University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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AUDITORIUM

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laithlullv, unsv In (lutv that 1u ' in. tinu STUDENT LIPE This excursion intn tlic liistory of the University has seemed necessary. The office of the President of tile riii ersit will exert a most powerful influence on itN futui-e. It ! - aid to be the most difficult position which American society can call upon a man to till. Here special and peculiar difficulties environ it. Stu- dent sentiment is colored by an iconoclastic tint that is probably a reflection of the influence of Mr. lirann. The prevalent democracv is so excessive in its demanil for freedom that it is often degraded into a specious populism that would destroy w here it can not convince by peaceful methods. A person in authority is, per- force, one who must be looked upon, if not with sus- picion, with much mental reservation. The lesson of loj-alty has yet to be completely mastered; the license of unwarranted and unjust criticism will soon be rele- g-ated, let us hope, to its proper limbo in the realm of politics, and cease to be invoked by those whom the public confidently look to for higher and nobler ideals. The real university must be a family life in which loyalty of each member to the whole shall be the divine inspiring breath. But while truth and candor comjiel us to admit that this spirit of loyalty is not yet in our midst in perfection, our recognition of the absence of the ideal shows that we have unconsciously set it before us. It is a lesson that will be good for us all to learn, from the President down to the humblest student, — it being understood that the faculty are included in the bodv to whom this recommendation is made. Who r i.a rt in th L - fan lih life that s . .f th ■ Vn vei sitv. In ..r u •posi and mi tual for- this ul ra-d ■moc rae V. falselv tails in this has no ck: should make single the a few years, through i bearance, we shall out called freedom. President David Starr Jordan, of Leland Stanford University, says : In the environment fittest for train- ing young men and women, there are three mighty ele- ments, — healthfulness, beauty, and freedom. When judged bv these standards the environment of our own student body is most fortunate. Few cities can boast of such entire freedom from epidemics, and the general health of all classes is far above the average. Austin is situated on the end of the plateau through which the Colorado breaks to spread out into the broad alluvial valley of the south. The river, the mountains, the lake (that was), the high prairies to the north and east, make it a location of exceptional natural beauty, especially when one comes to contrast it with the unbroken monot- ony of the plains of West Texas and the forests of the eastern portion of the State. The great granite capitol, whose bigness makes the city appear pigmy-like, stands guard to the south of the University —like a protecting husband keeping watch over his tender spouse. Other public buildings, the Blind Institute, the Deaf and Dumb Institute, the Insane Asylum, etc., add picturesqueness and interest to a city made beautiful by the gifts of nature. But, after all, it is the spirit of freedom, the eqalitv of merit, woven into the very organization of the University, that gives it a unique place among the col- leges of the South. A thousand young men and women meet daily in its classrooms, library, and college grounds on term of absolute freedom. The rich and the poor follow Socrates through the mazes of his dialectics; male and female sit together as disciples at the feet of

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11 in I i sculapius. There is a dominant aristocracy, but it is the aristocracy of g-enius and scholarly attainmonts, imt of birth or position. There are distinctions of sex, but they are only -luh distinctions as ] revail in the most refined society. Tlie spirit of companionship and help- ful sympathy thus aroused break down the false stand- ards set up by those who are todies after name and wealth, or lack faith in human virtue. This atmosphere of freedom, coupled with the lars e outlook that is ex- ceeding-ly becoming to a Texan, constitutes the dis- tinffuishingf work of our University. Already we have touched upon some of the dangers which it has led us into. Possibly the dangers have been overestimated. Be that as it ma ' , it is certain that the mental attitude of freedom from artificial re- straint, characteristic of the average student ' s mind as he faces any question, is one tif our most fortunate jxis- sessions. Truth does not need in : hidden to be rendered holy. This frank open-mindedness prevails in all relations at the University. The work of the class-room is not a blind worship of the fetish of a professor. Through two w-eekly newspapers, a monthly magazine, and The C. crrs, the mind of the student finds expression upon all college affairs. His opinions are stated freely, vigorously, fearlessly- His field of criti- cism is bounded only by the sky-line of the universe. At times his Southern conservatism is painfully appar- ent, — witness the appearance of a snob in the University corridors. While slowly gaining ground, it is not be- lieved that knickerbockers will ever become universally popular, because, it may be, they are a peculiar pro- duct of Yankeedom; but it is rather more likely due to the students ' quiet protest against a change that counters on his aesthetic appreciation, as did the bloomers of the erstwhile past. The University is engaged in the production of citi- zens, not of sects. The Constitution wisely provides, while admitting as students all of whatever creed or belief, that no sectarian instruction be given. This provision is seized upon by zea lous and slanderous theo- logians, and we are often branded as atheists and in- fidels. The principles of Christianity are taught and practiced in every class-room. The students gather each morning at a chapel service, led by some pastor of the city; the} ' support Christian associations for both men and women; conduct student Bible classes, and engage in other kinds of religious work. Among the Faculty and students are some of the most successful Sunday-school superintendents and teachers in Austin. To sav that vice or immorality in any form is counte- nanced or encouraged is a low brand of slander, used either through ignorance or spleen. The student body here are as free from vice as any like number of young peoi le — and you may search the wide world through. But why need we take up seriatim the organizations that are the result of student activity. The following pages, through picture, stor y, and song, more vividly and accurately paint the picture than could many vol- umes of dry analysis. Read the story that we have hinted at there, and, if possible, read it with the eyes of a more generous and less critical philosophy than we could employ in setting down these words. Before we close, the claim of the Medical Depart- ment for special mention must be } ielded to. Separated from the Main University by some hundreds of miles, through the high ideals it has set for itself and its faith- fulness in living up to their utmost demands, we have been drawn very close together. A community of pur- pose and interest will strengthen and draw closer these b(jnds as the years pass by.