University of Nevada - Artemisia Yearbook (Reno, NV)

Page 32 text:

The Record of a Year By President Jos. E. Stubbs WHAT a significant title ! The Record of a Year! The college man or woman who has done his best for himself or others has so far added to the strength of his college in scholarship, in athletics, in society. The college man or woman who has failed to live up to the standard which the best college opinion has established has so far subtracted from the character of the college in scholarship, in athletics, in society. For a college is a community of souls bound together by common aims and aspirations, by common pursuits and enterprises. The Record of a Year ! Of the individual student it is a record of mingled success and failure. He has kept step with the better music, but he has not always refrained from lagging in his step. He has pre- served the general trend of college life, but has not always maintained the high ideals with which he entered upon bis course of study. He has, for the time being, seemingly forgotten the main purpose of his coming to college. Instead of being a place of earnest effort, he has found it possible to be idle for a time. But only for a time. Sooner or later he comes to grief Instead of realizing that every day makes or mars his character for industry and achievement, he treat ' s the pres- ent as of but little moment, but dreams of a good time coming, when he will lead men by his judgment or his speech. Then when he is rudely awakened from his dream, it is only to find himself far behind in the equipment of scholarship and discipline and fit to take only a subordinate place in the world. lyooking at the last year as a whole, it is the record of a good year. In some respects it marks an advance over previous years. The students have given evidence of growth in those ideas and habits of conduct which have also given better standards of student life. There are still serious deficiencies on the part of some. Instead of putting classes and lessons first, they give themselves to society in its various phases and let their lessons and scholarship have the remnant of their time and strength. This is a serious mistake, because it puts the 20

Page 31 text:

HENRY THURTEI.L, Dean of Faculty, Pro- fessor of Mathematics and Mechanics. B. Sc, Michigan Agricultural College, 1888. GEORGE FREDERICK BLESSING, Pro fessor of Mechanical EngiJieering . B. M. E , Kentucky State College, 1897. NATHANIEL ESTES WILSON, Professor of Chemistry and Dairying. B. Sc, Maine State College, 1888; M. Sc, 1893. 19 1

Page 33 text:

minor in place of tlie major, the incidental in place of the important and necessary. But even with this mentioned as a fault to be over- come, it has been a year full of good work, of healthful sport, and of a disposition to cultivate manliness and womanliness in all the relations of student and social life. Commencement season of 1902 was profitable and instructive. President Benjamin Ide Wheeler of the University of California gave the Baccalaureate sermon. What a treat it was ! Thoughtful, without startling paradoxes ; reasonable as a common sense way of putting things is reasonable, and yet inspiring and spiritual in the highest degree. The scholarship address was delivered by E. S. Farrington, one of the leading lawyers of Elko and eastern Nevada. His address was a strong plea for more intelligent and more conscientious discharge of the common duties of citizenship, especially by those who enjoy the bene- fits of the best education the State is able to give. The Commencement address by David Starr Jordan, President of Leland Stanford Junior University, will long be remembered by those who heard him and heard him at his best. The address was strong and wise. It seemed to me that President Jordan had gathered together all his best thoughts from his best speeches and then had liberally poured out this richness of thought and feeling into the hearts and lives of those about to graduate. The retirement of Captain H. C. Clark at the close of the year and the engagement of Captain C. T. Boyd as Professor of Military Science and Tactics and as Commandant of the Cadets was an event of importance. The administration of the Military Department by Cap- tain Clark was far from being satisfactory, but it was owing to his physical disability, brought upon him by hard service in the army, that he was not able to do his work at this College in a manner that was agreeable to the officers of the University. In personal character Captain H. C. Clark is above reproach, and he deserves the respect of the students for his honorable career in the army of the United States. The coming of Captain C. T. Boyd was an auspicious event. A thorough disciplinarian yet tactful, he has brought the Cadet Battalion to a very satisfactory standard at present, with the assurance of ad- vancing proficiency. Captain Boyd is not only a capable Commandant but he is a good teacher, as is shown by his lectures on Military sub- jects. He has suggested several important changes which have been adopted. Among these may be mentioned the bill passed by the last Legislature which requires the Governor to commission the officers and, after they graduate, to carry them upon the roster of Commis- 21