Polytechnic Institute Bulletin (1931-1932)

Soletín"del Instituto Politécnico

Año I Núm.2

San Germán, Puerto Rico. Agosto, 1931

ALENTADOS.

La muy cordial acogida que ha cuela. No había edificios, ni había tenido el primer número de nuestro equipo, pero ya había maestros y Boletín nos ha alentado mucho. Es- discípulos y al frente de ellos un cepecialmente los miembros del alum- rebro, una mano, un corazón; es deni han sido entusiastas en la acogida cir, se echaba de menos lo accesoque han dado a nuestro pequeño vo- rio, pero saltaba a la vista lo esen cero. Apreciamos mucho estas pala- cial. A mi no me sorprende que el bras de aliento y seguimos con Instituto haya logrado superar la ánimo en la publicación de éste núes- humildad material de su origen y tro segundo número. que haya llegado a ser lo que es. La Se notará que estamos cambiando falta de accesorios no es obstáculo la forma de nuestro Boletín por ser cuando abundan la fe y la voluntad más fácil su publicación en cuanto a y hay la firme resolución de vencer. la parte mecánica se refiere. Esta institución trata de aprove-

Tome aliento la juventud; mírese en este espejo; una voluntad heroica. char todas las oportunidades que se un cerebro claro y un corazón sano presentan para infundir en los estudiantes los principios de actos todos los viernes y hacemos todo lo posible

por conseguir que nos ha-

bien los hombres más pro- |PI

gradecidos por la conferen cia que copiamos a conti-

"El Instituto Politécnico de San Germán aspira a educar el cerebro, la mano y el corazón. La escuela es obra de estos tres órganos sabiamen te coordinados y tesoneramente im pulsados por el doctor Harris; nada más natural que ella funde su pro grama educativo sobre las mismas bases que constituyen su esencia.

"Recuerdo los modestos orígenes de este centro. Cuando vine a exa minarlo para acreditar su escuela elemental, hará cosa de quince o dieciseis años, aquí no había nada más que una gran fe y una poderosa voluntad, cara al porvenir, y la he roica resolución de levantar una es

pueden realizar las mayores empre sas.

Hay que educar el cerebro. Dice un refrán americano que la cabeza es un órgano demasiado noble pa ra ser relegado al servicio de sim ple sombrerera. Es verdad. ¿Por qué no asignarle funciones más en armonía con su elevada posición? Si, hay que educar el cerebro.

"Lo que llevamos sobre los hom bros se asemeja mucho a una esta ción radiodifusora; recibe y trasmi te; muchas de las noticias que lle gan del exterior vienen en puntos y rayas y es menester interpretar las. La recepción, interpretación y

trasmisión de estos mensajes en viados del exterior requieren un al to grado de eficiencia y exigen que el aparato se mantenga en buen estado de conservación; la vida de pende de su funcionamiento. Guan do menos lo espera uno, la estáti ca lo interrumpe todo y lo descon cierta, esa estática que es el ene migo malo de las estaciones radio difusoras.

"En el mundo mental la inercia corresponde a la estática y es el enemigo malo de la inteligencia; no hay onda corta que valga; lo único que puede contrarrestarla es el esfuerzo constante, la inconfor midad con lo fácil, lo blando, lo regalado; la resolución de no aceptar como merced lo * que puede ganarse en bue;|li na lid. El estudiante que 1 antes de plantear un pro! blema busca la respuesta en el apéndice de soluciones, o es ya un inerte o es^^^^1 tá en grave peligro de serPmjH lo. A la verdad no se va en coche por ancho camino embreado, sino a pie y a través de enmarañada sel-

"La inteligencia tiene, enotros, un aspecto ejecuHH^Hj tivo y utilitario; es el órgano desarrollado por la especie humana para lidiar con el medio ambiente. Es un aparato útil para las faenas cotidianas de la vida, algo así como la trompa del elefante que lo mismo levanta una viga de ausubo que.una semilla de hicaco. Pero no quiere decir esto que haya que darse por entero al cultivo de la inteligencia como si fuera ésta principio y fin de la exis tencia; no exageremos no sea que nos ocurra como a esa especie de cangrejos que son más palanca que juey. Quiero daros una voz de aler ta contra el peligro de la soberbia intelectual. Ya se habla aquí con desden bramánico de minorías se lectas; se finge despreciar la demo cracia porque la igualdad de oportu nidad que ésta brinda les abre las puertas a las masas y ciertos seudo-

Edificio "Marquis Seience Hall."

Eldificio "Marquis Seience Hall."

intelectuales ven peligrar su mono polio ideológico. Cuidado que no se os suba a la cabeza el titulo uni versitario. Educad la inteligencia, pero no olvidéis que el saber impone obligaciones y no justifica vanida des. Noblesse oblige. Educad la in teligencia, y si tiene que parecerse a algo, que se parezca a la trompa del elefante y no a la tenaza mons truosa y fútil del cangrejito palancudo.

Hay que educar la mano. El hom bre no vive de pan solamente, pero también vive de pan. Esta escuela se consagró desde el principio a en altecer el trabajo manual, no que mándole retóricas luces de Benga la, sino exigiéndoles a todos sus alumnos, pobres y ricos, que paga ran una parte de su instrucción con su propio trabajo manual. El es tudiante que sale de aquí deja algu na huella, algún rastro tangible de su paso por el Instituto. La acción es recíproca: la escuela forma los estudiantes y los estudiantes for man la escuela. He aquí la caracte rística principal del Instituto Poli técnico. Sería lástima que perdie ra o atenuara tan sobresaliente vir tud. No conozco medio mejor de prestigiar el trabajo manual que in corporándolo en nuestra vida. De nada vale la posesión de un rico y variado caudal ideológico si no va acompañado de cierta destreza ma nual. El pintor tiene que aprender a pintar, el músico a tocar y compo ner, el escritor a escribir, el ciru jano, el joyero, el ebanista a mane jar instrumentos y herramientas. En un mundo ideal, bastaría con con cebir e imaginar; pero en este mun do de lucha y trabajo es menester ejecutar y la mano es el agente eje cutivo por excelencia, el cauce por donde fluye la inteligencia.

"Tampoco hay que exagerar la importancia de la mano y pretender convertir a todo el mundo en obrero o artesano. Por fortuna, o desgra cia, la exageración manual no cons tituye peligro en Puerto Rico toda vía. Muy distinta sería nuestra po sición económica si hubiéramos dado mayor importancia a los menesteres prácticos. Lo más natural hubiese sido que en las tierras vírgenes de América hubiésemos dedicado pre ferente atención a la conquista del medio, al desarrollo de los recursos naturales; el que eso haya ocurrido en Puerto Rico, el que haya habido una desproporción tan grande entre

el crecimiento de la población y el aumento de los medios de subsisten cia, explica en gran parte la acumu lación de males que hoy amenazan aplastarnos.

"Hay que educar el corazón. La ciencia pura y la ciencia aplicada, en macabro consorcio, dieron prueba du• rante la Guerra Mundial de que si el hombre sigue progresando en una sola dirección acabará por destruirse a sí mismo. Claro está que no es culpa de la ciencia y que no hay que pensar en suprimirla ni en ponerle freno ni sordina. Lo que hay que hacer es domar la bestia que el hom bre lleva dentro, crear un nuevo sen timiento de justicia, educar el cora zón.

"Es triste hener que confesarlo: en nuestro país el hombre de presa goza de excesivo prestigio. "Qué pantera es fulano" se dice, no en son de reproche, sino de admiración. Engañar al prójimo, aunque sea nuestro amigo, es prueba de capaci dad. Yo le he oído decir a uno de nuestros capitanes de industria: "Yo soy una fiera en los negocios." Y efectivamente es una fiera, pero no debería jactarse de su desgracia; es como si un jorobado se envanecie ra de su joroba e insistiera en ex hibirla fuera de sazón.

"Los que conozcan La Vida del Buscón, de Quevedo, recordarán que Pablillo, el protagonista, después de agotar las posibilidades de la Pe nínsula emigró a ^as Indias para continuar sus picardías en un cam po más amplio; de él deben descen der los hombres "listos," los tigres, las panteras y los chacales de nues

tro jungla social. Menos mal si per manecieran en lás espesuras de las selvas; lo malo es que insisten en practicar sus habilidades y satisfa cer sus apetitos a pleno sol, a cien cia y paciencia de un público con siderable que los tolera, los admi ra y los envidia.

"Hay que educar el corazón. Me decía en una ocasión uno de nues tros hombres buenos—los tenemos a millares—que en la vida debe uno procurar hacer todo lo que debe y no todo lo que puede; es decir,, no abusar de la fuerza, no abusar del talento, no abusar ni siquiera de la propia bondad; no ser ni fiera, ni petulante, ni fariseo.

"Aquí se habla a menudo ,de nues tra cultura grecorromana y del de ber de conservarla intacta. Era.esenr cía de la cultura griega la mode ración en todo, el sentido de la jus ta proporción. El griego no era capaz de exhibir su joroba, ni mu chísimo menos de vanagloriarse de ella. Si es verdad que somos depositai-ios de la cultura grecorro mana y querernos conservarla me parece que la mejor seguridad es mantener intacto el espíritu griego de moderación, simetría, proporción.

"Mantenga su programa él Ins tituto Politécnico sólidamente asent tado sobre el trípode de cerebro, ma no y corazón; no se afirme sobre ninguno de ellos con perjuicio de los otros y su existencia quedará am pliamente justificada. Después de todo, justificar la existencia es el de ber primario de todo organismo en un mundo que aspira a elevarse de caos a cosmos."

Jí

EL VALOR CULTURAL DE UNA EDUCACION.

¿Posee una educación de colegio un valor en efectivo ? Desde luego que sí, y un gran valor, pero es es te el menor de todos los valores que ofrece tal preparación. El objeto del colegio no es precisamente que los graduados ganen más dinero, si no que obtengan mejor partido de cada situación en la vida. El que es cribe oyó decir a un hombre una vez que si le dieran a escoger entre un graduado de colegio y un hombre co rriente para manejar sus muías, em plearía el primero. El objeto del colegio no es enseñar a los jóvenes a guiar muías, por supuesto; tampoco es su objeto enseñar a escribir libros.

ni a administrar negocios, ni a ha cer cualquier otro trabajo en parti cular. Algunos dirán,—¿Para qué sirve una educación de colegio en tonces si no enseña a los jóvenes a desempeñar ningún trabajo en par ticular ?

El gran problema de cómo debe mos actuar no está en los múscu los, pero si en la mente. Un buey es veinte veces más fuerte que un hombre, pero el hombre de menos energías puede guiar una yunta de bueyes. El buey sólo sabe tirar,—el hombre sabe hacer miles de cosas distintas. La diferencia consiste en el poder mental, no en la fuerza del

músculo. Un buey no sabe qué hacer cuando se enfrenta con una situa ción diferente. Un hombre, aunque no sepa exactamente lo que debe hacer, de entre los principios de ac ción que hay almacenados en su mente seleccionará.el más apropiado para salir airoso en la solución del problema.

