Trine University - Modulus Yearbook (Angola, IN)

Page 22 text:

THE MODULUS of 1932 BURTON HANDY SR. Registrar ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY T HE manner in which a man in any position in life accepts responsibility has much to do with his success or failure. The choices he makes and the paths he chooses to follow must be his own, and while it is impossible that they be infallible, still the fact that they are his own will mark him as a man of force and capability. In the days of the persecution of the Christians by the Romans, one of the favorite methods of dealing with them was to bring an individual into the arena and place him before two doors. Behind one of these doors was a raging lion, made ravenous for the special occasion, while back of the other was a garden filled with rare flowers, fanned by scented breezes. If the poor victim chose the one door he was destroyed, if the other, he was free. With him freedom or destruction was a matter of chance only—the choice of an exit. All of us are compelled to make choices continually but, fortunately, very seldom does the outcome depend so entirely upon blind chance. Usually there are ele¬ ments in the situation which may be analyzed and used to decide the issue. Particularly is this true when it is confronted by a trained man. His disciplined mind makes it possible for him to weigh the merits of different courses of action and choose the one which promises best. Most of those to whom this book g oes have already made choice of a profession in life, but many times questions arise with ' n the profession itself, whether it be engineering, teaching, or business, which call for decision and on the decision of which depends future success or failure. Advice from friends and business associates is legitimate and should be sought out but, in the last analysis, the individual himself must stand on his own feet and exercise his own judgment as to the course to be followed. Attempts on his part to shift the responsibility to other shoulders or to place the blame for a wrong judgment on someone else only marks him a weakling and lowers the respect in which other men hold him. The really forceful men of history—those who have made an impression on men and their time—have not been afraid to assume responsibility and accept the consequences of their decisions. This straightforward attitude is one of the hallmarks of success in any line of endeavor and the lack of it, while not necessarily fatal, certainly operates to lower the esteem and confidence of all others in the person involved. 18

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THE MODULUS of 1932 G. G. NIEHOUS President EDUCATIONAL TEMPTATION THEY say there are many temptations in the modern college, and so there are. You will find in any worthwhile enterprise—banks, law firms, business firms, engineer¬ ing offices—temptations. The college cannot prevent temptation, but the moral duty of the faculty is to furnish temptation upward. We have teachers with personality, professional spirit, char¬ acter, and a cultural background that will furnish the temptation to think, to under¬ stand, to serve, to build, to lead others, and to inspire in our students a desire to discrim¬ inate between the temptations that enrich and enlarge their lives and those which degrade and d ssipate. Someone has said, You can lead a student to college but you cannot make him think.” When you are able to choose the right temptation, then your education will bfc of the greatest value to you. 17

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THE MODULUS of 1932 PROF. WILLI Dean of the Sc PFEIFER Engineering HAPPINESS P VERY individual has the right to expect a most pleasant journey throughout life’s highway. Many times the road seems long and difficult to travel and the individual suspects his journey is an exception and his particular path one of the most difficult. However, such is not the case; because as one travels down the everyday road common to all of us, mistakes, alibis, and detours can never be retraced. They are recorded ex¬ actly as they occur and the record becomes permanent, from which nothing can be added or subtracted. The only way to experience a most pleasant journey is to remem¬ ber and apply fundamental principles of right and wrong. Very few persons are unable to distinguish between the fundamentals of right and wrong, so it may be concluded, almost without exception, that every person has the proper directions for acquiring com¬ plete happiness. No matter what is your vocation, consider that each and every day contains an important task for you to perform; and then proceed to perform the task at hand to the very best of your ability. Upon the completion of such a journey you will have lived correctly and attained that priceless attainment—Happiness. 19