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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1917)
P r i n t e d a t C h e m a w a , O r e g o n , a n d D e v o t e d to t h e I n t e r e s t s o f I n d i a n E d u c a t i o n Vol. X IX W ednesday, March 21, 1917 No. 23 K E E P TH E PACE DO YO UR OW N T H IN K IN G One of the most encouraging features in the prog ress of Chemawa students is a tendency to reach out and take the initiative in things connected with the school. This one tendency means much in their ulti mate independence. Independence and self-reliance must always be cultivated before success can be reached, and many of our students are taking steps in that direction. The various organizations at Chemawa are largely organized by the students themselves and run by them alone. This is an ambition with them and gives them an opportunity to use their own individuality and to develop independence of thought and action. The fact that results depend upon the students give them a sense of the importance of success and renders them ambitious to excel. There is quite a field for them to exert their powers and it requires some nerve and en ergy to back up an ambition. T he “ get together” spirit among the larger students at Chemawa is fine, which promotes cultivation of the qualities of self- reliance and individuality and prompts them to reach out for things worth while. It has the effect of elimi nating a desire to drift along with no high purpose in view, and accelerates an ambition to acquire the ability to get on in the world. A self-satisfied, drifting-along- from-day-to-day pace, is a poor way of going through school and one which is of no advantage in the end. But to be wide awake to the opportunities for advance ment will open higher endeavors and render the in dependence of thought gained thereby, as well as the quality of being able to take the initative, a stepping stone to complete success. Keep up the pace! There are leaders in every school. This is due to some one’s personality or attraction. We admire the fellow whose influence is felt thus for good, but con demn the one who bears a wrong influence; and for the ones who follow a leader against their own desires we have only contempt. The best way to guard against ourselves at all times is to do our own th in k ing and act in accordance therewith. It has been very noticeable in schools like ours that a goodly num ber of the students do not have the courage to stand among their fellows for their own convictions. They fear being called odd, or eccentric, and are not brave enough to stand the momentary taunts of their com panions. But this question must appeal to us: Does it pay in the long run? Do your own thinking. W IN N E R S The winners everywhere, in any line of work, the Indian students who really make good, are the ones who never abandon their task, no matter how difficult, until it is finished right. The ones who tire easily and are quickly discouraged have neither heart nor strength to carry the task to completion. The prizes and the things worth while are invariably secured by the students who do not “ q u it” before completing a job properly, and whose only idea of doing is to do it all, and right. R E L IA B IL IT Y The first and foremost quality desirable in a student is that of being dependable. Unless the student is the sort to carry out directions to the best of his abili ty, he is practically doomed to failure. He may not be a fast workman, he may be ignorant as to the prop er method of working. These requisites can be learned, and it is our business as instructors to train students, but if he is unreliable, a shirk, and requires a task-master to give personal oversight to keep him at his job, he bids fair to take his place among the rubbish of the world, for unless he shows a disposi tion to help himself in the industrial work, even though he may be apt at learning, the time and money spent on him is wasted, and such waste betokens afi unsuccessful career, not only while at school, but al ways. Too much emphasis cannot be put on the necessity of taking every advantage of opportunities to form correct habits, and the habit of being depend able is without doubt so essential in the education of our Indian youth that it calls for the highest loyalty of all. In fact it is the primary duty of every in structor to inculcate this fundamental need con stantly. It is the principle on which success rests, and the American cannot urge our students too strongly to accept responsibility, to be true to them selves, to work for construction of character and re liability. It is by reference to these qualities that an adequate basis for a successful life can be main tained.