En una palabra, el colegio trata de enseñar al alumno a pensar por sí propio impartiéndole al mismo tiempo información tan variada y general que no importa dónde viva, o lo que haga, él pueda enfrentarse con cualquier situación, resolver la dificultad que se presente y desem peñar el, trabajo mejor que otra persona de mente no cultivada, o que posea escasa y estrecha infor mación.

El que está acostumbrado a usar su mente sin duda podrá ganar más dinero que aquel que no lo está, pe ro "¿qué representa el dinero para aquellos cuyas mentes no están cul tivadas?" Es preferible ser rico de mente y corazón y pobre de dinero a tener las riquezas de Creso y no en contrar placer sino en los goces ma teriales que brinda la vida. "Pero," insistirán algunos, "¿de qué me sir ve ir al colegio si no he de obtener una posición mejor después que ma gradúe?" Siguiendo la misma ma nera de razonar podríamos pregun tar :¿Para que siembran flores los que no las pueden vender ? ¿ Para qué estudiar música si nadie me ha do pagar por oírme tocar? ¿De qué me sirve ser bondadoso con esta persona si no me ha de recompen sar?

Hay muchas cosas que en el úl timo análisis demuestran tener un valor material que aparentemente no poseen, y que al mismo itempo poseen un valor espiritual ilimitado tanto en un principio como en el análisis final. Puede ser que nadie compre mis flores, pero es posible que alguien se ofrezca a comprar mi casa entusiasmado por la belleza que le presta mi jardín. Nadie pa gará por oírme tocar pero mi mú sica puede proporcionarle ratos de solaz a otros, conseguirme amigos, abrirme las puertas de la oportuni dad para entrar al campo del éxito financiero. Nadie me pagará por ser bondadoso pero me querrán más por ello y seré mejor considerado como vecino y como empleado si soy bondadoso.

Muchas cosas no se hacen por el

mero hecho de ganar dinero, pero sí por la oportunidad que ofrecen de enriquecer y hacer más bella la vida. Si el que entra a colegio no lleva consigo estos ideales deberá traer los consigo cuando salga del cole gio.

Los placeres de la belleza, de la amistad, y de la bondad no pueden ni deben ser juzgados a base de di nero,—tampoco debe serlo una edu cación de colegio. Cuatro años de colegio pueden al final proporcionar grandes dividendos financieros, pe ro éstos tendrán ínfimo valor si los comparamos con los valores inapre ciables de la simpatía, de la com prensión, de la confianza en los de

más y el aprecio de todo lo que es bello y bueno.

Algunos colegios y universidades pasan por alto una fase del desarro llo cultural de sus alumnos y la más importante de todas; la pre paración moral y religiosa. El Po litécnico no pasa ésta por alto sino que le asigna el sitio que merece, al colocarla sobre el más alto pedes tal. Los fracasos más grandes en el mundo son los fracasos morales así como los más grandes éxitos son los éxitos morales. Pero esto es ya de por sí un tema que merece no un artículo, sino cientos de artí culos aparte.

Prof. Jarvis S. Morris.

En la actualidad se está escribien do mucho acerca del Colegio de Ar tes Liberales, y juzgando por lo es crito, cabe la pregunta si tal colegio tiene lugar en la civilización moder na. Como es bien sabido por todo estudiante de educación, antes se da ba énfasis a la cultura y la discipli na mental mientras que en la actua lidad hay la tendencia de poner el énfasis en la preparación para la vida práctica.

Es la opinión del que escribe estas lineas, que el sistema de educación, desde los grados elementales hasta la Escuela Superior y aun de la Uni versidad, puede enmendarse, y es el colegio de Artes Liberales el que puede influir en este sentido, cuando éste dé importancia al desarrollo de la mente del alumno de modo que tenga un concepto correcto de la filo sofía de la vida. , Será concedido por todos que toda acción debe prece derse por un pensamiento serio y detenido y, cuando las acciones no son correctas, hemos de reconocer que ha habido defecto en la manera de pensar.

Nadie duda que el colegio de ar tes liberales ha tenido una influen cia muy benéfica hasta aquí y creo que su influencia puede ser aun más importante si se tiene cuidado en po ner el debido énfasis sobre los cursos que estimulan ideales correctos y un conocimiento amplio del mundo en que vivimos. Todavía algunos insis ten sobre la necesidad de disciplina en la educación y por lo tanto, dan

tanta importancia al estudio de ma temáticas y los idiomas, aun cuando el alumno no piensa hacer ningún uso práctico de tales estudios. En cambio, otros dan importancia a los cursos que preparan para el comer cio e industria y casi llegan a con vertir las escuelas en escuelas vocacionales. En tanto que dichos cur sos ayudan al desarrollo intelectual del alumno tienen un lugar en el co legio de Artes Liberales, pero si es simplemente con el fin de preparar al alumno para una u otra vocación, ya es de ponerse en duda si tales cursos deben formar parte de un co legio de Artes Liberales.

Según nuestro entender los cursos que deben ofrecerse en un colegio de Artes Liberales son como siguen; Primeramente un conocimiento del idioma que ha de usar el alumno que sea bastante amplio para permitirle expresarse de una manera correcta y convincente; y un estudio de lite ratura que le ayude a apreciar la lec tura sana y amena. Luego cursos en biología, física, química, astronomía, geología y otras ciencias, que dan al alumno un conocimiento del mundo en que vive y le haga apreciar las bellezas de la naturaleza. Un estu dio de la psicología y sociología, que ayudan al estudiante a conocerse a sí mismo y a la sociedad en que vive. Un estudio de la historia, no sola mente para conocer lo pasado, sino para aplicar las lecciones que nos en seña la historia, a las condiciones de la actualidad. Es verdad que la his-

APUNTES DEL DECANO PROF. C. A. LEKER.

toria no se repite en su totalidad pe ro sí en parte, de manera que un es tudio de ella nos instruye para evi tar los errores del pasado y al mis mo tiempo hacer uso práctico de los triunfos ya alcanzados. Además, un estudio de la economía política debe darnos los principios básicos de la industria y el comercio, y un estudio de la política y el gobierno debe re cibir la debida atención para evitar el sentimentalismo y corrupción. Un estudio de los problemas de la ciu dadanía debe convencemos de que tenemos deberes que cumplir para con la sociedad en que vivimos, y así el individuo se eleva a un nivel más alto. Por fin debe haber ins trucción en la religión y la moral, pero sin sectarismo, para que se re conozcan los ideales mas altos y pa ra que la vida se desenvuelva en un ambiente que dé crédito a las más altas aspiraciones. De este modo puede realizarse el ideal de una so ciedad elevada.

Con todos estos cursos debe dar se un lugar importante al trabajo manual para que todo alumno re conozca la dignidad de la labor y es te ayudará un tanto a la eliminación de las distinciones de clases que no deben existir en un democracia.

Una Aclaración.

Algunas personas comentan con insistencia y se quejan porque la Universidad de Puerto Rico o alguna otra institución de rango universita rio no acepta los créditos correspon dientes a

1. Cursos en los cuales el candi dato obtuvo notas de "D" o su equi valente.

2. Cursos incompletos.

3. Cursos que no son aceptables para el grado que se persigue en la institución de referencia.

Podemos informar que ninguna institución que esté al nivel de las instituciones modelo acepta notas de "D" excpeto en casos muy raros. Tampoco acepta créditos por cursos incompletos aun cuando los cursos hayan sido tomados en ella misma. Todos los cursos deben ser termina dos antes de que se pueda conceder créditos por ellos. Todos los años el Instituto Politécnico se ve en la ne cesidad de rechazar algunos créditos de personas que vienen de otras ins tituciones porque los cursos corres pondientes no son aceptables aquí para el grado de Bachiller en Artes. De la misma manera, alguna otra institución cuyos requisitos para el

Bachillerato en Artes sea algo di ferentes a los nuestros, puede recha zar algunos de los créditos obtenidos en el Instituto. Por ejemplo, el Ins tituto, por ser una institución priva da de carácter religioso, aunque no sectario, requiere cierto número de horas en el estudio de la Biblia y Educación Religiosa. La Universi dad de Puerto Rico, por ser una ins titución del Estado, no acepta los ciéditos de Biblia y Religión siguien do el procedimiento de muchas otras instituciones.

Es conveniente que los estudiantes y otras personas interesadas se den cuenta de que estas diferencias en cuanto a la manera de juzgar los créditos surjen constantemente aun entre instituciones que han sido acre ditadas. No se debe esperar que una institución acepte todos y cada uno de los créditos obtenidos por el soli citante en otra institución.

En una reunión que se llevó a ca bo el miércoles 12 del mes en curso con oficiales de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, el comité que represen taba al Instituto fué informado que la Universidad acepta y ha estado aceptando a prueba créditos con no tas más altas que "D," que hayan si no terminados, y que sean equivalen tes o similares a los cursos ofrecidos en la Universidad para el grado que se persigue.

Por otra parte el Instituto aumen tará el número de horas requeridas para algunos cursos básicos a fin de que haya mayor equivalencia en cuanto al número de horas que se exigen allí y aquí.

Esperamos que estas indicaciones sirvan para crear una mejor inter pretación de la situación y evitar de este modo comentarios algo equivo cados que son perjudiciales tanto pa ra el Instituto Politécnico como pa ra la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Nos han informado que un comité de la Universidad de Puerto Rico ha de visitarnos en el mes de setiembre. Nos agrada este anuncio. El Politéc nico siempre se complace en recibir las visitas de sus amigos.

INTERESANTES ASAMBLEAS.

Nuestras Asambleas se celebran regularmente los viernes de cada se mana. Recientemente éstas han si do muy interesantes por tener algo especial en sus programas. En la de julio 24 el profesor E. M. Cald-

well del Departamento de Historia, del Politécnico, nos disertó sobre "Los nuevos descubrimientos cientí ficos." Primeramente se nos llamó la atención hacia muchos descubri mientos que son de utilidad para el hombre, pero luego se dió énfasis especial a los descubrimientos en el campo de la medicina. En este cam po el progreso ha sido muy notable. En la asamblea del 31 de julio tuvi mos el honor de tener entre nosotros al muy honorable Comisionado de Educación de Puerto Rico, el Sr. Jo sé Padín, quien pronunció un dis■ curso muy acertado que copiamos en otra sección de este Boletín. Hace unos diez y siete años el Dr. Padín visitó el Politécnico por pri mera vez, y en aquel entonces éste contaba con dos años de vida so lamente. En esa ocasión el Dr. Pa dín vino a inspeccionarnos, como un oficial del Departamento de Educa ción, para ver si éste podía acredi tar el trabajo de nuestra escuela elemental. En esa fecha el Politéc nico no tenía nada más que un edi ficio viejo, pero a pesar de carecer del equipo que debe tener una es cuela pública, el doctor Padín que dó tan bien impresionado con el ca rácter de nuestro trabajo y con las posibilidades del Politécnico, median te los planes de su fundador, que no vaciló en recomendarlo al Depar tamento para que fuera acreditado. Mediante su reccomendación fuimos acreditados y este fué el primer pel daño que hacia su reconocimiento el Politécnico escaló como institución educacional. Desde esta fecha en adelante el doctor Padín siempre ha sido un amigo sincero del Politécni co y su visita reciente nos ha com placido en extremo. Es el deseo sin cero de la facultad y los estudiantes del Politécnico que el doctor Padín y su muy distinguida señora repitan pronto su visita.

