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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1925)
1925 The Chemawa American ------------------------------------------------------ - Printed at Chemawa, Vol. XXVII . 3 ii n n------ - Oregon, and Devoted to the I nt treats of Indian Education Wednesday, December 2, 1925 ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK? No one can remain at Chemawa very long before it is found evident that our greatest thought and endeavor is to awaken his ambition and set his feet in the path of self-development. We are continually trying to arouse the ambition in every boy and girl at this school, and to stir up employes also, to put into effect an ambi tion-arousing environment, to pull together and stimu late your energy and bring out the very best within each of you, for ambition requires arousing, awakening, and to do this for you, we, you, and all at Chemawa, must realize that ambition requires constant care and education even after it is aroused. It is a passion that responds quickly to cultivation. What we most need is to do what we can. To do what we can, that is our problem at Chemawa; not what someone else can do, but what we here at Chemawa can do. Most of us have an enormous amount of power which could do marvels if we but awakened it. You young people want to be aroused; you want to be understood, believed in and encouraged. You want to be with people who believe in you, who encourage you, praise you, criticize you; you want to be associated with those people who continually help you to high aspirations. That is why you are here. Our advice is this: Whatever you do, make every sacrifice necessary to keep in an “ambitious” at mosphere, an atmosphere that will stimulate you to self - development. Wallace Denny, an ex-Carlisle Indian student, is now trainer for the Stanford University football team under “Pop” Warner, both of whom Supt. and Mrs. Hall met and talked with while in Seattle recently. Wallace was there with the Stanford team where they were to play the University of Washington. There was one thing that Wallace said that made a wonderful impression on Supt. Hall—it is this: He said, “I never had much of an education; I hardly finished the eighth grade; but I have been thrown in contact with educated people and I always made it a point to be with them and to learn from them. For a number of years I have been thrown with the college people at Stanford University and I actually feel now that I am really a college man myself, because I have tried to learn every No. 11 thing I could from these educated, cultured and re fined people.” And really, boys and girls, he impressed Supt. Hall as a college man. Mr. Hall said: “I was actually proud of him. He was not putting on airs or trying to show off, but he appeared self-possessed, modest and refined, and could converse on almost any subject. He was treated as the equal of the coaches and mem bers of the team, who were all college men. Indeed, he attended the banquet given the team by the alumni at Seattle and received all the recognition given to any of the Stanford party.” What Wallace Denny was doing with his eighth grade education can be done by any Indian boy or girl at Chemawa, particularly now that our young folks are given the privilege of securing a full high school course and all other advantages that go with it here at this great school. We desire that our young people ponder the case of Wallace Denny—and act. Try to make your teachers and directors in every department at Chemawa understand you, believe in you; endeavor to secure their co-operation. We are all here to help you along the right road, to stimulate you to high aims, lofty ambitions. So we advise that you keep close to those who are dead-in-earnest and go to any lengths to further your advancement. Cultivate those who are actually interested in you. You will soon catch the spirit that dominates in your schoolroom, your shop, your department; in your dormitory, which is your home. Your success depends upon you, and with proper encouragement and stimulation you will make your ambition real. So many boys, and girls, too, come to Chemawa with an idea that if they like it here and get everything just as they want it they will remain, but intend to leave a way open to retreat if things go too hard. We have yet to observe a student who came here to visit and look around with the idea that “if he liked it he would stay” who did stay. That spirit alone indicates fail ure. No one can call out his greatest power while he knows he has a line of retreat. There is a good deal in “burningyour bridges behind you;” in committing oneself so thoroughly to the need of preparing for bet- (Continuer! on page 4")
