Goshen College - Maple Leaf Yearbook (Goshen, IN)

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18 GOSHEN COLLEGE RECORD. VVILLARD A. BLOSSER, AB. Major Subject, Biological Sciences. NORTH LIMA, OHIO Thoughtful and earnest, yet congenial we have se-en him intensely interested in his school work. Those who have known him longest say, VVe always knew Willard would make goodf' Persisteney has characterized all his col- lege career and he now graduates with a thorough knowledge of the ground he has covered. In a recent contest he proved himself as of no mean ability as an orator. In philosophy he has very seldom been at a. loss fir an answer for the instruetor's question. Persistent in effort and kindly -of heart yet broad and keen of vision with good native abilityg his future career will be one ot which his Alma Mater may well be proud. Testing Life's Value W. A. Blosser IFE is confronted with many prob- lems. These problems may vary greatly in their nature, some of them being small and of little importance while 0lLllG1'S are large and significant. To the mind of every rational individu- al some of them will come for solution. The student because of being in a ra- tional atmosphere may be confronted with a larger number, but every one whatever his occupation, will meet with every day problems. The clergyman will have his problems which may be of a theological nature, the social worker will iind himself in the midst of mountains of preplexitiesg the busi- 11ess man will continually have new situations to solve. So each thinking man Whether he be a lawyer, doctor, farmer, professor, or laborer, will have questions and situations upon which he must pass judgment. But besides these problems of a professional and business nature are others which are perhaps 'of greater importance-the problems concerning our personal life and char- acter. Such questions that have to do with our own conduct or social rela- tions as what should be my moral and thical standardsl!', To what extent am I responsible to society? Or they may be questions as to attitudes as Mean l believe in the progressive ten- dencies of Christianity? Can I ex- pect the evolutionary theory as the ex- planation of the development of living matter, or the 'ether-electron theory' as to the explanation of the universe? Such, and many other similiar ques- tions of a personal nature in religion and politics, in the social and natural 77

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GOSHEN COLLEGE RECORD. 17 told yo11 before. I-111 not as good as sat sill-utly gazing out across the val- OIIIVI' girls. I'111 not E111 AIl1Lll'ICill1..- I1-y. After 11 long silouoc, Rzilph took 4'A111o1'ica111-? Vllllat do you lllhliill, Ii10Sl'll2l by the llillltl z1111.I spoke kinfllyz Rosvllu IN Ilosettal I 15111-0 not if you ure ser- HUI1 RaIpI1!14'o1'givo 1116. My falller 111111 girl or llilliilll. I wzuili you be- iflllll uiotlier uro l'0I'QIg1'1G1'S-IlilliilIIS.,I cause- of your willing hz111cI, your honest llz1lia11s. You E111 Iluliuu girl? Ill'2lI'l. your si111pl11 miufl zuul pure soul. 'Docs 111y 1I10llll'I' know this? Why I wzmi' you for y0lll' real XV01'I,ll, Witli 1Ii1l11'l. you toll us this I10fo1'11'? flioscltul your assent Rosvlla, I do llorehy be- RfJStll1l1?lI-AAIISXVUI' nic. lrollu- you ihu wife of Ralph Svaton. I orgiyo 1111: Hiillllll-LIOHII l1lz11111'. I As lu- spoke he placed a bflillllfiflll ring was afraicl to toll you IDCCEIIISC' yo11 -i111-11g11ge1111111l-11po11 Rosvttafs love- XVOUIIIIIII like' 1111: Zlllj' uioru. Aunl your ly wl1it.v li11ge1r. IIIOIIIUI' would cliscllzirgo 1110, Auil lllll 'l'l111i1' spirits, 11-joioiiig, rushed madly so luippy Il6'1'l'.y7 l0,Lft'llll'l'. A1111 as tzlwy moved to arise, 'lIllt'll with Iez11'f11l 1-yes auul hulf i11 ilu-rv stood .I'z11l1v1' and IIl0l1ll0I', each fi-air. Rosetta tohl lhe slory of lu-r life. wilh o11tst1'11tcl1111I ?lI'll1 i11 SOIPIHII wit- SI11- li11isl1ocI null with bowml lu-zul, 111111 silcut bciiomliotioii. , A 4 , - .VA A 1 W xy, 3011? 3 .b . Y 0 'I 5 ' . I wil

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GOSHEN COLLEGE RECORD. 19 sciences are continually confornting every iillllliillg' man. Since 0110 is surrounded with these problems which demand solution, thc question naturally arises, Htfan l solve them by some fixed standard? uct-l.I1 l 'find an authority in XVl10IH 'l l1ave great confidence to illterpret them for me? Or how can they best be solvedlu 'illlCl'C is a tendency to solve these problems by a certain rigidly set stand- ard. lt is a part of culture to be able to estimate the values of things by comparing them with some fixed prin- ciple. I-But these standards must not be based upo11 prejudice, or dogmatic ideas. For a judgment thus formed does not give one the true k11owledge of the case. .lt is formed before all tl1e known facts are duly considered, illld thus is based upon g'l'0l111LlS opposed to reason. 'll' a judge in our civil courts were to give us a premature judgment based on prejudice, would we not co11- side him very unjust 4? The judge tries his case carefully, he has before ililll the plaintiff tllld the defe11da11t. He allows each to bring in his witnesses. Each presents his claims. The judge views eacl1 side as the YVli,l16SS6S of each bring in the evidence, both with equal disereetness. The jury decides on which side the evidence lies the stronger. And then only XVl1QIl the judge has the full knowledge of tl1e ease is he qualified to pass judgment. Are we better qualified to pass judgment on personal lite questions before thc cvi- dences are in, than the judge in his ease? NVQ-, like the judge, must have the comprcliensive view of the case bc- l'ore we can decide rightly. 'l'o look at a theory or attitude with contempt, u11- willing to consider it from its own standpoint is to pass on it a per- judiced decision. If one is to Hnd his right attitude to- ward life's proble1ns it necessitates that he have a large preception of life, that he understand the different experineces ol' life, that hc know its possibilities and li1nitations. However, one cannot expect to obtain all knowledge though he were to spend a lifetime in the uni- versities. But. a college course should give him such a frankness of mind that l1e C311 with E111 honest, sympathetic at- titude consider all possible truths. And above all it should give him a unified comprehensive view of life experiences so that a11y new experience may be given its proper relation. Such a college as ours has for its aim to help the student to get such a sur- vey of the various activities as will prepare l1i1n to master life 's problems. 'l'he various courses are offered to in- form him, to bring hilll in touch with data which may give him a working basis. Judgments can o11ly be form- ed ill so far as we have knowledge of the facts of the case. As we are re- quired to live i11 a social, political, reli- gious and scientific world, it demands of 11s that we have a broad knowledge of its workings ,and that we under- stand its development in the past and the laws that have been regulating its progress. So that we may fully appre- ciate its spirit, and play our part in bringing it to a still higher accomplish- lllttllt. However, the information that We have acquired during our college course can not be regarded as the highest value that we have received. its highest value lies ill the develop- ment of the ability to use such informa- tion and to draw rational conclusions on the various problems of life as they