—:[«o»]:—

HIJOS DE MINISTROS.

Según un estudio hecho hace algún tiempo, se encontró que los hijos de ministros llevaban la ventaja sobre los hijos de cualquiera otra profesión en alcanzar puestos de honor o de alta responsabilidad. Si esto es ver dad el Politécnico puede jactarse de tener entre su cuerpo estudiantil a algunos que en el día de mañana de ben alcanzar fama, puesto que en la actualidad tenemos un número con siderable de hijos de ministros. En-

tre éstos están los siguientes: An gel Archilla, hijo del Edo. Angel Archilla, de Mayagüez; Armando Gon zález, hijo del Edo. Eugenio Gonzá lez, de Palmer, P. E.; José B. Acevedo y Trinita Acevedo, hijos del Edo. Angel Acevedo, de Santurce; Dwight Santiago, hijo de José Santiago Ca brera, de Mayagüez; Juan Orlandi, hijo del Edo. Juan Orlandi, de San Juan; María Virginia Díaz, hija del Edo. Josué Díaz, de Adjuntas; Eafael Boissén, hijo del Edo. Agustín Boissén, ya difunto; Eegina Gómez, hija del Edo. Eamón Gómez, de Aibonito; William Morales, hijo del Edo. Eamón Morales, de Peñuelas; Margaret Harris, hija del Edo. J. Will Harris, de San Germán; Eveli na Caldwell y Howard Caldwell, hi jos del Edo. I. E. Caldwell, de San Germán.

—:[«o»]:—

LA CONFERENCIA VERANIEGA.

La Conferencia Veraniega volvió a celebrar su reunión anual en los có modos edificios del Politécnico. Aprovecharon las cortas vacaciones entre el curso de la primavera y el verano, de manera que los estudiantes salieron el día diez y siete, y los miembros de la Confe rencia empezaron a llegar al día si guiente. Hubo un total de ciento veinte y cinco personas inscritas pa ra toda la Conferencia, además de un número considerable que partici paron de uno o más días de la Con ferencia. Esta s e extendió desde la noche del día diez y ocho hasta el medio día del veinte y cinco. Todos los asistentes a la Conferencia se unían en alabanza hacia el nuevo equipo del Politécnico y muy espe cialmente al nuevo comedor y a la comida tan excelente y abundante que se servía en éste.

Los discursos sobresalientes de la Conferencia fueron el del muy hono rable James Beverley y los dos por el doctor Ramírez, catedrático de la Universidad de Puerto Eico.

—:[«o»]:—

ACTIVIDADES ESTUDIANTILES.

El nuevo curso dió principio cele brando una reunión social bajo los auspicios de las dos Asociaciones Cristianas, siendo los huéspedes de honor los nuevos alumnos. La reu nión se celebró en la casa del Dr. Harris. Un programa ameno e in

teresante nos deleitó. Estas reunio nes nos dan una oportunidad de co nocernos mejor los unos a los otros y nos proporciona una oportunidad de esparcimiento social.

Hace poco las clases júnior, tanto la del Colegio como la de la Escuela Superior, celebraron reuniones socia les, la primera en el nuevo comedor y la última en el hogar de los es poso Acevedo.

La clase Júnior del Colegio ha re formado y ampliado el Kiosko, que recibió como herencia de la clase Sénior del año próximo pasado. Con las reformas y la nueva pintura tie ne un nuevo atractilVo y ya esfá abierto para el despacho de dulces y refrescos, y no dudamos de que será un éxito porque los juniors saben triunfar en todas sus empresas.

UN OLVIDO.

En nuestro primer número pu blicamos un ensayo muy interesante sobre el tema "Ventajas que ofrece un curso de Artes Liberales," pero se nos olvidó dar crédito a la autora de éste, quien es la Srta. Josefina Rodríguez, nuestra competente pro fesora de español en el departamen to de colegio.

—:[«o»]:—

VISITAS APRECIADAS.

A menudo tenemos el placer de recibir visitas de personas distingui das que vienen a pasar uno o más días con nosotros. Algunas personas son atraídas al Instituto por las co-

modidades que ofrece nuestra casa de huéspedes, a precios tan módicos. Esta se llama Costello Hall y es un sitio ideal para los que quieren des cansar por algunos días. Algunos de los huéspedes recientes son el Sr. Irving Wiltse, primer ofi cial de los Escuchas de Puerto Eico, y señora; el Sr. Frederick Krug, de la "Porto Eico Power C" y señora; el Edo. Gustavo Huf y señora, de la misión Luterana; el Dr. Alfredo Senn, geólogo de Puerto Cabello, Ve nezuela, y su esposa; y últimamente el Hon. José Padín, Comisionado de Educación de Puerto Eico, y esposa. Además el Dr. M. E. Drury está pa sando unas semanas en Costello mientras su hijo P. W. Drury y se ñora permanecen en el Norte. El Instituto se complace con las visitas de sus amigos y simpatizadores y les convida a visitarnos en todo tiempo para inspeccionar nuestros edificios y las diferentes industrias que el Instituto sostiene.

UN ESTUDIO INTERESANTE.

En la noche del 22 de julio la cla se de Historia del Viejo Testamento fué convidada por el profesor Morris y su señora para una reunión en Costello Hall. Después de una con versación amena todos se traslada ron a la azotea del edificio para es tudiar el planeta Saturno. Por me dio de un pequeño telescopio pudie ron ver los anillos de Saturno. Se gún la hipótesis nebulosa los dife rentes satélites de los planetas tu vieron su origen en anillos similares a éstos. Esta teoría armoniza admi rablemente con la relación de la creación que se encuentra en el pri mer capítulo del libro de Génesis.

DEPARTAMENTO DE AGRICULTURA.

Hace más de un año que el Ins tituto está desarrollando el depar tamento de agricultura pero no ha bía podido conseguir la persona verdaderamente capacitada para dirijirlo hasta estos últimos meses que se han contratado los servicios del señor I. E. Miles. El Sr. Miles se hará cargo de éste departamento en septiembre. Posee la preparación universitaria y el entusiasmo nece sario para alcanzar el éxito que se desea.

El Sr. Miles encontrará para em pezar quince vacas Jersey, seis novi llas y un ternero; cerca de doscien tas gallinas entre Plymouth Rock y White Leghorn, dos razas muy co nocidas en Puerto Eico por los bue nos avicultores; dos jardines, uno de los cuales fué preparado reciente mente gracias a un donativo del Sr. Clarence Harris, Vice-Presidente del Instituto; una finca de guineos, veinte cuerdas de pasto, una vaque ría moderna de concreto con máqui-

BOLETIN DEL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO

na eléctrica para cortar yerba, y una docena de cerdos Poland China.

Ya que Puerto Rico es primordialmente un país agrícola, el Instituto quiere que sus alumnos conozcan por lo menos los rudimentos de la agp-icultura y cree que los maestros especialmente deben conocer los prin cipios básicos de todo lo relacionado

con esta fase de nuestra vida. Estos conocimientos podrán adaptarse fa vorablemente a la enseñanza en las escuelas rurales y en las segundas unidades de la Isla, y los graduados del Instituto podrán salir con esta prepai-ación adicional para prestar una ayuda aún mayor en las escue las en que trabajen.

DEPARTAMENTO DEL ALUMNI.

Cartas Apreciadas.

A continuación publicamos con su mo gusto unas cartas que testimo nian el aprecio que hacia el Politéc nico demuestran algunos de nuestros graduados. Estas manifestaciones de cariño por parte de los miembros del alumni son muy apreciadas. El Po litécnico tiene justo orgullo de sus hijos y al mismo tiempo cuenta con su más decidida cooperación en todas sus empresas.

"El Instituto Politécnico, en mi opinión, es el mejor colegio en Puer to Rico para adquirir una educación completa. Allí no solamente se ad quiere la educación académica, sino que también otras cosas muy nece sarias para la formación del carác ter, tales como la instrucción indus trial y religiosa.

"Lo que yo soy en el presente lo debo a esa gran Institución. Allí aprendí muchas cosas importantes que me han éolocado en sitio estra tégico para hacerle frente al porve nir con decisión y valor. El Institu-to Politécnico me preparó no sola mente para ganarme la vida, sino también para vivir una vida útil que es lo mejor que una persona puede poseer."

Juan A. Nazario.

Si se le preguntase a un niño las razones que tiene para querer a su madre, probablemente contestaría con una encantadora falta de lógica: "Porque es mi mamá" ó simplemen te, "Porque sí." Y aunque no supie se explicar i-acionalmente su cariño, nadie dudaría dé él, porque en reali dad existe sincero y puro sentimien to en su alma infantil. También a los mayores nos sucede así a veces, al tratar de explicar un intenso afec to tal como el que sentimos por nues tra Alma Mater los graduados del Politécnico.

El Instituto Politécnico nos dió las armas para luchar y vencer en la

batalla de la vida. Nos educó física, mental y espiritualmente. Nos dió todo lo que necesitamos para triun far en esta complicada civilización nuestra..

Juan Ortega Méndez. Moca, P. R., mayo 20, 1931.

El Instituto Politécnico es inolvi dable para mí. A él debo todo lo que sé. Hasta las penas, si es que así pueden llamarse las que allí pasé, dejaron una impresión agradable en mis recuerdos. Allí han transcurri do escenas inolvidables de mi vida.

Idida Frank.

Cuando pienso en las colinas del "Poly," me siento feliz. Desearía poder hacer un gran servicio al Poli técnico.

Carlos Irizarry. * * *

Es mi Alma Mater y me siento orgullosa de ella. Me brindó una opor tunidad para terminar mi Bachille rato en Artes y para continuar luego mis estudios en William and Mary

College, uno de los colegios más an tiguos de Estados Unidos. Mary McAllister. *

El Instituto Politécnico es el sitio que más quiero. Es mi segundo ho gar. Allí se formó mi carácter. De bo todo lo que soy a ésta institución y a sus directores.

Lucy Frank. *

El Instituto Politécnico me hizo un hombre verdadero. Todo lo que soy se lo debo a él.

César Mercado.

El Instituto Politécnico ha sido mi segundo hogar, por muchas razones. Allí se formó mi carácter; allí crecí física, moral e intelectualniente, allí me preparé para vivir una vida más perfecta.

Leonor Nazario.

