McKinley High School - Nugget Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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Qgfmlgg-. THE CARNI-1 TION L. W. RADER B. G. SHACKELFORD

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ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS OF INSTRUCTION --egflglge C. G. RATHMANN HENRY GERLING L. R. ERNST

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SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EDUCATED PERSON -agfiglgi-L Some Cyl6l7'dLCZ67'ZiflLZ.6'.f 0 an Ebduwzied Terran What is expected or required of an educated individual living in the twentieth century? The answer to this query in some respects is not so easy as one might at first imagine, and yet in many ways the reply would be the same to-day as two thousand years ago, for there are certain characteristics which have ever marked the man of culture and real education. The early Greeks used a very appropriate word which seemed to sum up the requisites of the so-called ideal man. This term implied judgment, dis- cretion, self-control or moderation. When we consider that the greatest part of our conscious life is expressed in conduct, surely we ought to be careful about fulfilling all the obligations of the highest type of behavior. And so we would be right in assuming that our educated person is one who possesses those qualities of mind and heart which are regarded as most worth while. In the not-distant past, in the Opinion of many, the educated man was one who had Hnished a definite or prescribed course of study covering a period of years in some institution of learning. To the layman it made little diH erence whether the time thus devoted to study or reading was well spent or not. Without doubt a college course is of much value, but no one is truly educated who feels that there is no need for continued study or advancement. In this connection I would stress reading along general lines, with special emphasis on the best works of all times. If one lacks the broad culture which comes from a perusal of the writings which have stood the test of years, he cannot have an intelligent appreciation of, for illustration, a chapter in one of Charles Kingsley's novels. As I Cpurposelyb glance over the Hrst few pages of his Hypatia I note that, to understand many of the references, one should know something about the Bible, Milton's Paradise Lost, the Church fathers, Roman and mediaeval history. Further he would not feel uncomfortable if he had at least a bowing acquaintance with Latin. The program given by one of our girls' literary societies during the Better- Speech week impressed me very much. The exercises on this occasion, naturally, bore on the necessity for correct English and the pronunciation of words, and too much cannot be said in favor of the proper use of our language. Again we should not overlook the matter of spelling, a seemingly lost art in some quarters. The writer has in mind the name of a young man of some promise and ability, who in his letter of application for a scholarship in a great university misspelled a word or two and so failed to receive the honor which, I am quite sure, might have come to him. Hence the need for the careful study of English-a theme in itself. Only a few attributes of the well-trained person have been stated: many more could be given. Let us remember that education is a process or develop- ment along higher and better lines and that it never ceases as long as we live. In a word, the end of education is or should be a citizenship which makes for progress and efficiency, and also for a fuller enjoyment or appreciation of life at its best. ' -M. M. H.