St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 11 text:

PALACE OF EDUCATION ll' 7 .rg even a California State exhibit other than through tliiyiiiedium of' motion pictures. But while these are suflicieiit, perhaps, for the quick survey of a subject, they are inadequate for the display of the work of a State. Other parts of the country, however, enjoyed in this respect a good representation. Smith's College, Boston, the St. Louis city schools 3 the Gary city schools, the States of Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Utah, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland all have much in common, and differ principally in their mode of presentation. Through them all runs the germ of the American Educational system. The last three States named were somewhat jejune in their real educational display. They dwelt chiefly on economic questions, and it was to ex- hibits of this character that their departments owed their prestige, for the latter subject lends itself very favorably to interesting presentation. The governments participating were our own United States in its department of education, China, japan, Argen- tine, and Uruguay. The first just mentioned gives us the work of the department, as well as does the extremely in- teresting exhibit from the Philippine Islands. Uncle Sam here did his Work in a manner it would be hard to improve upon. There was an excellent pictorial demonstration of agricultural education, in itself a mostinteresting subject, and the work of the Islands was so well arranged, and in- cluded excellent' topics that it left not much more to be desir Chinese gave us an example of what an educa- ' a ii ' liding should contain, and they were very consistent. Il allowed nothing which wash not conformable to school r f. and 'in this particular they certainly excelled. They us sample of every form of education in their country, including machine work and handiwork of every description. Under the latter is to be mentioned with very special interest the exhibit from the Zi-Ka-Wei orphanage at Shanghai. This exhibit is probably the most!-delightful display of its kind in the Exposition, Its antique lacquer screens and . QQ' -rr sh -'IL ' ' l me . 'I 34-Q 1- .,. . 4 1 ':- fa'-s. if- 1'

Page 10 text:

Ellie Palate nf Ehuraiinn emh Smrial Ernnnmg WAS the most interesting building at the '-7 Exposition. On that point there is no doubt in th-e mind of anyone. It was commonly Q3 ,Q known as the Educational Building, but that was not the exact title, as only one-fourth , of it was educational. The Palace of Edu cation and Social Economy is the name the building properly goes by, thus giving wider scope for its various exhibits not all strictly educational. With regard to the first part of this title, we shall consider those exhibits which explain the vari- ous educational systems in vogue throughout the world. Under the second part comes man's moral and religious life. Some exhibits kept close to the topics indicated by these titles, but others wandered to such a distance as to require a twist of the imagination to apprehend their connection with them. There were some departments that treated the ques- tion so extravagantly that the people questioned the validity of their representation under that roof. Still the subject was too broad to draw a close line of demarcation, and conse- quently there were displays that were apparently irrelevant. We shall try to review, however, the most striking features recalled by this broad title. The main part of the building was taken up with the Educational section, including private displays, school and government exhibits. The Social Economy section included Religion, Moral Reform, and Medicine. The two latter sec- tions can be divided into those under private and those under governmental management. ' We shall first cast a glance at the educational section proper. The thing here primarily to be noted is this: of all theschool work exhibited in this sec- tion, we, the people of San Francisco, had not a place that we could point to with pride and say, There is the work of the San Francisco schools. There was not, for that matter,

Page 12 text:

8 IGNATIAN paintings, its charming pagodas, its exceedingly well wrought Statuary, its most minutely and intricately carved pieces of furniture, and its oddities of every description, all these ren- dered the exhibit of the Jesuit orphanage of Zi-Ka-Wei of special value, and drew to the booths of this department a continuous stream of admiring visitors. Japan confined the greater part of her floor space to economic questions, and so hardly comes under this head. This void, however, was filled by Argentina? whose exhibit, although consisting almost entirely of pictures, was nevertheless a very comprehensive display. Uruguay gives an idea of its summer resorts to- gether with some information about its schools. We are done now with the educational exhibits properly so called. There remains to be considered the Religious dis- play, the medical outlay, and the moral reformers. The first topic just mentioned was treated in a very loud and egotisti- cal manner. It is almost to be wondered at why they didnlt allow most of these people to own a concession on the Zone and charge ten cents admission. Ridiculous, fantastic, and most inartistic banners and drawings were stuck up all around, and spoke so loud as to be grating on the nerves. After going through that quarter one felt relieved in step- ping out of its domains to examine some more quiet and instructive exhibit. And when one feels relief in retiring from a certain department it certainly is a very peculiar life exhibited there. On every side one needed to give but a few hasty glances to be convinced of the utter illusion and ignorance of the persons advocating these principles. What must there be in the poor mind of the person trying to prove that the earth is concave? Then the American Buddliisfifii society venerating the god Buddha 5 and the Theosophical society displaying chaits and pictures of enlarged angle- worms and microbes with the sign, What our thoughts look like. Taking pictures of or even trying to draw a purely spiritual thing is in itself enough to show their foolishness. But there was an oasis in this desert. After wandering