Bainbridge Academy Commencement Exercises - 1877 continued

Bainbridge Academy Commencement Exercises - continued

Bainbridge Republican, July 12, 1877

 

The second evening was devoted to the Musical Entertainment, which embraced a choice election of songs, piano solos, duets and trios, organ solos, etc., and was given under the superintendence and direction of Miss Lucy Van Horne.  The principal musicians were Miss Jesse Corbin, Miss Nettie Van Cott, Miss Libbie Yale, Miss Edith Dodge, Miss Abbie Holcomb, Miss Lola Reynold, Miss Mary Gilbert and Miss Hattie Vosburg.  The character song of the evening, "John Anderson my Joe John," by Miss Lucy Van Horne and Louis Sill was excellent, and would be honored the role of professionals.  The music present was of a high order and afforded a pleasant evening's entertainment. 

 

The third evening was devoted exclusively to the Academic Department, and consisted of orations, declamations, essays, colloquies, debates, music, etc., etc.  We append the programme in full with the single comment that it was the best entertainment of the kind ever given by the students of Bainbridge Academy:

 

1.    Hunkidorie's Fourth of July Oration................................................Willie Hovey

2.    The Spirit Land................................................................................Libbie Yale

3.    Sparrows..........................................................................................Jeanette Campbell

4.    The Fire Fiend.................................................................................Mary Hovey

5.    Darius Greene and his Flying Machine...........................................Joel Bixby

6.    They Won't Trouble Us Long..........................................................Mary Gilbert

7.    Essays (20 written)...........................................................................Lena Freiot

Music

8.    Precious Pickle.................................................................................Colloquy

9.    The Famine......................................................................................Ada Beverly

10.   Oration, A Wise Man can gain from the society of all...................S.M. Johnson

11.   The Little Robe of White................................................................Edith Dodge

12.   Debate.............................................................................................Sands, Sill, Pearsall, Grant

13.   The Maniac.....................................................................................Hattie Evans

14.   Seeing the World............................................................................Kinnie Stockwell

Music

15.   Society for Doiong Good but Saying Bad.....................................Colloquy

16.   The Day is Done............................................................................Phebe Yale

17.   Oration, Rome was not Built in a Day..........................................E.L. Spencer

18.   Creed of the Bells..........................................................................Mary Akerley

19.   Ivey................................................................................................Emma Juliand

20.   Bells...............................................................................................Nettie Green

Music

21.   Never Say Die................................................................................Colloquy

 

The annual examination of students and the anniversary exercises are both important features in the well-regulated school system which now prevails.  The former puts to a test the practical knowledge which the scholar has acquired in the studies pursued during the year, and tells the story of success or failure for each student, in which result the teacher shares to a greater or less extent in the honors of merit or the unsatisfactory evidences of time and money thrown away; while the former is not only the gala day, the carnival time for youthful spirits long pent up, the glad awakening from the sober Lenten season of the monotonous routine of the schoolroom and its requirements towards which youth looks for deliverance from restraint, but it is an occasion of profound interest to doting parents, whose fond eyes for the first time take the full measure of the son, in whose genius for eloquence even stupidity must foresee the dawning of a glorious career in the senate and forum.

 

But these public displays subserve many good purposes, not least of which is the creating or arousing of a better feeling for the welfare of our schools and a deeper interest in the cause of education.  They incite the scholars to study in order to prepare themselves to appear to advantage, and they give the older portion of the community some appreciation of the teacher's work.  If a school exhibition can educate the people to cherish a noble faith in our school system, it is as good as, and far more efficient than a sermon on immorality.  Further, it secures confidence on the part of the young, and tends to cultivate an appreciation by the study of models of the highest literary excellence of whatever there is of beauty of thought and force of diction in the works of the great geniuses who have given to English literature its pre-eminence over that of other nations.  Give us more public exhibitions in our schools, and bring patrons, teachers and scholars oftener together, thereby creating a broader sympathy between them, and the schools will be greatly advanced.