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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1929)
THE BATTAL,1€»N This year has been a hectic one for nearly all of the seniors; it has been of vast profit to me. I have learned a great deal—principally I know only a little; but it has also developed my confidence and I believe I understand what am grasping for and the length of my reach. Well, well—who could possi bly be interested in how I feel? When I look back over the five yearstwosummers of my cpllegiate career I feel that education can stand a great deal of improvement. Very few come out of college as thinkers—at least, a large number are capable of such. There should be some attempts on part of all educa tion to teach people how to live. In stead of making an education entire ly embody the idea of a mercenary end why not make it not only a means to an end but an end in itself. In other words, let education contain ways of spending as well as means- of earning. The underlying principal of State education is to my way of viewing the situation, entirely right; that of educating as many capable people as possible. But are these people being educated? Do they reall}'' see the val ue and. true meaning of education? I do not think so. It m at the present time a fad to go to college. People have so much spare time and eco nomic conditions are such that many young people have nothing else to do—so they go to college. They take what they have to and understand not whyfor. They do not see that the aims of education are being sadly perverted inasmuch as they are con trolled by forces foreign to an hon est, broad, and understanding educa tion. That is due to the system; the present .'accepted economic system that bans all matter not leading di rectly to an increased salary or not in accord with the industrial theory as irrelevant. I mean precisely this: That education in this country is obviously subservient to the capital istic system, just as the newspapers, just as the politics, just as the gov ernment. Until this system fails; until it blunders, and the proletariat and bourgiesee feels the structure falling under them and the pinch of economic want hits them—I can see no great change in the status of education; however due to hav ing leisure time a number of college students are looking beyond the cur riculum and their attitudes are be ing felt in a growing liberalism which however, as I say, will not change the immediate status. We are in so complete acceptance ~t Philadelphia—An “Otis Skyline” City Kr~iHE “City of Brotherly Love,” rich in history and A Colonial tradition, is steadily growing skyward. Higher and higher reach its tall buildings, keeping pace with increasing land values. When Elisha Graves Otis gave the world the first safe elevator in 1852, he made possible the constant upward growth of our cities, for without the safe and speedy elevator the skyscraper could not have been built. Thus the skylines of our great cities can truly be called “Otis Skylines.” i OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY OFFICES IN A.LL PRINCIPAL CITIES OF THE WORLI* 2 of existing conditions that literally hundreds of students who have both time and money matriculate in a college, spend four years there and depart with a degree, without ever going beyond the minimum amount of work necessary for a degree. Those who do, who really strive for a liberal education through the aid and guidance of the instructors, are called fools and arrogantly tolerated by their fellows as impractical, radi cal. “Readin/ ’ritin,’ iT’rithmetie, • is then still the dominant conception of education. In the future—in time—people will see the need of knowing how to live; when they do education will come to the fore—when they do. With this cheerful outlook I take leave of you and this column. It has been both a pleasure and a pain to> write it, and undoubtedly much of the latter to read it. I’ve enjoyed your company and trust that you all get out safe and sane. Hasta Ma nna. 1 & | See Our | 1 Graduation Gifts! © THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL WM. L. POWERS We Advertise in The Longhorn I THEM GOOD MALTEDS WE STILL MAKE 'EM Cadets and Campus Peo-pl® Invited to Call HOLMES Confectionery PALACE Thursday . Fridry . Saturday -Hayer s Dramatic Sensation A^fW*