SUNY at Fredonia - Fredonian Yearbook (Fredonia, NY)

Page 27 text:

JUNE THE NORMAL LEADER 1918 ' i Bbucatlon jfor Eemocracy Salutatortg Florence L. Slaght Another class. is assembled to offer its last greeting to the friends, teachers, and fellowstudents of this Normal school. As we meet tonight it seems alvery brief time since We were juniors wit- nessing the classnight of our predecessors. Then we did not think that one more turn of the wheel of fate would place us in the self- same position. NVhcn. the Roman gladiators were assembled in the arena it was their custom to address the multitude in this manner, t'We about to die, salute you. If I might take a liberty with the gladiators saluta- tion, I would say, We about to live and to do, salute you. T outhe gladiators it did not seem hard to- encounter the tigers, lions and wild beasts. They entered upon their tasks with brave hearts full of ho-pe to win the laurels. So it is with us as we meet for this lasti Welcome. VVe do not go out to take our places in the worlds arena with 'saddened hearts, but as the gladiators with brave: hopes for the future. We, the members of this: graduating class, have before us the greatest opportunity for service and patriotism, that any class have ever had: Never before has the world been so revolutionized as by the present war. So vast and stupendous is it that it in- fluences all lives, the lowly as well as the higher classes of society. To some it brings only dismay, to some sacrifice and sor- row, and to others inspiration-while to us it means a challenge. Upon the teacher as well as on the man in the trenches rests the solution of the great problems confronting the world. President VVilsown,s. famous statement, Toi ,make the' world safe for democracy, has become a popular slogan but to us who serve at home belongs the duty of making democracy' safe for the world. We ask ourselves when is democracy safe for a nation? Only when that nation is composed of citizens who think seriously

Page 26 text:

4-1 JUNE THEHNORMAL LEADER 1918 s llbresibents Elbbress - Sim I. lVICM1'll61l' C lassmatcs. , In meeting tonight we can notlielp feeling a tinge of sadness as we realize that we are soon to separa.te and leave our beneficient Alma Mater. The time has come when we go out either to dim or brighten the name oi our beloved school. Allow me at this time to thank you heartily for the splendid-spirit of support and co- operation which you have shown during my term of office. F flCl1dS,-T116 pleasant privilege is mine of introducing to you the Class of 1918. Not only have you inspired and helped us dur- ing the past two years but you have come here to add to our good cheer. XfVe can hope that our program will be but a partial com- pensation for any self-denial or discomfort involved in your coming here. The salutatorian will express sentiments, that are cherished by the entire Class. Then, Miss Pilkey will speak in the language of truth and soberness but in poetic form. The fourth speaker, our memorial orator, has eloquence in his voice and in his hand a nail for the coffin of the Kaiser. VVe have a history' too, not un- common or mean. lilowever, our prophecy ought to eclipse even our history because we have now the advantages of a Normal train- ing. Do not think our prophet mistaken in her predictions for not only is she versed in palmistry, witchery and astrology but she has al- so consulted the infallible oracles in Fredonia. ' T he orator, Miss Seager, will discuss the subject,. The- Re- lation of the Fine Arts to the People. This is a theme that needs special consideration .in this materialistic age and we trust Miss Seager will rise to the occasion. A recitation will next be given by Miss French. Then, an important educational topic will be dis- 'cussed by the valedictorian. Finally, we intend that you shall hear from the classes as a whole. We shall in closing, sing our class, song. P

Page 28 text:

JUNE THE NORMAL LEADER 1918 and intelligently and who act on their' own convictions. The boys and girls of otu' schools constitute the source from which a thinking citizenship of this kind must be developed. ln their hands rests the future destiny of the state. All countries recognize the duty of the state to provide for the education of its royal families. Every child of the United States belongs to the royal family. Each is growing up to become a gov- ernor in a self-governing nation. So it is the duty of the State not only to enable him to become fit for this citizenship but to compel the parents and employers of the community to respect the right of the children to such an education. U One of the lacts revealed by the war is the serious condition of illiteracy in this country. Secretary Lane says that the condition is one of urgency upon which the country should. act. It is a sur- prise to many of our citizens to find that we have a great body of our own people, nve and one-halt millions who cannot read or write the language of this country. Of these a million and a half are native born. Since 'April lst, last year, forty thousand men have been drafted into the army who cannot sign their names, cannot rea.d orders post- ed. on camp bulletin boards, cannot study their manual of arms, and cannot understand the messages of the Signal Corps in the time of battle. Vlfhat a hindrance and what a retardation this means to the -training camps alone. Americans have long prided themselves on the high intelligence of this country. But we must awaken to the fact that here are cer- tain conditions of illiteracy to be remedied before we can boast of our intelligence. But how are we to meet this situation? Insteadot a majority of states with compulsory education laws we must have all states with such measures. Besides the children subject to these laws there are ,the adult aliens in our land who must be assimilated. America has been called the melting pot ot the nations yet the process of melting has not been satisfactorily accomplished. Can we gather together people of diderent races, creeds and customs into one social unit? lf not we fail as a nations The land of liberty must not: become the landi of ignorance. The cause of Russials disaster is the ignorance of her people, eighty per cent of whom cannot read or write or par- ticipate in her public aHa.irs. NfVe feel that the war which has cast 'all nations into a melting