—:[«o»]

EN PERSPECTIVA.

En la Asamblea del día 7 de agos tó la Srta. Esther M. Delgado, gra duada del Politécnico de la clase de 1928, nos dirigirá la palabra. Hace unos años que la referida señorita viene trabajando en Maracaibo, Ve nezuela y ella nos hablará de sus impresiones y algunas de sus expe riencias en aquel país. En la Asam blea del día 14 de agosto nos hablará el profesor Antonio Rivera y en la de agosto 21 el Sr. Hull, director de "Porto Rico Progress" hará uso de la palabra. Apreciamos mucho la ayuda de estas personas que contri buyen a que nuestras asambleas sean a la vez más interesantes e instructivas.

AL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE SAN GERMAN.

Polly, bella Institución de mi alegre juventud Recuerdos imborrables y lejanos.

Eres el porvenir en nuestras manos La intelectualidad de un pueblo y su salud.

Tus hermosos edificios columpiados por la brisa que saluda tus colinas. Traen a la mente visiones peregrinas de límpidas auroras y cielos despejados.

Tu eres el mañana con bellos horizontes Y brindas a mi patria un porvenir risueño. Donde todos unidos por el Pencil Riqueño seremos poderosos como lo son tus montes.

Tu brindas a mi pueblo las dulces esperanzas que ocultan nuestros pechos cansados de luchar.

Corramos a tus lomas para el Cristo adorar que trae a este Terruño tan gratas bienandanzas.

BOLETIN DEL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO

Eres del pensamiento la idea cristalizada en el magno cerebro de un hombre visionario, Y guardas en tu seno cual lindo relicario la libertad de un pueblo por todos ya soñada.

Y en la larga cadena de las Antillas Ibéricas. Tu serás, ¡oh noble y grande Institución! El ideal convertido en el mágico eslabón que ha de unir las dos Américas.

Luis Murphy Cardona. San Germán, P. R., Mayo de 1931.

IMPRESIONES PERSONALES DEL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO

Después de haber residido en el campo de esta institución por cinco meses, durante los cuales me he aso ciado íntimamente con el Presidente y el claustro de profesores, compar tiendo con ellos sus varias activida des, me siento ahora capacitado pa ra hablar de ella a base de obser vaciones y contactos directos. Se me había dicho que era ésta la úni ca escuela de ideales y administra ción cristiana, con normas y equipo de colegio, en toda el área de las Indias Occidentales, o sea, dentro de un radio, de mil millas. Estaba, pues, interesado en comprobar personal mente este aserto. Efectivamente, hay en esta región numerosas escue las que funcionan bajo auspicios cristianos, todas ellas de gran valor práctico y educacional; pero no exis te ninguna, fuera del "Instituto y Colegio Politécnico de San Germán," que tenga equipo y rango universi tario, con edificios y comodidades modernas, y con una facultad com petente. ¿ Cuáles son las pruebas do esta importante afirmación?

Primero, podríamos hacer la si guiente pregunta. ¿Cuándo es un colegio cristiano? No lo es por su nombre solamente, ni por el curso de estudios prescrito. ¿Y enton ces ? Lo es sólo cuando está fun dado y dirigido con el propósito de promover el cristianismo de Jesu cristo, desarrollando un carácter cristiano en sus estudiantes. Ha de ser cristiano en el espíritu, en los propósitos y en la práctica de idea les y principios cristianos. Ha de ser cristiano en el mismo sentido en que un hombre puede llamarse cristiano, esto es, cuando en su ca rácter y en su vida muestra ser un sincero seguidor de Jesucristo: ¿res ponde esta escuela a la descripción oue acabo de hacer? Veamos.

Recientemente tuve ocasión de vi sitar la oficina de la señora Harris, ciecana de mujeres cuando, buscan do evidencias del carácter cristiano de la institución, vi, en un sitio pro minente de una de las paredes del salón, un poema en forma de oración, dos de cuyas estrofas copio a conti-

tudiar la lección bíblica del siguiente domingo, bajo la dirección del Rdo. J. S. Morris, pastor del colegio. Di cha escuela bíblica se congrega a las 10:00 A. M. y se requiere la asisten cia a ella de todos los estudiantes que permanecen en la institución. La mayor parte de los maestros son miembros de la facultad, aunque, no todos. Por la noche, el pastor predi ca y también deben los alumnos es tar presentes. Son breves estos ser vicios, tienen música inspiradoi-a y se conducen en una atmósfera de completa reverencia. - También he asistido a numerosas recitaciones en psicología. Biblia, li teratura inglesa, administración co mercial, etc. y me ha impresionado vivamente la fidelidad y honradez con que todos los profesores hacen su trabajo. Estos y otros aspectos de la vida y actividades del "Institu to Politécnico," han ido acrecentando día por día mis favorables impresio nes de la tan necesaria labor que rea liza en pro de la juventud, distribu0 Tú que ascendiste la pendiente de la vida, Y anduviste la senda de la mocedad.

Señor nuestro y aun nuestro Hermano, Guíanos ahora hasta la verdad. ;>

Que sea tu vida el lazo fraternal que nos una, , Y tu amor sea la ley que nos rija, Que tu nombre, proclamado por todos los labios, ' Esta escuela por siempre dirija. Visité luego el hermoso comedor, donde asistí al servicio matinal, a las b:15, después del desayuno, al que todos los estudiantes asisten con sus Biblias e himnarios. El Presidente Harris, o cualquier otro miembro de la facultad, conduce este servicio devocional de una manera muy intere sante, y los alumnos toman parte en la música, lectura de las Escrituras y oraciones.

La Asociación de Jóvenes Cristia nos celebra reunión todos los jueves en el comedor, después de la comida. Soy miembro de dicha sociedad y asisto a estas reuniones a las que concurren setenta y cinco o más jó venes. Se da un animado programa, hay buena música, y los estudiantes participan gustosos en las oraciones y pláticas. Al mismo tiempo, la so ciedad de señoritas cristianas condu ce un servicio similar en el edi ficio Borinquen, domitorio de las niñas.

Otra reunión de marcado carácter religioso es la de la facultad y maes tros de la Escuela Dominical, en ca sa del doctor Harris, los jueves a las 7:00 P. M., con el propósito de es

yendo su saludable influencia en una sabia dirección intelectual, espiritual y social. ,.

Esta escuela educacional en los trópicos tiene otro elemento de ver dadero valor. Tiene enseñanza ma nual o departamento industrial. A to dos los estudiantes se les exige algún trabajo manual. Tanto los jóvenes, como las señoritas tienen su diaria tarea y así, no sólo forman hábitos industriosos, sino que aprenden algo mucho más importante: la dignidad del trabajo manual. He ahí por qué creo de suma importancia este as pecto del programa educacional del Instituto y Colegio Politécnico. Así, pues, desde cualquier ángulo que se le mire, ya por su espíritu de servicio cristiano, ya por su apo yo en la fe y la oración, por su cons tante lealtad a principios e ideales cristianos o por su espléndido espíri tu de compañerismo entre la facultad y los estudiantes, resulta siempre al tamente loable. Por todas estas ex celentes cualidades, mis impresiones del Instituto Politécnico son inmejo rables.

Dr. M. R. Drury.

NOTICIAS DE INTERES

GENERAL.

Siempre el día de graduación es día importante, tanto para los que se gradúan como para la institución que tiene el privilegio de graduarlos. Así el día diez y siete de junio se destaca entre los días del año en curso, porque en él se graduaron unos ocho jóvenes y señoritas de la Escuela Superior del Politécnico, y unos treinta y nueve más de curso de Artes Liberales. Algunos de es tos estudiantes habían estado con nosotros durante un período de seis

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

PORTO RICO

SAN GERMAN,PORTO RICO

Tip. Puerto Rico Evangélico, Ponce, P. R.

años, terminando primeramente su curso de Escuela Superior y luego su curso de Artes Liberales. No es extraño que algunos lloraran al sa lir del Politécnico. El "Poly" es pa ra ellos un hogar y al separarse de su Alma Mater sienten una profun da pena. Pero no solamente los que parten experimentan esta pena sino que los que quedamos también parti cipamos de ella. Nos regocijamos con ellos por su triunfo después de tanto estudiar, pero nos sentimos a la vez tristes al pensar que en el nuevo curso se notará la ausencia de los que por tanto tiempo convivieron

con nosotros en esta vida estudiantil. El Instituto se siente orgulloso de la clase que acaba de graduarse y no tenemos duda de que los miembros de dicha clase sabrán poner en alto los ideales que sustenta su Alma Mater, en dondequiera que se en cuentren.

Los ejercicios de graduación fue ron espléndidos, sobresaliendo espe cialmente los dos discursos de las se ñoritas Irene Bravo y Ana Livia García, y él del joven Cándido Oli veras, y muy particulamente el dis curso del honorable James Beverley, Procurador General de nuestra isla.

LLUBERAS COTTAGE.

Entre los edificios espléndidos del Politécnico hay varios que se han construido para el alojamiento de los profesores con familia. Casi sin ex cepción dichos edificios han sido re galados al Politécnico por hombres y mujeres filantrópicos que ven en el Instituto una esperanza para Puerto Rico. ¡Qué prueba mejor de fo y confianza en el programa del Instituto Politécnico!

El edificio cómodo y hermoso que presentamos fué regalado al Instituto Politécnico por el bien conocido fi lántropo, don Arturo Lluberas. Des de un principio dicho señor se ha mostrado amigo del Instituto porque simpatiza con sus ideales y ve en és te una verdadera bendición para la juventud de la Isla.

PólyTechiiic^ Institute Bulletm

San Germán, Porto Rico, September, 1931

Address given by Dr. José Padín, Commissioner of Education of Porto Rico, at the Polytechnic, July 31, 1931.

The purpose of the Polytlschnic Instituto of San Germán is to ed úcate the mind, to exercise the body, and to ennoble the heart of the in dividual. The school itself is the great work of these three organs wisely coordinated and firmly impelled by Dr. Harris. It is plain, then, that its educative program should be based on the same foundations that constitute its essence.

I remember the modest beginnings of this Institution. About seventeen years ago, when I canie to examine it in order to accredit its elementary department, all that I could see Iiere was an abiding faith and a strong will facing the future, and the heroic determination of founding a good school. There were neither buildings ñor sufficient equipment, yet one could find students and teachers, and directing them all, a mind, an arm, and a heart. The purely and necessary accessories was lacking, it is true, but the most essential, what really forms the school was there. I am not surprised when 1 realizo that the Polytechnic Ins tituto could overpower the material humility of its origin and become what it actually is. The lack of accessories is not a hindrance when there is an abundance of faith, a strong will power and a firm obstinacy in a glorious triumph. Take heed, jouthful group; see yourself reflected in the mirror of this noble example: a firm purpose, a clear mind and a noble heart, can result in the triumph of great enterprises."

