Gettysburg College - Spectrum Yearbook (Gettysburg, PA)

Page 21 text:

SEN IO'R GLASS H ISTORQ, Oli U A 'iictruspcctf' E stand on the eve of our graduation, and look with critical eye back over past days. We see again the dull gray of the early morn, and now the first rays of the morning sun shedding his lustrous light upon our pathway. lVe feel the cheering warmth as he kisses our cheeks, and encourages us in our toil and labor of the day. WVe behold dark and ominous-looking clouds lowering in the horizon. iVe hear the low rumbling of distant thunder. VVe tremble as we breathlessly await the coming storm. Suddenly the sun breaks through, the clouds are all scattered, and we are again enshrouded in his brilliant rays. Now we stand basking in his scorching rays at midday, the heat becomes oppressive, the air almost stifling. But on and on he majestically sails through the heavens, until we see him nearing yon western horizon. Behold him now as he sinks behind yon hills, painting their forest-clad tops with his soft, golden light. Behold! what artist's' brush so skilled as to execute the delicate shades painted on the vault of heaven as he sheds his last rays over the mountain- tops, and reflects from Nature's canvas the rich colors of the rainbow. But ah, we peer into the gloom of the approaching night of the future with anxious gaze. Our hearts filled with fears, anxieties and misgivings. But now there arises a bright star before us, shed- ding its guiding light over our pathway, going on before dispelling the gathering 'shades of night. It is the star of in telligence, for here we stand fifty strong at the end of our collegiate course, ready to battle with the realities of life, prepared to battle for truth and right, for we are equipped with the sword of knowledge and the breastplate of learning. Wie realize now that the theoretical will soon be dis- placed by the practical, but we feel safe with our equipment. Our entrance here marked a new epoch in the history of the institution. She has steadily progressed and widened her influence. 27

Page 20 text:

Parson, Elmer Ellsworth . . . . Altoona. Plank, John Ranson .... . . Gettysburg. Rudisill, Andrew Jackson . . . . Gettysburg. Rutt, Aaron Reist ..... . . Landisville. Saylor, Virgil Ross . . . . .Somerset Smith, Lewis VVatson . . . . Pittsburg. Sorriok, Samuel Biddle . . Williamsburg. Sutherland, Edgar . . . . . Mahwah,N. J. Turner, G. Frank ..... . . Lutherville, Md. Vastine, lVilliam Mayberry . .... Catawissa. Welty, Frank Randolph . . . . Allegheny. XWolf, Charles Stork . , . . . Gettysburg. ?',i2i' JRfETiilfZT,f4fff1 if G 1T?4i.f4f.7fff Airs A-- T-is- L,-Z nn fl--11.1-efm.a.,ff?QfTi-, X Died May 211, 1893. 26

Page 22 text:

We have seen the Elective System successfully introduced into her curriculum. XVe have seen two new professors added to her corps of instructors. W'e have seen her come to the front in athletics. iVe have S9811 her pull safely and triumphantly through a critical period when her religious status was questioned. W'e have a renewed religious sentiment aroused among her students. Varied are the scenes that we have passed through in our course. There have been times of rejoicing, as when the English Professor said, Now, please state that in your own words, and don't try to give the words of the book, or when Doc announced that he was suddenly called away and would therefore be unable to hear our class in psychology for several recitations. Or, on the other hand, we passed through times of despondency, fear and anxiety. iVhen the foot-ball season was at its height, and we all desired to attend the games, the Faculty answered our petition UQ by refusing permission to any one, but by permission from home. Or, hear the tones of anguish, You gemmen may leave the room, I can't teach you any mo' astronomy. Or, hear the awful decree, The following gentle- men are no longer considered as students until they have seen the treasurer and settled their bills. Yet we are not discouraged. Although we have some things to regret, there are many pleasant recollections connected with our college days. We have enjoyed hours of profitable social intercourse with one another. iVe have received much valuable information from our instructors, and are now about to step out to taste of life's realities. VVe have in our class representatives for nearly every profession in life. We feel assured that the strong intellectual development manifested in our numbers will not be misused or wasted. YVe trust every one will be successful and look back upon these days with fond remembrances and pleasant recollections. lVhen we think of the responsibilities so indiscriminately placed upon the shoulders of college men by a cold and unappreciative world, we almost despair, but when We remember that Knowledge is power, we take fresh courage and meet these responsibilities with pleasure. 'We are grati- fied also with the thought that nearly every man in our class is a professing Christian, and that for this reason there is not so much danger of ability being misused. Soon examinations will be over, the Class Banquet a thing of the past, Commencement, the Senior's pride, an occasion long to be remembered, now no longer an event 28