University of Maine at Portland - Reflection / Umpire Yearbook (Portland, ME)

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THE PUVIAN 7 iEhituriahi OUR LEGISLATURE AND OUR GOVERNMENT. Is our government made up of honest, conscientious men? That is a question which is often asked iahd pondered aboutl by many of the citizens of the state today. If these men are not honest, then something is radically wrong. Int they are elected by the penple themselves. However, 1 strongly believe that the representatives of 0111' people are. as a whole, interested in the common good of their electors, and that many of the com plaints are coming from that class of lazy hLet George Do lt'i type of persons, who, when electiun day comes around. are always too busy to go to the 130115. If we, the citizens of our ermntry with the equal rights in voting and selecting our law-makers. do not do our duty in chaos- ing the right man for the joht then we must necessarily suffer the consequences of being governed by the minority; this is a perfectly fair deal. There are two sides to every question. and there never will he a question, that concerns all men. which will he settled in a manner satis- factory to all concerned. Therefore. every law which is: paseetl will have hit- ter oppositimi and will cause certain members of the Iaw-making hmlies to he ealletl liars and grafters. - 1 do not mean to say that the government is perfect, for there is nothing which is perfect and there is nothing which ever will be per- fect. When the government is perfect, there will he no need For a government at all. for civilization will be perfect without the need of 3. governing body. The problem of getting the people out to vote is slowly being overcome; the people are beginning to realize that every mte counts in selecting the best men for the government. Numerous battles, lost by the majority because of the lack of all'lhition at the polls, have. aroused the people to the realization of the need for honest men in our law-making bodies. If one looks into the life history of one of these law-makere and takes the trouble to meet him and talk with him, he usually discovers that the man is a pretty good sort of being and is trying his best to please those who have entrusted him with their most vital problems. Before you criticize. your senator or representative or the governor of your state. ask yourself if there is not another side to the question involved, and if there is. see if youE as a voter. have done your best to elect the man who is Fighting for the rights of the people. RALPH F. l'imtm. THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF SPANISH Why learn Spanish? There are several commercial reasons as well as cultural and international reasons. A knowledge of Spanish offers exceptional advantages. Our trade with Smith America since the late war and with the XYest Indies and Mexico showed remarkable increase.

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6 PORTLAND UNIVERSITY Several well known hnsiness men of Pnrtland have already signified their willingness to serve. It is desired to make the University a Maine Institution for Maine young men and women. When the University was Hrst organ- ized it seemed quarters in the Benoit Building, occupying the third Hoot. How- ever, at the end of the first year it was clearly evident that larger and more spaw cious quarters were needed for the proper growth of the institution. An opportunity to purchase the Bowdoin Medical School building presented itself in 192-2. and as it was well suited to the needs of the insti- tution, the othcers of the University se- cured it in time for the opening of the sec 011d school year. Alterations and improve- ments have been made each year so that it is a well equipped building. Not only has the University a Fine home, but the furnishings are all new and modern. No expense has been spared in order to give the students the advantage of every known oHice appliance and equipment. The officers of the University have worked hard to build up a faculty oi ex- perienced and qualified instructors. Every member of the faculty must he a college graduate of special ability in the subjects which he or she teaches. The faculty membership. since the University was or- ganized, has been made up of graduates of such colleges as Maine, Colby, Bew- doin. Harvard, Boston University, Sim- mons. Dartmouth, Columbia. etc. Tn atl- dition t0 the regular faculty. business men of prominence have been engaged as special lecturers, in order to give the stu- dent body the advantage of practical in- formation direct from successful men of affairs. Recognizing the importance of cultural training to the business man or woman, strong courses in English. Spanish, French, Histtiry. etet, have been woven into the vocational programs; English be ing a semi-mejor course in all programs. The University is divided into two separate collegesethe College of Busi- ness Administration. and the College of Secretarial Science. The College of See- retarial Science offers programs fitting young men and women for such positions as private or public secretaries, and has. as its principle aim the Fitting of young women for the business world, or teaching. The College of Business Administra- tion offers various programs fitting for the Business XVorlcl; such as public and private acenunting. ol'llce management, banking. selling. general business. etc. At the time the University was organ- ized the regular courses were arranged for a threevyear program, but beginning with the Freshman Class entering in 1926, the regular course will be extended to four years. Courses in the College of Secretarial Science lead to a B. S. S. tBaChelor of Secretarial Sciencd degree, and courses in the College of Business Administration lead to a B. C. S. tBach- elor of Commercial Sciencej degree. For admission to regular courses lead- ing to a Bachelorls degree, one must he a graduate of an approved high school, and ham earned certificate made. No others will he admitted to degree courses. Stu- dents who are unable to meet these requirements. may enter as special stu- dents. providing they have had sut'iicient previous training to assure their carrying on the courses satisfactorily. 'When the University was organized, its enrollment was 01in twentyufwe tEEl iCentinued on page 29h i1

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8 PORTLAND UNIVERSITY 111 191? imports from South America amounted to 5H millions. Experts from the United States to South America totalled 259 millions for the year ending June, 1917. ll: is more than evident that there is a gradual tightening of the com- mercial and economic bonds between the Spanish-speaking lands of the New World and our own land. One of the results of this coming to- gether has been that in the u::it:.r of 1New York, the chief center of commerce he- tween this country and Hispanic America, business people tmen, women. hays mid girlsl have by hundreds undertaken in some way t0 study Spanish. There must he a reason for this desire to learn Spanish. It is very reasonable then that the study of Spanish is based fur practical purposes upon commercial needs. A knowiedge of Spanish is coming to he :1 necessity to the North American export- er. and importer. Ithth, and merchant. If this country wishes to estahiish tm- hreakahle bonds with its Spanish sheathw iiig neighhers there must lie timer imee- course. and this can be accomplished only when we can communicate With each other. Four hundred years ago Balboa came over here and wading out knee deep into the oceaui planted his standard that signified that this land was the property of Spain. Though that right claimed by the sword has not remained in that sense. it has in the supremacy of the language. The language has really separated the two Americas more than the intervening ocean. Now after all these years. mis- understanding has been swept away, and in its place comes closer relations. polit- ically and commercially. and :1 great change is taking place. XVhile Spanish is laying hold of the North it is equally true that English is conquering the Sdnth. North America is learning to read, speak and write Span- ish, while South America is learning English. Not only one class, but 3.11- doctors, lawyers, merchants, and sales- men, bankers, manufacturers, and clergy- men. A large husiums Firm doing business in South America. found that to successfully do business they must employ men with a knowledge of Spanish. This iirm's mitr- ket for their productions comprised some fie? millions of people. and this business was in the hands of native agents who dial business in a desuitory manner. W'ith the establishing of a Spanish Department, and competent men with a speaking knowledge of Spanish. they soon built up their business so that from that time 011 it progressed rapidly. Smith America. Mexico and other Hispanic countries are quickly develop- ing. They are rich in resources. and Aliiel'irans in time will not be in it who cant talk with them. As a foreign language Spanish is a leader in the com mercial world at the present time. The growing importance of all these countries since the war, with their increasing i114 dustrial and commercial activities, all unite to make a knowledge of Spanish :1 business necessity. The command for the student engaged in the study of busi- ness should he, Learn to speak and write Spanish nowlh America is really more than the land north of the Gulf of Mexico. Below that body of water are people who have as much right to call themselves Americans as we have. Vite must know their tongue to tleal with them. There are but three