Bridgewater State University - Alpha Yearbook (Bridgewater, MA)

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CHARLES PETER SINNOTT Formerly teacher of Geography ' Retired June 1929 Among our Bridgewater memories Mr. Sinnott will live, both as teacher and friend Geography was his text, but life his source. Class of V930

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DEDICATION To our friend, CHARLES PETER SIN N OTT in grateful remembrance of the many happy hours of study we have spent together.

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The Bridgewater spirit is the spirit of professional enthusiasm with devotion to the gospel of work. That was the spirit of the school which I entered in 1877, as it is of the one from which I have so recently retired as a teacher. A larger knowledge of the school as it was should help us to a fuller appreciation of the school as it is. Of course the early equipment was far inferior to the present, but for those days it was excellent. The library was very meager with no librarian or library room. There were relatively few text books as all subjects were taught from a topical outline which had to be committed to memory. Definitions, principles, and statements filled our note books and were memorized. All class room recitations were in the form of either presentation or teaching exercises. The school life then lacked much of the interesting variety that it has today. Few students went home for the week ends as it interfered with work. I vividly recall a re- quest that I made of Mr. A. G. Boyden for a Saturday permit to go duck shooting. His only reply was, HI think the ducks can get along quite well without you, but I do not see that your lessons can. I did not go. There was no gymnasium with all that it means to student life, no dancing, basket ball, gymnasium classes, foot ball, hockey, tennis, or other organized athletics. There was a good base-ball team but the games were played at the old cattle show grounds on Broad Street as we had no athletic field of our own. The state did not own the campus, and South Field was a rabbit swamp. There was no Dramatic Club for school plays, no Glee Club or Orchestra for concerts, and no other clubs of any kind except the old Lyceum, which was our debating society. The Normal Offering had its beginning as the literary paper of the Lyceum and was read as a part of every program. In spite of some limitations life was never monotonous. There was always something doing as there is bound to be where many young people live together. Then as now there were ample opportunities for enthusiastic, aspiring students. These enthusiasms of youth are the teacher's constant inspiration. My retirement has lessened my touch with young people, much to my regret, but it can never lessen my interest in them. If I ever lose that interest I shall know that I am growing old. I lnfvvv. V Xe,