We ought to edúcate the mind.' There is an American proverb which wisely says that the head is too noble to be relegated to serve as a mere hat-rack. It is quite true. Why not assign to it functions that would harmonize more with the lofty posilion that it occupies? Truly, tlje mind ought to be trained. What we bear on top of our shoulders resembles very much a broadcasting station. It receives and

forwards messages to all. Most of the news that come from the outside is in the form of dots and lines which demand an interpretation. The physical condition of the machinery determines the degree of cfficiency with which these messages are received, interpreted and transmitted. Life depends on its sound functioning. When you do not expect it the static, that horrible enemy of the broadcasting stations, interrupts every thing and bring.s confusión.

In the world of thought inactivity takes the place of the static and becomes the great "bull" in the way of intelligence and thought. Short waves are of no avail then. The only things that can counterbalance its destructive effects are a constant effort, a discontentment with easy tasks, and a firm determination to reject as a merciful gift what can be cbtained honorably through hard work. When a person turns to the lists of answers before attempting to solve any problem, he is either already an incompetent individual or is in serious danger of inactivity. The way to truth is not a tarred road of happiness and ease along which we can go riding comfortably. It is rather a steep way amidst thick forest of hindrances and misfortunes through which we can only walk.

Among other things intelligence possesses an executive and an utilitarian aspect. Little by little, in proportion to its development, it has taken the form of a powerful arm defending humanity.against environment. When well trained it becomes a useful instrument for the daily toils of life, something that can be compared to the trunk of the elephant that raises with the same ease a heavy beam and a small seed. This does not mean that we need to give ourselves wholly and to dedicate our lifes to the enlightenment of our intellect as if it were all and every

thing in our existence. Let us not exaggerate lest it should happen to US like to those small crabs which have more legs than body. I want to warn you against intellectual arrogance. Many people speak with Prahmanic disdain about the chosen minorities. Some pretend to despise democracy because the equality of opportunities that it implies opens wide the doors to intellectual freedom. Certain pseudo-intellectuals are afraid that their ideological monopoly may come to an end. Beware your professional degree lest it should take hold of your head. Develop your intellect but always bear in mind the idea that knowledge imposes duties and obligations and that it does not justify everything as vanity. "Noblesse Oblige." Train your mind and let it resemble the powerful trunk of the elephant ra ther than the worthless long-legged crab.

W^e need to excercise the ¡body too. It is true that man does not live on bread alone but he can hardly go without it. Since its very beginings this Institution has been al ways consecrated to the ennoblement of manual labor through the realization of the dignity of work. This has been accomplished not by the theoretical encouragement to its benefits as much as its practical application. It is demanded óf all its students, both the wealthy and the poor, that they should pay a part of their tuition with their own direct efforts and the work of their hands. The student leaves an impression, a vivid mark of his contribution to the success of a noble cause, while he takes with himself ithings that go together to form his character, such as the habits of punctuality, earnestness, diligence, activity and truthfulness. The action is reciprocal. The school moulds the char acter of the students and these, in turn, form the school. This is the main characteristic of the Polytech-

nic Institute. It would be a great pity if it ever comes to lose such a worthy virtue. I do not know of a better way of giving prestige to ma nual labor except by making it a part of our own life. A good and varied stock of ideas is not so valuable as when it is accompanied by certain manual abilities. The painter needs to learn how to paint; the musician how to play bis instrument and to compose at times; the doctor, the writer, the jeweler, the ever good ebonist, all need to be trained in the art of handling implements of labor. In an ideal world good and wonderful conceptions and happy imaginings would fit one for life, but in this age of labor, and hard labor indeed, execution becomes essential, and the arm, as the executive organ, is the way along which all intelligence flows.

We need not exaggerate the importance of the arm and attempt to n]Ould the whole mass of humanity into artisans and workers. Fortunately, or perhaps by misfortune, any kind of manual exaggeration will not bring forth a dangerous situation in Porto Rico. Our economic condition would have been very different if we had paid more attention to the practical needs of life. The most common thing would have been that in the virgin land of América more attention be paid to the conquest of the means and the development of natural resources. The fact that this has not been done, and the further fact that the means of subsistence has not increased in proportion to the growth of the population, explains in large measure the very serious situation which today confronts us and threatens our very existence.

We need to edúcate the heart. Puré and applied Science in their hideous unión, proved during the World'War that if man continúes to progress cnly along one direction he will finally destroy himself. Of course, we are not going to blame science for this, neither are we going to attempt to check the easy flow we see in its influential course. All that we need to do^ to correct the working wrong is to tame the beast that each of US bears within himself, to give rise to a sincere sentiment of unscrupulous justice, and to ennoble the heart, truly.

I regret to confess the great truth that in this island of ours the "buí-

ly man" lives in the most favorable reputation. Is Mr a business panther? Many say yes, not to reproach bis- cunning vileness but rather to admire him and bis commercial abilities. Some even envy the "remarkable cleverness" of those who deceive their neighbors, even their friends. I have heard one of the leaders of our business world saying, "I am a wild beast in my line," meaning "I get what I want." And truly he is what hé thinks he is, a wild beast but he should not boast of bis disgrace: it appears as if a hunchback were proud of bis hump and would insist in exhibiting it everywhere, but out of order.

Any one who has read Quevedo's 'La vida del Buscón" (The life of the Rogue) will remember that Pablillo, the hero, after exhausting every possibility of knavery in the Peninsula werit to the Indies in or der to continué bis roguery in a wider field. Our "clever" tigers, panthers, and jackals of our social jungle are descendants of the great rogue, Pablillo. It would not be so pitiful, after all, if all these business wolves would likely remain in the forest; the trouble is that they in sist in practicing their "abilities" satisfying their appetites in the daytime, under a shining sun, patiently known by a great majority of

people who tolérate, admire and even envy them.

We have to edúcate the heart. I was told on one occasion by one of our good men—^we have them by the millions, that in this life we should go and try to do all that we can do daily. He meant to say that we should not abuse our strength, ñor our talent, and even less our own goodness. We should not be beasts, petulante or pharisees.

We are told very often of our Greek and Román culture and of our duty to keep it as unadulterated as possible: The essence of Greek culture was temperance in all, that is, the sense of just proportion. The Greek would not exhibit bis hump and, even less, boast about it. If it is true that we have been endowed with such a priceless fortune and if we want lo be preserved puré, it seems to me that we should do all possible to keep alive the Grecian spirit of temp erance, symmetry and proportion.

Let the Institute keep its program firmly settled on the tripod of mind, arm and heart; let it not lean more on any one of them impairing thus their importance and its existance will be justified forever. After all, the justification of its being is the primary function for every organism in a world that purposes to rise from chaos to cosmos.

MALNUTRITION AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN PORTO RICO.

By Carmen Martínez.

This article is heing published, not only because the contení will be of interest, but also as an illustration of student thonght. It is our contention that a liberal arts training should produce thinkers, who are sane and stable in their mental reactions. We believe that this production shows evidence of such thought—Editor's Note.

Everybody knows that the youth of today ai'e the men of tomorrow; that the boys and girls of the present are the citizens of the future; that it is the business, perhaps the obligation of the nation to do as much as possible for the peace and welfare of the country so as to provide security for the members composing it. The best way for the achievement of this security and welfare is by the educátion of the individual, and very specially by the educátion of the children.

When we say "educátion" we sometimes mean "instruction," on ac-

count of the use of the word, but I mean here by "educátion" the de velopment of the intellect, manners, soul arid body. Each of them is needed for the other; in a way they are complimentary. For example, the development of the mind cannot be attained without a well developed body. We must not forget the saying: "A sound mind in a scund body." In a weak and sick body we very rarely find a soul with good feelings and noble sentiments, a sick person is hard-hearted, never has a good opinión of bis neighbor and most of the time is ill tempered.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUYE BULLETIN

In Spanish we have a saying, "a sick man never has a good heart."

We shoulcl be grateful to our Lord that He has given us a government that provides for part of that t^ducation to the children and in some cases to the adults. In our schools we have three aims: the mental and physical development accompained by a good moral character.

But perhaps it is a disgrace for US to he handicapped by a very serious problem throughout all the Island, and although many attempts have been made to overeóme it, the public authorities interested in this have succeeded only in part. Im agine! The majority of children can not attend schools as they should on account of malnutrition. Either they do not attend regularly or have to abandon school at an early age.

If a stranger to the economic situation of our Island should see the list of absences in the public schools he would think that parents here care very little for the instruction of their chidren. But it is not in their power to find a remedy for it, since pauperism is prevalent here, especially in the rural zone, where they cannot provide food for their children, and sometimes do not have clothes to send their children as clean as they should be to attend school.

The peasant of Porto Rico in the conditions in which the Island is found and the prevailing slavery here on account of the working conditions imposed by corporations, spends not over fifty cents per. day for food. Imagine a large family, composed of a husband working sometimes ten hours daily, the wife in charge of all the domestic duties, and then with eight, nine or ten children, that is the usual number of sons a peasant has to provide with food and clothes.

The result is that they have to divide the money so as to find cheap food to satisfy their immediate nec5ssity, so they do not look for food that although in small quantities would have much iiutritive valué. Also here enters the factor of ignorance on the part of their fathers, for they do not look for the quality of food but for the (luantity.

The result is that parents are in very poor condition of health, so they

íare incapable of producing healthy children. Handicapped by this weak heredity, a weak constitution could be helped if they could have proper food for their development, but it happens that in their childhood they live in poor houses with food of poor nutritivo valué; and when they reach the adult age they marry soon and have to find food for a large family again and then we have the repetition of the whole process.

As I have lived the largest part of my life in the country in contact with peasants, I myself have been the witness of a child coming from school at noon, and the mother has for him a small piece of bread, some times nothing at all, and the son takes his book and in that condition returns to school. Besides he has had for breakfast a small cup of coffee without milk and nothing else. In the afternoon he comes and lucky for him if he finds rice and codfish for. his dinner. Now, is that the diet a school boy must have? No wonder parents insist in having them outside school, and sending them at eight or nine years to work! Work ing they can get more money and have a better living. No wondér we can immediately see the reflection of the "anemia" in their faces, and the sister Tuberculosis coming beside tbem. This is the state of our pea sants in the Island. Malnutrition! Malnutrition everywhere!

And this same condition is found also in town, although not so frequently as in the country.

Many of our prominent men, as F. M. Zeno in "Concurso Literario" say that one of the direct causes of this malnutrition is due to the disappearance of our small landholders.

Years ago, when Americans took possession of Porto Rico the island was divided into many small tracts oí land belonging to many differént small proprietors. These were not cultivated with sugar cañe as they are now, but with "frutos menores" that provided good nutritivo food for the owner and all his "agregados." People had not to depend upon a miserable wage to buy rice and beans, for they had potatoes, "legum bres," salads, meat, eggs,"gandules," milk, "frijoles" and other things that today are a luxury in a peasant's home. But the small land holder has disappeared because the rich American offered him a fabulous sum of money for a small piece of land leaving the proprietor as a stranger and as a wage earner. It is not possible for the sons of these in dividuáis to be successful in school in a state like this.

