The Chemawa American, October 01, 1914, Page 22, Image 22

THE CHEM AW A
AM ERICAN
17
care still more for the health of the student body; its various depart­
ments are, if anything, better equipped than heretofore; the life here
is well-balanced as regards work and play, as due importance is placed
upon harmless forms of amusements and recreation; athletics for young
people are given due prominence and tend to develop and keep healthy
and vigorous both mind and body. Such is the vision of the coming
year at Chemawa.
COURAGE
To possses the courage of conviction is a grand thing, provided, of
course, that your conviction is right. He who is positive that a
certain thing is right, but will remain passive and see wrong done, is a
coward at heart. To know wrong, and abhor it, and in addition to
have the courage to lift vour voice against it, to fight against it at all
times, is no insignificant achievement. Stamped on real people are
these characteristics.
We have known men and women who, through some unaccountable
perversity of nature, would argue that a thing or condition did not
exist, when in truth it did and the said party in his heart knew that it
did. Why is this? What reason can there be for such a course? Back
of their innate perversity there must be a lack of that sterling quality
which indicates the real man or woman and some place about them a
veneer of cowardice.
Then, there is another offender, the party who, by chance mayhap,
has achieved a position of power or prominence, and who is thereby
made arrogant, self-centered, and despotic. He, in his lack of cour­
age, dodges behind w’hat he thinks his impregnable position when any­
thing threatens. He never has any friends—only a few hangers-on
about him who wish to curry favor with him, as he has with somebody
else. The courage of open manliness would have made for such a man
many loyal adherants who would have gloried in his successes. But he
lacked courage to take stock of himself—to look within.
If you have not natural courage try your utmost to get it by cultiva­
tion of yourself. Look to your habits, your company, your mode of
thought—your utmost inner self. Be courageous enough to be fair, to
give the other fellow a square deal. Be not afraid to take a hard bump
now and then for truth and right—rather glory in it. Some one has
said he “ would sooner be right than president.” His was courage of
the highest order. A person of such courage would never be far wrong.
Think of the extent of such love of truth and right and the vast power
it was to its possessor. Quite often, when our affairs are all topsy­
turvy, it requires some courage to meet people and conditions and do
the part of a lady or gentleman. But it is better that you do so.