Elon University - Phi Psi Cli Yearbook (Elon, NC)

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SEPTEMBER 8ih Leon Edgar Smith President Elon College The President ' s Message At the Sunday morning worship service on September 8, President Leon Edgar Smith addressed the 1935 stu- dent body on the theme, Adventurous Faith. Prefac- ing his discourse with a cordial welcome to professors, upperelassmen, and freshmen, he inspired all with his enthusiastic zeal and eager ambitions for the Elon of 1935 and 1936. The noble bearing of the man as he addressed his audience incited the purposive imagina- tion of responsive students. It was to Elon students on the threshold of a new academic year that Dr. Smith directed his challenging message. To them he said: Something larger than yourself has brought you here. You may recognize it or you may not. Personally, I trust that your presence here is the result of a living spirit within, a conscious response on your part to the call to the higher and better possibilities life affords, which, if you are to possess, must be the culmination of careful and thorough preparation. Your presence here constitutes an adventure — a ven- ture in the field of learning and cultural graces — a ven- ture that is based on faith and that will require faith for realization. I am speaking today about faith, adventurous faith. Your very presence at Elon indicates faith in the insti- tution, yourself, and your ability to measure up to the requirements of the college of your choice. Faith is distinctly a personal quality. Many defini- tions have been proposed ; yet, they do not quite express that something which is hidden away in the heart — that is and always has been such a vibrant factor in life. Faith is progressive. Faith is not stationary; it is not static ; it cannot be ! It is ever on the march and it keeps its possessor on the march. By faith man has dis- covered the world and its inherent law. Today by faith you take up the march and so long as the fires of faith burn on the altar of your heart you will be content only to march onward. Faith sends us in search of a new kingdom — that of truth, righteousness, and of God. Faith is extravagant. It demands of us sometimes a price seemingly impossible to pay. It is extravagant with sentiment, affection, and sacrifice. You are here in college at the expense of someone, possibly by sacrifice. The very fact that those whom you love are sacrificing for you should inspire and make you determined to succeed in every effort. Faith is certain. It is not pregnable to doubt nor handicapped by dissenting questions. It knows its course ; it is determined. It has never traveled the way of ne- cessity, yet it knows its destiny. Without faith life is uncertain. The conviction that fate is veiled and the morrow cannot be sounded is ever present. All is perplexity. This is not the voice of faith. Faith cries out: — ' I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I ' ve committed unto Him against that day ' .

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In Appreciation He that governs well leads the blind; but he that teaches gives him eyes. — South. To the professors at Elon the Class of 36 wishes to give sincere thanks. You have opened our eyes to the enjoyment there is in clean sportsmanship, to the beauty that lies in art, music, and literature, and to the satisfaction that comes with the sense of a hard and worthwhile task well done. The friendship you have offered, the careful, thoughtful guidance you have given, and the gen- erous understanding you have continually shown, have meant much to our class and all the classes at Elon. Because of you our college days have been made richer and more complete, and we leave feeling that college has not been four year s of drudgery and unrelieved toil, but of happiness and progress. Wherever we go, whatever we do in our later years, our lives will be influenced for the better by the principles of right living that we learned from you in your classes and from your own lives. May future classes derive as much benefit and pleasure from association with you as we have done during these past four years.

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SEPTEMBER 9th William Weldon Kimball President Student Body Student Governing Bodies With the first chapel service following the official opening of the college, the President of the Student Body, the Council, and Senate members formally as- sumed the duties of their respective offices. The oath of office was formally administered to Mr. W. W. Kimball, President-elect of the Student Body, by the Dean of the College. In a brief speech, Mr. Kimball expressed his sincerity of purpose in performing the duties of his office. As his first act in the capacity of student Presi- dent, he administered the oath of office to Miss Hoppen- stedt. President-elect of the Council, and to Mr. Nelson, President-elect of the Senate; and they in turn, to the individual members of the Council and Senate. The goals set by the student governing bodies of Elon College on this occasion are defined in the following: 1. To administer justice adequately in all cases of student infringement of campus law. 2. To maintain proper decorum among Elon stu- dents and thereby insure a fair reputation for the col- lege in outside circles. 8. To inculcate a more individualized responsibility on the part of Council and Senate representatives and to secure the cooperation of the Student Body in achieving an efficient machine for self-government. 4. To instill in the Student Body respect for college tradition, law, and property. In the past four years, student government at Elon has made great strides forward, especially among the women, who, after remodelling their constitution, have become entirely self-governing in the dormitories. The Student Senate, as the men ' s organization is termed, is a representative body. The President is a Senior; in addition there are four other Se niors, three Juniors, two Sophomores, and one Freshman. The group meets with the Dean and Men and, when the occasion arises, holds open or closed court at the discretion of the President. At such a time the Senate acts in the capacity of jury; the President, in the capacity of judge. The Student Council, as the women ' s organization, has representation on a different basis. The personnel consists of the President and Vice-President from the Senior class, the Secretary and Treasurer from the three upper classes, ah additional representative from each class, and three house Presidents from the two upper classes. The Council meets every first and third Mon- day night in closed session to try offenders and on second and fourth Mondays with the rest of the women to discuss government problems. From the above plans one can see that the govern- ment is largely in the hands of the upperclassmen, as it should be, for the experience is theirs and they are well versed in campus opinion and campus ethics.