Valparaiso University - Beacon / Record Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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CLASS HISTORY VALPO CLASSICS OF 1908. THOMAS B. MATNEY. HE history of the world is only the story of a few great men, told E by relating the causes, the achieving, and the results of these men7s actions. Alexander and Napoleon, Isaiah and Confucius, Copernicus and Newton, Humbolt and Darwin represent their phase of greatness. A successful historian must have the power of reasoning from cause to effect, of predicting the future by the study of past and past-perfeet events and of knowing tithe signs of the timesfl It is aimed in this short produc- tion'to give lightning-flash Views of the great events of the past yearea year in which we all are most interested, a year of which we all are justly proud. Our little prophet, the youngest and most beautiful daughter of the greatest muse, will infallibly expose the future decreed by the irrevocable Fates. I leave it to you, unpersuaded and unaided, to View the present, for who is so insensible to his environment, and, after beholding this great class, who is so dense that he can not read Hthe signs of the timesli? Indeed, if the aim in writing this be only partially accomplished, it would easily pass, simply by a change of title page, for itA Recent History of Valparaiso UniversityW Some one may ask: iiIs is possible to write a class history without telling of Tartar-like class rushes and class iscrapsiw Any intelligent person knows that history is not all battles, that the greatest strides towards civilization are made in times of peace when all work in harmony and sympathy not ' distracted by Mars, reveille and wars alarms. The highest developed mind can dream of a time when the classes will fight no more; it can even think of a very- select class at present above physical strife. Then, it gives pleasure that nothing is recorded of which we should ever be ashamed, but that we can justly be held up as an ideal study for aesthetic and ethical Sociology. True and impartial history should represent the follies as well as the Victories and great accomplishments of its characters. It would seem too biased to go into details in this present work, for the unsullied Virtues, if enumerated, would overwhelm the listener, and the follies would appear as if seen from the reversed end of a telescope. Avoiding even the appearance of

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6 Whatever field a man may choose to work in, he is certain to find himself at liberty to advance his views to the utmost. Even the rough and corrupted field of politics grants opportunity for doing missionary work; and it is a fact worthy of gratitude that in this instance, at least, it is not necessary to go to a foreign land to preach the gospel of justice and righteousness, with a few additional words on judgment to come. Our class throughout the year has been of a very desirable size. We have enjoyed the society that it has alloted us. In the class room it has afforded Dean Carver opportunity to talk to us in a way that he could not have done if our class had been larger. Should we have missed these talks, we feel that we should be seriously wanting in our education. He addressed us as a father would his children, and often he impressed us with the thought that unless through our work here at Valparaiso our lives were improved morally as well as mentally, our studying would be in vain. How true this is can be seen from the lives of men who go out of college with marks of merit, but having no character, make a failure of life. Another fine feature of the Classic Class is the spirit of good-will that has at all times prevailed. For instance, when some have prided themselves on an ancient ancestry of frogs, toads, turtles and similar specimens of beauty, and when others have, with equal pride, declined such compliments, both sides have laughingly agreed to disagree and until next time say no more about it. This year marks the advancement of Valparaiso University from second to first place among American universities. Old Harvard, with all her ancient prestige, has not been able to keep pace with her younger sister of the Middle West. Professors Brown and Kinsey have demonstrated to the world that endowment is not essential to the success of a university. Other schools are springing up over the land that are taking as a model the entire school system established by these venerable men. It, no doubt, marks the passing of the old-tiIne system and the inauguration of a system that can stand on its own merits and can survive the onslaught of time without the aid of the Carnegies and Roekefellers. Therefore, we, as a class, feel justly' proud of our Alma Mater and shall ever Vie with each other in doing her honor.

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esto quad esse videris THOMAS B. MATNEY amicus usque ad aras ALBERT F'. MARSH