A few months ago, the Legislature in search of a solution to the problem of pauperism, that brings with it malnutrition, was discussing the plan of introducing in the Island Malthusianism. The excess population is terrible here. This brings unemployment, which brings Pauper ism, and Pauperism is the cause of Malnutrition.

The conclusión to this is that our worker is the one who works harder, has less money and less food, in relation to the work, has many sons to send to school, and although against his wishes, they cannot attend school regularly on account of the sickness due to their poor physical constitution. This problem of Mal nutrition among School Children at present has no solution.

THE SECOND UNIT SCHOOLS IN PORTO RICO.

By Luis Angel Toro.

(This article is being piiblished nof only bfcavse the rontent is intc esting biit also because it shows the evidence of thonght But this and the preceeding article are each one of three term pnpers reqnired from each stvdent in School Adniinistration).

A few months ago while I was teaching a Sunday School class near Cabo Rojo, I saw a child whose right hand was wounded. AS I was looking at the little waif and pitying his condition, a young man came to him and said: "Listen, why do you not go to the Second Unit School and ask

for some medicine so that you may get cured?" This phrase took pos session of my mind, and since that time I have been especially interested in the study of the Second Unit Schools.

The idea of the Second Unit School was introduced into Porto Rico five

or six years ago, bearing out the cpinion of Presiden! Hoover when he said that the great economic problem of this island may be solved through hard work in agriculture, and in making our whole island produce more than it is really producing. The Department of Education for Porto Rico, willing to edú cate the child of the rural districts in the best possible way, started, during 1929, what.we cali "la segun da unidad rural," (the Second Unit School).

Education gives us the ability to cultívate our land properly. Edu cation is the road which leads us to the solution of our economic problems. It will bring the teacher and the man of the rural district into a better understanding of our economics and will serve as the base for the building of the great future society of the country people.

There are today in Porto Rico 27 units schools. In all of them we find some children of the wealthy man of the town but these are very few, and of course we will find tbat the vocational school is 1009r rural. A child must have completed his fourth grade in order to enter this school, and should stay here until he has finished the eighth grade. During these four years the child may study the usual grammar school work as well as the student of the public schools. At the same time the child takes his four years of voca tional work which will throw him into practical life and prepare him to challenge the difficulties of this world.

Agriculture is a required course and is studied theoretically and practically. Ninety minutes daily are dedicated to the practical study in the garden. There the child learns how to cultívate the land, and how to plant and harvest the best crops. It is noticeable that the vege tables and the animals that the children raise are for their own use. They learn how to cultívate the soil but at the same time they are trained how to eat the best foods so as to keep their bodies in a healthy condition.

In the carpenter shop of the Second Unit School we find the children working on furniture. They make tables, beds, eradles, and many other useful things for the home. When the pieces of furniture are fini.shed the children may pay the valué

or cost of the material, and they may take what they have done freely to their homes. When I visited the Second Unit School at Lajas I saw the boys of the carpenter shop build ing fine chairs. They also were making hats and baskets out of straw which they themselves got from the field.

In the Second Unit School of San Germán, at Sabana Eneas, I could see the children in the shoemaker's shop fixing their own shoes and doing the work nearly as well as any trained shoemaker. "I explain the things only once, and they do the work soon and correctly," were the words of Mr. Viei-a, teacher in the shoemaker's shop in the Second Unit School at Sábana Eneas.

There is also a department for young ladies. One hundred and fifty dollars (150) annually are used in this department. Mrs. Toro, from Cabo Rojo, told me that she was teaching these girls how to prepare their meáis in a scientific way. They had learned how to set the table, and how to manage a home in all respects. These girls look for those students who are undernourished so as to give them special food. Mrs. Toro is preparing the future wives and the future mothers of Sa bana Eneas and I think these classes in domestic science are going to cause a revolution in the lives of the people of our rural districts. Everything is going to change because the future wife is going to cook scientifically. As a result, her children will grow in a different way. The sanitary conditions of the home will not be like those of today, and she will help her husband to live long and to do better.

The social worker is doing wonderful work in the Second Unit Schools. The social work is the outgrowth of the oíd idea of charity. It is the modern concept of work, which above all, is ideal in its effoi-t to n.ake people help themselves. The religious idea of charity in its aspect of love is carried on to help humanity in the rural districts. The social worker goes to visit the parents, but she does not mention her business because she is supposed to study the economic, social,- and san itary conditions of thé family. If the family needs food the social worker does not talk about this matter with them. As she knows the conditions, she gets food from the

municipality (as is done frequently) and goes to help the needy. The social worker teaches the people to have everything clean so as to avoid deseases. As Mr Padín, commissioner of Education, said; "We all know that children in many of the schools are not able to do their best work because of illness or undernourishment. It is hard to say how many lack proper nourishment because of the parasites that are also living on the food they eat. It is necessary to ti'eat their deseases, and to cure them. This is real "welfare work." There is danger that they will go back to the homes having dirty kitchens and will become contaminated again, as they have no shoes, by the polluted soils, After a short time the child is back where he started. The cure has disappeared and he is re'infécted because of the unsanitary conditions. The social worker has to treat families as if they were her relatives. She has to love them, always bearing in mind that as a social worker she is responsible for the sanitary conditions of the people. In cases of sickness the social worker may make use of the medicine chest of the Second Unit School. In this chest we may find lodine, Mecurechrome. Absorben! cotton, sterilizer and gauze, etc. As Miss Maria C. Silva, social worker of the Second Unit School at San Germán, told me, "The medicine chest of the Second Unit School is the sanatorium of the people in the rural districts."

The Second Unit School is doing very efficient work in Porto Rico. Surely this movement is going to help us a great deal in solving our problem of economics.

At Lajas the other day I noticed that the poor women could buy milk from a dairy or milk deposit under Miss Monin Santana, social worker there, for only one cent a liter. This cooperation forwarded by the Depart ment of Education and the Depart ment of Agriculture with the Depart ment of Health is of great importance to the island. This is the work of the legislature of Porto Rico that votes for a budget of thousands of dollars for those who really need help. It is the help of the municipalities that pi-ovides land, buildings and par! of the equipment for the second unit schools. It is the co operation of the Insular Governmeñt that pays the teachers' salaries.

This branch of education wholly

for the children forwards a great movement. This is for the children of the rural districts and for the country in general. It is the wise legislation of those who love our country, and the impartial aim of others who remember the words of the great teacher, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

THE TEACHER'S QUALIFICATIONS.

How many letters after his ñame? er support the Several? Good! They count, but school in which —how does he work? Well, he works "A college caí hard nearly all the time, but takes without superior enough rest and recreation to keep teachers. B co sweet. And he works equally well in attracting to with others or alone. He knows men and womei everyone does not do it his way, but p.nd scientific tr£ he makes allowances and receives been loyal to th and gives help graciously while em- the college, an ployed with another in a common teaching and as task. onts an inspirinj

are bound to be disappinted."

Another qualification of a teacher is the ability to recognize the best in others and not be too much con cerned about their worst. A teach er is one who can differ with an other and keep his temper and his friends; one who knows that telling is, not teaching. A real teacher has Eunice White Harris. ® "visión which reaches to the other side of men's faults and perceives their difficulties, temptations and er support the management of the struggles." thev are woi'king. a r i a i. i j ^ ^ A successful teacher prays, he does

"A college cannot be truly gi-eat things at times which he does not without superior teaching and great üke to do. He recognizes talent, but teachers. B college has succeeded bows before spiritual power. He is in attracting to its teaching staff eager to win souls. He does not men and women of fine scholarly -w-ork in his own strength alone. and scientific training and who have been loyal to the spiritual ideáis of cannot do it alone the college, and who have found teaching and association with students an inspiring task." ^'^ht goes out in the sky; Personality counts in a teacher's ^ ^® qualifications, and personality can be Shall win in the end developed. and I."

Does he realize any problems of Personality co the administration ? He fails at qualifications, an times to see the administration's developed. point of view, but he is loyal and he Unselfishness knows his wbrk is only part of an ested in another cntire plan, the success of which can- i.s puré gold on t not be realized until his fraction of Teaching is a it is in harmony. ■ i? working for "Young man," said a wise man of few," says Une wealth, "go ahead and plan your col lege, but remember this—your trou- ® " bles will not be finances so much as teachers." To secure teachers who Some i are big enough, whose wives imítate ^ that oíd bird about whom it was Teachers kno

Unselfishness which will be inter- A wise teacher listens to his ested in another teacher's department Bible. Discouragement is a Chal is puré on the teaching staff. Ic-nge. "Fear thou not; for I am thankless task—who with thee—be not dismayed for I thanks? "Migbty am thy God; I will strengthen thee; few," says Unele Eben, "and they yea I will help thee."

"It's not enough to know enough to hold your place today Its not enough to do enough to earn your weekly pay. Some day there'll be a vacancy with greater tasks to do. Will you be ready for the place when it shall fall to you?"

Teachers know that leaders are Teachers trust in Higher wisdom. Icnely, that duty doing brings un- They know to "Lean Hard"

■ ' Icnely, that dut "A wise oíd owl sat on an oak popularity. The more he heard the less he spoke The less he spoke the more he heard Why can't I be like that oíd bird?"

"Child of my love lean hard And let me feel the pressure of thy care I know thy burden, child, I shaped it, Poised it in Mine own hand, made no proportion its weight to thine unaided strength." CONTRIBUTIONS. April to July, 1931.

The young man's difficulty lay in Pe choosing right—choosing teachers In who would deem it a privilege and an honor to build from the beginning with almost no tools at all, teachers who have "The spirit of self-sacrifice" which "stays not ,to count the price," to select teachers who love young people of any race, who can be true friends to other teachers and Dr. J. Will Har to students, who care more for the Mr. Clarence Hs fineness of a man's soul, than for Mr. C. A. Leker

the size of his hat, teachers who can see past weariness and toil and heartache the finished product; teachers who think three generations ahead while putting all their manhood into the present; teachers who know enough to move on to another field when they can no long-

$448.00 Mr. Clarence Harris

234.70 for Vegetable Garden

RELIGION IN THE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.

Porf. Jarvis Morris.

Religión is as much an object of study in the Institute as History, Mathematics or Languages, since no life is complete -w-itliout religión and morality. Bible, Ethics, and Religious Education are in the re gular college curriculum with twelve term hours required for graduation It is however the rare student who does not elect more than twelve hours in these fields before he graduates.

As there could be no culture without the appreciation of beauty, there can be no culture without integrity, just honest to goodness, goodness. The uncultured man is the selfish, careless, thoughtless individual who does not see his place in a great moral scheme of things. Feeling about religión as we do, it is no wonder, then, that it is as much an object of practico in the Institute as Athletics, Forensics, and the like. Students are required to attend reverently to Church School and Divine Worship each Sunday, to mid-week devotional services, and to daily morning inspirational ser vices.

