STRAIGHT UNIVERSITY.
Commencement——A Local Notice——A Short Year——Needs and Hopes.
PROF. J. K. COLE, NEW ORLEANS.
A class of eight has just been graduated from the classical department of this University——the largest class yet sent out——of which seven were young men. Six members of the class pursued the entire course here; the other two had taken the greater part of their course at another school, and came here the last year to graduate. The size of the class and the corresponding large circle of personal friends excited more than usual interest in the commencement exercises, which were held Wednesday evening, June 4th, at Central Church. The body of the church was crowded to its utmost capacity, and many were forced to find seats in the gallery.
It is something entirely new that our school should be noticed in the local papers, and I shall be pardoned for taking the following from the New Orleans Times of the 5th inst. After giving the order of exercises, it says:
“The orations were of high order, and reflected great credit upon the young men. They all gave evidence of the thoroughness of training they had received in the University. They certainly gave promise of honorable success in the life-work to which they had devoted themselves. The essay and valedictory of Miss Flemming deserves especial mention. It was well written and gracefully rendered.”
The singing, says the Times, “was exceptionally fine. Professor McPherron deserves great credit for the patient and thorough instruction which was manifest in the superior rendering of the anthems and glees.”
President Alexander conferred the diplomas in a brief address of commendation, encouragement and advice.
The school year has been too short to accomplish all that was desirable. Eight months, our usual time, seems a short school year, but to reduce this one-quarter is almost a disaster; and furnishing school-rooms and supplying furnaces, out-buildings, cisterns and much needed plank-walks after school opened, was for a time a great hindrance. But the end of the year shows, in many respects, favorable results, and leaves more hopeful impressions and anticipations for the future.
The need of buildings for a boarding department is as urgent as ever, but this need we hope may be met by the donation from the Stone estate. These accommodations will bring in a large addition from the country of just such material as we desire——young men and women from the better families who are unwilling to come to the city and board away from the influences of the teachers.
The unsettled condition of the public schools, too, is likely to add largely to the number of students here next year.
We can only hope that our good friends at the North will see, as we in the field see, the importance of not only keeping up our present work, but of extending it and making it better each succeeding year.
New buildings will certainly bring many new pupils. More pupils will require more teachers, and more teachers will increase the expenses of the A. M. A. But now is the time to do good among this people, and we trust the churches who sustain this work will not be weary in well-doing, but will furnish all the means that are needed to extend this work wisely.