in a closed box are white because such is the color of the generating vegetable. This is not exactly verbatim. Weasdof-not believe in..learning.by rote, as it is a habit per- nicious in the extreme, and since the ideas did not seem to have a logical ar- rangement, there was no other way of remembering it. Some time each day was also spent in the instruction of the real bona jide article. We not only led them in the path of knowledge, but also covered their books, straightened their spinal columns, and were able to recognize them on the street. Our experiences in this first real taste of our work were thoroughly enjoyable. No cases of over or under severity have been reported and we believe that our specialty is discipline. The verdict of the class is that teaching is preferable to being taught. Moreover, it has been decided in class conclave, that all the government in our future schools is to be carried on by the eye,- or hand. The attention of the class for a part of the term was taken up by the pres- entation of tragedy. We have found Shakespeare very well adapted to our histrionic genius, and consider it really very handsome of him to have written those plays, of which we selected Julius Cwsar. The Commentaries of the greateRoman had received much attention during our classical course, so that we felt quite well acquainted with him. Probably his death scene was the clzqfdkrzzrfre of our presentation. It is possible that Caesar made rather un- necessary noise in his- fall, but it was altogether the fault of his slayers, who knocked him over in their impetuosity. Some critics might not have considered it the correct thing for the corpse to giggle during an impassioned after-speech by Brutus. Yet it cannot be denied that the general effect was thereby much heightened. ' In Literature our store of general information has been much augmented. As a result, we have a great deal of pity, and possibly some fellow-feeling, for the ignoramus who cannot quote exactly the Scriptural reference to turning shields into plowshares, and also give the chapter and verse. Some intense thought was, on one occasion, given to the character of Charles Lamb. As, whether it is possible that the rulings of an all-wise Providence gave him a strong sense of humor in preparation for our class. For that day his shade beheld the title of one of his dearest brain children emblazoned on the blackboard as the Essays of a Liar. Since then, we believe in the advantages of correct pro- nunciation and spelling. The period of transition to our second and last term was a dark one, simply because it consistedof only one night. We have-not yet decided to call it the Renaissance. A good deal of our time now is being devoted to talking, not at all interesting to the uninitiated, for our conversation can scarcely be called a feast of reason and flow of soul. Individual character is freely discussed, the invitations for the graduation, and the uncertainty of human desires.

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OFFERING I9 Section A. - -t E' it 5 , X l f! f l i If if ' - - lllgl l, W , P 1'e5zzz'e1zZ ff .-, ,y ARTH L G Z f f y vi X ,fl UR , oULD, - -E ' ' ' T' i '41 if 'finfvf i N T ff S fa l W Z 2 ff -f ll it J f f T' X T t N x iii 46' ll l X Vzkc-P7'c5z'zz'61z! f 3 fl X XM-f f . f .ll QW T f i ni G . W , , 2 TW 'sw f X M l it X ERTRUDE . DEXTER. A fl f Y till W 5 , , ,- , Effv f . X, -sm .,,f I - ,txt ecfefrzfj T1 cfzsmfef E ff X7 1 at ,iw f W.-1:Wy,gf.,. ,- ., J 5 3,4 I 1 V i X . . c ELAMEN. i 1 i l X ll N !l l. -l , I X HZSZ07fZ-Q73 '- L' I ' A f ll S ' ' ' T T i ILDA D. MANN. - fi, close. e'lv37 ff ll-ze IDZIVIEUUL? . ,lf . Qx J S, ,gag 'TJ 'ax MONG the old standbys for Friday afternoon speaking, ,N if' there used to be one belonging especially to the reper- tly ii i. gg? toire of the feminine portion of the school's dramatic Jai A ' ' - corps. It was called .We Are Seven. It appears from a careful canvass of the class that at least ten per f' 'J all Xi cent have declaimed that master iece from the lat- 'qi-.L . . . p p N-ISI-Q form. Now, 1n laying our history before the public, we wish to say that we are ten. Not in the sense, however, that that number in- cludes all who ever were members of our Section, but only the valiant few who have held out for four long years. The events of the first three of these years have already been recorded, and there remains only those of this, the last. The first half of this year, we subsisted chiefly on Psychology. It is one of the advantages given to advanced students that they have one term in which to recover from the extraordinary strain put upon their intellects, and to discuss the principles learned in the Educational Study of Man before putting them into practice. But, going on, it is well known that Psychology affords a wide field of use- fulness to the individual endowed with an argumentative soul. For that reason, we warmly welcomed the Specials and wandering Three Years' Students to Number 17. There we derived the usual combination of pleasure and instruc- tion from the lengthy debates. By the way, it is not absolutely necessary that the members of this class should have their minds emulate the supposed recep-

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OFFERING 2 I Trigonometry has been begun and hnished with much pleasure. For the benefit of any inquiring minds, we will state that the chief impression left by that study on the brain, is a somewhat hazy one of triangles and logarithms. By taking things according to analogy, one is likely to meet with fair success in the understanding of the subject. Still, a slight knowledge of the arithrnetical operations, such as is obtained in the Second Grade, is necessary for accurate work. S We have the privilege this term of wandering on the campus and studying the stars during the evening study hour. It is not without its dangers. For instance, a harmless cat was found on the walk one night, wriggling his paws at the moon, and sustaining a sinuous motion with his body. A slight misunder- standing as to the nature of the animal caused a swift retreat to the shelter of the halls. A few were desirous of making further investigations but were over- ruled by the caution of the rest, and the imystery has never been solved. On another occasion the sight of our party with its gaze bent on the firmament was too much for some passing boys, and they applied the usual appropriate slang. Since the success of Julius Caesar, Hamlet and his supporters have been safely made way with, and we shall soon concoct ai witch's broth for Macbeth. The class, as a whole, is not yet recovered from its toil as gravediggers in which its personality was completely merged. We have hopes that the close relation- ship with ghosts which we enjoyed in Hamlet will stand us in good stead with Macbeth. Lately a new occupation has been opened to us. It is that of developing the microscopeikeye. This does not mean the diminishing in size of that organ, but the power to gaze upon the bacilli tuberculosis, when found, with one eye and keep the other optic in an expansive, though unseeing state. Now our horizon is changing. September, with its new thoughts and cares, seems very near. Perhaps sometimes there comes a slight distrust of self as the understanding of our future responsibility broadens. Still, there is danger in too much self-confidence, as in too little. And when we stand before our pupils may we remember first of all, that we are dealing with little lives which are to become the great ones of this world.