Some time ago the writer asked all the students in his classes to indicate which class of religious instruction of practico was to them the most spiritually nourishing. He requested them to rank the following services and classes:—the course in Oíd Testament History, the course in the Life of Christ, the mid-week expressional services, the daily morn ing prayers, the Sunday School, and the Church Worship, in the order of their moral and spiritual valué to them. He requested that the papers be unsigned. To his surprise the Church Worship averaged first and the Church School, second. One would think that the students would prefer their own mid-week expres sional service^ to all others. It is however a sign of spiritual health for a group of young people to enjoy and valué most the formal worship and sermón. It shows that they are not seeking channels of religious expression and inspiration mixed with other elements, but the puré, deep-flowing stream of truth. To state it another way, they do not enjoy church because they can meet their beaux or belles there, or for

any other social reason, but because they can enter there into the beauty of holiness. The young men and young women sit on opposite sides of the building.

It is the custom at the Institute to conduct a quarterly communion service toward the end of the quarter. There is never a communion without a reception of members on profession of faith. About two-thirds of the boarding students are members of the church. Thirty-three have been received in the past year on Confession. An effort is being made to preserve these young people in Christian work on the Island by ccnferences with them before they gradúate, letters to the pastors of the Evangelical Church of their towns, and letters of dismissal and recommendation to the churches. Since Puerto Rico is small and isolated, we feel the need of means to broaden the visión and widen the mental and spiritual horizons of our students. Last quarter a mission study class was held for six consecu tivo Monday evenings by the pastor. An average of twenty-five young people entirely voluntarily attended those classes and participated in the discussion of "The New Africa," using the textbooks of the same ñame by Donald Fraser.

Particularly because of the need for greater spiritual visión and the desire to teach practical Christian Stewardship, the every member canvass was begun as an experiment for one quarter only a week ago. More weekly pledges have been received already than there are members in the church, since quite a number of the non-members made pledges to aid in the local and foreign Christian work, because they have seen the need and want to help. Less than ten members of the church have not made pledges to date. Over $150 has been pledged for the quarter, October to December. Each subscriber will be given twelve envelopes numbered and dated for the twelve Sundays in the school quarter. A careful record will be kept and notices of delinquency sent out, that the habit of regular and systematic giving may be encouraged.

The Polytechnic Instituto is a dis-

tinctly Christian but non-sectarian, institution working toward the end of preparing the young people of this Island for positions of moral and intellectual leaderships among their fellows.

—:[«o»]:—

PREDICTION OF SUCCESS IN COLLEGE.

For some time the writer has been interested in the problem of predicting scholarship in college. A more equitable selection of students at the beginning of the college course would save a great deal of misplaced effort and would tend to prevent grave disappointments.

Recently, as a result of a questionnaire covering a number of points connected with the early life of in dividuáis, the following named points of difference appeared between sup erior students and those below médium in class standing:

No superior student was ever be low gi-ade for his age.

No poor student was ever in a grade above that for his age.

More than half of the superior students marked algebra as a subjtct they liked especially well, but less than one-fourth of the inferior group like it.

In the superior group about 50% of the cases showed one or more grandparents who had gone to high school or college, while in the in ferior group not a single grandparent had gone as far as high school.

Superior students tended to mark "Ambition" as a quality which they have more frequently than did the inferior students.

Parents and relatives of superior students seemed to have more heart and lung trouble than was the case with inferior students.

Thei-e was no significant differcrce between the two groups in;

1. Amount of manual labor performed before coming to the Insti tute.

2. Age of entrance to and grad uation from the various schools, through which they had passed, except that over-age students were all inferior.

3. Amount of sicknses, irregularities at school.

4. Politically parents of the two groups seemed to be equally prominent.

5. Both groups seemed to have about the same number of books.

magazines, and newspapers in their homes.

6. There seemed to be about the same number of books read each year, voluntarily.

7. There seemed to be no nationality difference.

In two other investigations materi al has been collected which tends to show that the record one makes v/hile in high school is one of the best indicators of what he will do in college. Our correlations be-

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUYE BULLETIN

tweenj high school and college records of the members of our 1927 and 1928 classes are .77 plus or minus .03.

An achievement examination developed at the Institute secured a correlation of .66 plus or minus .06 with the high school record, and it has been used to examine students who come with rather poor high school records.

Intelligence tests have preved less satisfactory, resulting in correlations not more than .40.

OUR CARPENTER SHOP.

The sirenl It's fifteen past seven in the morning. Át this time, we ge to our newly reformed carpenter shop to meet oíd machines, oíd men and oíd peons, with new improvements, new boys, and new "bachcllors" carpenters. Mr. Padilla, the experienced boss, greets us with a smiling face and his usual joke. Work starts amid a true laughing atmosphere impregnated with a "short cut breath" of the accustomed tardy boys who have been late by a few moments.

Five minutes have passed and everybody is at his assigned job. On one hand we see oíd faithful Popo teaching one of the "fresco boys" how to plañe a piece of cruffe capa wood with an instrument that the boy has never seen; other ex perienced boys have started the motor, the mechanical saws, and the planes, which begin whistling, due to their enormous velocities. Still cthers, the small kids, have procured brooms and are sweeping and raising dust as if they were in a "gold dust" contest. In this complexity of work, hours go by and seem rather too short to the hard worker, yet to the lazy one they are not hours but years. Another whistling of the siren and the one-hour workers leave. And so on until at 11:15 only the hard workers who work four hours daily stop the mechanical ma chines to refuel their human ma chines in the new dining room.

Life is not hard in the carpenter shop, for we now have a concrete floor which prevents the dust clouds that in past years wei*e a hindrance to our health. Also we have a big cir cular saw which goes at 2,000 revo-

lutions per minute and which occasionally sends into the air a sharp whistling of a very high pitch. There are new benches with new vices. We can find new saws, perfect planes, hammers, hatchet etc.—all very sharp and ready to give service. These new improvements have brought with them new plans. Four hundred chairs for the dining room are under construction. There is a lot of puré capa wood to make them because we want them to last as long as the Institute exists. .Shelves for the new library have been made. Mahogany chairs for the Science hall have just been finiched. The laboratory of the Department of Biology has been em-iched by beautiful cabinets with sliding glass doors made in the carpenter shop. In the near past all the ma hogany work in "Casa María," the home of Captain and Mrs. H. B. Heylman, was done by us in our shop. In short, the equipment is such that almost any finished work can be prepared.

We, the workers with Mr. Padilla, can not forget the daily visits of our dear President, Dr. Harris. No sooner do we hear the snuffing of his horse or the tapping of the heels of his boots than we get to work as rapidly as possible, so as to increase in "grace" and ranking. He leaves, and the normal is reassumed.

If one cares to learn an occupation, he finds a good oppor-tunity here. We are not treated as peones, but as learners. If we happen to spoil a piece of wood we are taught in the right way to avoid further troubles. Yet some of us have been in there for years and would rather say.

"That is not my vocation." Our shop has prepared some students so well that great opportunities have been cpened to them later. in life. Work always dignifies.

To finish the day's work, Mr. Pa dilla asks jokingly for the pencils— for we very often take them home— and if we care to stay a few minutes longer another new joke will surely cntertain us. In conclusión, we might add that such woi'k is rather pleasing and helpful to the mind as well as to the body.

—:[«o»]:—

SOCIOLOGY AND ECONOMICS Department Established.

For several years we have felt the need of a strong Sociology and 1jconomics Department. This is now made possible by the coming of Mr. T. Mathews,of New York City, a man who has completed all requirements for the Ph. D. Degree except some of the work on his thesis. His work was taken in Harvard, Boston University, and Colombia University. He has had experience not only as a high school teacher, but also as a staff member of the Psychological Clinic of Harvard, as Assistant in Educational Sociology in Colombia, and as Instructor in Middlebury College. Perhaps his wide training will enable him to help us to find partial solutions for our unsolved social and economic problems. He will offer one course for teachers begining September 29.

—:[«o»];—

LATIN AND PRENCH MAN COMING.

Mr. Wilfred Neff of Pennsylvania with gradúate work in French in Columbia University, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Grenoble, France, is to be with us to teach College Latin and French, begining with the opening of the Fall term September 29. He has had several years of very good and successful experience not only in high school but also in college. Those who are preparing to teach Romance Language, or others who expect to com plete requirements for the Masters or Doctors Degrees at a later time will be glad of the opportunity to take work in this newly established Department.

Israel Planell.

VISITORS.

Dr. B. K. Ashford—well known for his work to cure tropical diseases, especially anemia caused by hookworm.

Dr. Castle—discovered the use of liver extract as a cure for anemia.

Dr. Alfredo Senn-Geologist from Switzerland, doing work along his line in Venezuela, and Mrs. Senn.

of the Supreme Court of Porto Rico cnt of Baldorioty de Castro's techand Trustee of the Institute. nical school.

Dr. José Padín—Hon. Commissioner of Education of Porto Rico.

Hon. James R. Beverley—Attorney General of Porto Rico.

Miss Esther Delgado—gradúate of the class of 1928, teaching in Ven ezuela.

Rev; G. Huff—Lutheran pastor in Porto Rico, and Mrs. Huff.

Hon. Emilio del Toro—Chief Judge Mr. Manuel Aguayo—Superintend-

Capt. Wm. Henderson—of the Lykes Bros. S. S. C'

Dr. D. Díaz—professor of Ro mance Languages in Northwestern University, Chicago.

Feo. M. Zeno—Senator, San Juan. His son is in the Polytechnic.

Fernando Zapater, Ponce, member of Law Firm of Tous Soto. His daughter is a freshman in College.

Under present regulations we expect each student to pay in cash at least enough to pay for his board $37.50 per quarter. However, a number of very worthy students are not able financially to pay even that amount in cash. Fifty per cent of the members of our scholarship society are definitely handicapped fin ancially. The membership of this so-

STUDENT LOAN FUND.

ciety consist of 10% of our students who have the highest scholastic re cords. All of them are very willing to work as many hours as they possibly can do to help defray College expenses, but it is physically impossible for all to work enough to pay all College expenses. Indications are that these persons will continué to develop into definitely useful citi-

zens, and are, therefore, worthy of aid.

If we had a Student loan fund we might lend money to such worthy students, said money to be retumed as soon as possible and then reloaned to another worthy student. We propose to lend money only to those definitely superior and worthy, as \"ell as to those who are needy.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Tip. Puerto Rico Evangélico, Ponce, P. R.

Vol. 1, No, 4.

INSPECTION BY DR.

PAUL MONROE.

As a representative of the Middle 4* Atlantie Association of Colleges, to ^

San Germán, Porto Rico, May,1932

RESOLVED:

•5*^ INSTITUTE ACCREDITED BY i THE UNIVERSITY OF í PORTO RICO.

