Ellsworth Community College - Web Yearbook (Iowa Falls, IA)

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HC' 1 ff? fig, Z2 I -f QP ie. was , Mgwwnunxuxu- lu 5?,M ,JlxEpWg,,0aaav .mrzuulmx , W Z fflwlwl -4 - A .---- -- fllllwl 5 f ' 'X - at fr-eff' E112 Mission uf the Glnllege :man in the mnrlh LIONEL K. ARNOLD '19 Today, when all too often the minds of men are filled only with ideas of money making, there comes to the college and the college man the challenge: Of what good are colleges and college men in the world? And clearly back should come the reply, The college man has a mission in life, a real purpose to perform. It is the duty of the college man to teach the world to think clearly for itself and to put upon all things their fundamental underlying valuationsf ' t'But why, you say, f'is this necessary? It is necessary because today our ideals have become perverted, our litera- ture a mere means of passing away the time, our women mere toys for men to while away their idle hours, our system of morals degraded and our religion a mere form. But why should this be so? Because people have forgotten to see clearly and put upon all things their true valuation, but have followed blindly the customs of their ancestors. It is only when men get untrue and distorted valuations of things that crime and sin come into the world. When a man puts a higher value upon money than upon honesty, as soon as a good opportunity presents itself he becomes a thief. Or when a man places a higher value upon some thing than he places upon an- other man's life he soon becomes a murderer. But, when a man comes to think clearly and place upon all things their proper valuation, he realizes that crime and sin are not worthy of a place in the world of thinking men and women. The college man needs first of all to teach the world a true appreciation of high ideals. Nearly three centuries ago the ideal of religious freedom led a little band of men and women to leave their homes for the barren shores of a foreign land. A century and a half later the ideal of political freedom led these people into a deadly conflict with the mightiest nation on earth and, nearly a century later, the ideal that all men are born free and equal led them into a bloody civil War. Nearly two thousand years ago a Child was born to bring to the world the ideals by which it was to be guided. And today, the World is engaged in one of the bloodiest wars it has ever known to determine whether those ideals' or the ideals of might makes right shall rule. Such then is the power of ideals which we are just beginning to recognize as the ruling force of the World. It is then evident that if the world is to be ruled by ideals. it is the duty of the colleges and college men to teach the world those high ideals which will make life worth while. Today with our mass of popularized literature the college man has another problem before him. The writers of today have been content to popularize the literature for the masses rather than raise the standard of the masses to that of good literature. It is true that the literature usually accomplishes its purpose,

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0 U R FJXVORITE H AU N TS

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gi we g to wee - J Ifi' mmnu- W EN! L 1 lmlr 'NMl In . :-JA df -..... ..... A ,4,,YI.kl.A,,. Y WX that of amusing the reader but it seldom goes beyond that. Even much of our scientific writing has been so popularized that one page of facts is sufficient real thought to spread over ten or twenty pages or even a whole book. Why should this be true? It is largely because the majority of people and even many college men object to reading anything which makes them do much thinking or rise above their ordinary level of thought. This leaves it to the college man to teach the world the true value of good literature-literature that makes a man think and develops him into the highest type of citizenship. The college man needs to teach the world a greater respect for true woman-H hood. The college man admires not the silly, gaudy, shallowmindec creature but the woman with true character, strong purposes and high ideals. He finds in woman not merely a few hours of enjoyment, but a lasting influence for all that is good in the world. He finds in such a woman not a beast of burden todo his commands but an equal to do in the world the things which he cannot do. These things the college man must impress upon the minds of the world. It is for the college man to teach the world that true morals and true reli- gion are matters of heart and principle, not mere forms of behavior. Today people attend church not so much for what it teaches as for the fact that the best people of the world have always gone to church. Today many a person professing to be morally clean, following the mind poisoning rules of morals, reads into an innocent act or beautiful piece of art an indecent or sinful mean- ing. The world must come to realize that more sin and indecency exist in the minds of men themselves than anywhere else and that it is only after the minds of men have become clean and pure that the world can approach a high standard of morals and religion. So it is the duty of the college man to think not only clearly but cleanly and teach the world to follow his example. It may seem that I have placed undue stress upon the importance of the college man as a leader in the world but the college man should realize that since he is afforded superior advantages he should be responsible for the doing of greater deeds. I wish to say this not in any egotistic attitude but rather with the idea constantly in mind of how the college man owes to the world because of having received so much from it. Perhaps I have laid undue stress upon some phases of our national faults and not enough on some others but, realizing that one individual may see only in a limited field? it should bring to the college man the greater realization of his responsibility because of the greater number of tasks to be accomplished. All these things must be accomplished slowly by a gradual readjustment of the mind-s of the people and the college man may well begin now by practicing what he is to preach later. It is a big responsibility, so big in fact that he can- not, must not afford to fail.