That the Polytechnic Inwhich we applied for membei'ship, stitute of Porto Rico be acDr. Paúl S. Mom-oe, Director of the 4» credited by the University International Instituto and Bamard ^ of Porto Rico, such accredProfessor of Education in Teachers' ^ itation to remain irt forcé as 4 Columbia University, New

X At the request of the Institute X some time ago that the University of ❖ Porto Rico approve its work, and at 4! the suggestion of Pi-esident Chardón of- the University, a joint committee was appointed to study the curri-

College, Columbia University, New 4* long as the Institute main- 4. -,^^3 appointed to study the curriYork City, carne on December 28 to tains a cun-iculum which culum and equipment of the Instiinspect our institution. ^ furthers the preparatoi-y, ^ fute. President Chardón, appointed cultural and vocational oh- represent the University, the Deán jectives of a Liberal Ai-ts. ^ of the College of Liberal Arts, Mr. College in hai-mony with ❖ julio García, the Deán of Adminis- i. ^ tration, Dr. Gildo Massó, and Mr. Pe,?• dro Cebollero.

also visited several of Porto Rico's second unit schools. Dr. Monroe is

fact, this is his third visit to the Institute at any time in Island. He is very definitely ínter- ¿ order to determine the ex-

teachers of Porto Rico in session in ^ Arecibo, he spent parts of several days on the Institute girounds. He ❖ standards acceptable to the L'nivei*sity, it being under stood that the University ested in its problems.

A A report of his findings at the .5. Polytechnic Instituto has been made to the executive committee of the "i* allow a reasonable amount Middle Atlantie Association. This 'S ^f time to comply with sugcommittee met on March 15. Í* gestions made. Jones, the President of

X On the part of the Institute, President HaiTÍs, Deán Leker, and Trustee, the Hon. Emilio del Toro, X Chief Justice of the Porto Rico

tent to which the required standards are maintained by ,j. presentatives of the University at the Institute, thereafter to the Institute on the last week-end in X April. After a thorough inspection 4* and a lengthy discussion as to the .5. ideáis and aims of the Institute, the Dr. Leroy Jones, the President of It is further understood University representatives retired ithe association, was kind enough to 4* that the accreditation ac- ❖ from the committee as a whole and point out to President Harris those ^ corded by the University to places in which the Institute falls f the Instituto will be withshort of the standards of the association. First, he finds us short in the number of books in the library. In X the second place, the Instituye needs 4' to have more heads of depattments ^ with the doctor's degi-ee, and in the J* third place, the present endowment is insufficient for a standard college.

The first lack is rapidly being met. At the present rate of purchase and ^ acquisition, the Library will have the 4*

within six months.

Toward meeting the second lack one professor has been employed to teach Physics and Mathematics, Dr. Roger Morrow, whose wife, Mrs. Jean Smith Morrow was a teacher at the Institute some years ago. Dr. Mon-ow comes from Miami Univer sity, Oxford, Ohio, where he has been teaching for the last two or three years.

This resolution shall not be interpreted as implying that the curriculum and standards refei-red to above ^ are ah-eady fully established in the Instituto. The Uni versity resolves to accredit the Instituto without further amplest opportunity for fur ther development as a Liber al Arts College and in the epirit of cooperation that ■should always anímate the two Institutions.

prepared the resolution which appears in the center of this page. The drawn when and if the resolution was then formally and standards required are not J unanimously adopted by the entire maintained. committee and placed in the hands of the Administrativo Council of the University for ratification. This was done in the first week in May and approved by the Board of Trustees at their regular meeting in the second week of May.

What does this accreditation mean to the Institute? First of all, it

means that there can be no more question as to the quality and acceptibility (within the usual conditions of transfers) of the work and credits of the institution. It thus restores the public confidence in this institution, which confidence was somewhat shaken last year when the new educational law was passed.

It further means that the Instituto work, the Instituto will not push the is cooperating with the University in actual accreditation in an association meeting the educational needs of the

The third requiremeht, that of the in the United States, but will never- young people of Porto Rico. And increased endowment, is by far the theless make every effort to bring obviously, it means that there is, and most difficult to meet. ' "

its program and personnel to those will be, the most cordial relations

Since the University of Porto Ri- acceptable standards of all good between the two institutions in their co has graciously accredited its liberal arts colleges. united efforts to meet these needs.

OUR NEW LIBRARIAN.

On April first Miss Fanny S. Gari tón assumed her duties as Librarían in the Polytechnic Instituto. For some years past she has been a successful mission worker in Manatí, Porto Rico, under the auspices of the church of the Disciples of Christ.

She comes to us, therefore, with a knowledge of the Spanish language, of Porto Rico, and especially of its young people, to whom her work has been largely devoted. We are for túnate in securing a person with varied interests and abilities, as well as professional training.

Miss Garitón is a gradúate of Hiram Gollege in Ohio and of the Riverside Library Service School in Galifornia. She has had experience in both public and college library woi'k. Under her able gruidance, undoubtedly our library will continué to expand and to be of greater service to faculty and students.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUYE BULLETIN

THE LAST BULLETIN— SPANISH TEAGHERS.

The last bulletin was received most kindly. About twenty of the four hundred to whom it was sent took the trouble to write us commending the paper or thanking us for sending it to them. We particularly appreciate the letters of Mr. Williaro H. Ridgway of Goatesville, Pa., who writes the "Busy Men's Gorner" in the "Sunday School Times," Mr. J. G. Patterson of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, one of the trastees of Westminster 'Gollege in the same city, and Mr. and Mrs. Glarence Smerdon of Brookline, Massachusetts.

We wish to build a permanent mailing list for the Bulletin of persons who are interested in the type of work we are doing in this Institution. One great service that the readers of this issue can do is to send us the ñames of persons whom we can enlist to help US with our program both morally and financially.

Another service would be the suggesting of openings in high schools or colleges for the teaching of Spanish. Our graduates are admirably fitted to teach Spanish in institutions in the United States because they speak English well (all the classes are conducted in English) and yet have Spanish as their mother tongTie. A number of them have such positions now and are doing exceptional)y well.

NEWS ITEMS FROM THE LIBRARY.

The mahogany tables for the reading room, which were a gift of the class of 1931, are now having the letters inlaid, and the new capá chairs for the reading room have been finished and installed.

One of the greatest additions to our books is that of the encyclopedia in Spanish, "Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada," edited by Espasa-Galpe. This is indeed a very comprehensive work and is already finding a place of usefulness among both students and faculty.

Other acquisitions of special importance are the sets of Havard Glassics and Encyclopedia Britannica. A large number of French books has been added to our collection, as we

Not only would such connections give the schools of the North better Spanish teaching and our graduates good personal opportunities, but they would help further one of the ideáis of this institution, that is, greater understanding and co-operation between Anglo-Saxon América and Latin América. Please drop a line to Deán Gharles A. Leker, San Ger mán, Porto Rico, if you know of such an opening.

are now offering French in the col lege course.

The Library committee, with Mrs. Palmer as chairman, and the library staff are certainly to be congratulated on their fine work. We have many plans for the future through which we hope to make the Library of greater service to students and faculty alike. We are receiving fine eooperation on the part of all.

We now have 7,286 books acceseioned and the cireulation is gi'owing daily. (Miss) Fanny S. Garitón.

AIMS OF THE LIBERAL-ARTS COLLEGE.

F. J. Kelly hasi prepared a thoughtprovoking statement of the objectives of the Liberal-Arts Gollege. He outlines in some detall three major aims; Preparatory, cultural or non-vocational, and vocational. The pre paratory aim includes mastery of: (1) the mother tongue, both spoken and ■ivritten; (2) foreign languages; (3) figures and mathematical for mulas; and (4) the language and symbols used to express the finearts—music, drawing, design, painting, etc. The cultural or non-vocational aim involves as much progress as possible toward the following goals:

1. A social viewpoint—^the appreciation of one's responsibility for social progress.

2. Perspective—the information, the social experience and the aesthetic appreciation required for judgments in line with social progress.

3. Initiative—requii-ed to insure against indifference or inaction.

4. Intellectual training—required to assure a trustworthy solution of new problems.

5. Self-mastery—required to as sure conduct in line with one's principies.

The vocational aim suggests the in clusión within the college of: (1) such knowledge and skill in vocations largely dependent upon general cul ture as will most nearly assure success in a given vocation with a minimun term of apprenticeship; and (2) those pre-vocational studies which are basis for the specialized cuin-iculums, but which are not themselves specialized to any considerable extent.

The North Genti-al Association Quarterly of June, 1931, contains a statement of Standards for Golleges. Among other things it states that a college is an institution, " which organizes its cur ricula in such a way that the early years are a continuation of, and a supplement to, the work of the secondary school and at least the last two years are shaped more or less distinctly in the direction of special, professional or gradúate instruction."

Misa Fanny S. Garitón.

STUDENTS FROM THE STATES.

There are a number of continental American stiidents in our stuclent body at ¡the pd-esentj time, but in order to fm-ther the ideáis of AngloLatin friendship we would be happy to enroll in the neighborhood of fifty more worthy and capable students in our entering classes of July 5 or August 22. Students who go from the western coast to the eastern colleges and universities are twice as far from honie in distance and equally as far in time, as students from the east ern states would be here.

The Institute can offer a number of advantages to American students which can noi^ be offei-ed by The eastern colleges:

1. Tropical' scenery and climate in which no winter clothes are needed and in which the thermometer seldom rises above 90 degrees.

2. The advantage of learning Spanish, one of the coming commercial languages of the world, in a country where it is spoken almost entirely.

3. The opportunity of observing another civilization and a much more ancient one than that of the U. S. A. proper.

In addition, the Institute can offer practically all of the advantages that are offered by the average email religious college of the East:

1. Training in character and re ligious valúes.

2. Dormitory life under sympathetic supervisión.

3. Athletics and extra-curricular activities.

4. A well-balanced curriculum.

5. A capable and well-trained Faculty.

6. Very healthful surroundings. San Germán is an oíd health resort. The worst disease that a student has had here in several years was scarlet fever—and only one case of that. What Ex-Governor Roosevelt broadcasted about the health conditions of the Island was true of the crowded plums of the cities and the neglected interior mountain regions, but in no sense applies to our two-hundred acre campus.and farms.

That, however, which the Instituto can offer, which should appeal to students at this particular time, when so imany students are having to give up their hopes for a college education because of financial conditions, is unprecedented economy. All of a

W Sril!í:¿eo^|Mk'¡"TrB.5Sjg

As the New Central Dining Hall will look when it is completad. The late owner of the New York-Porto Rico Steamship Company gave the money to start this building, but passed away before it was well begun. Friends rallied to the support of the project and contributed enough to finish the first unit. We are still waiting in faith for the friend who will come to our aid to com plete the rest of the plant. In this building is located the new temporary chapel.

student's expenses can be met, board, room (in re-enforced concrete dormitory furnished in solid mahogany furniture), tuition, and fees, with less than $30 per month.

An entire four year course can be covered in three calendar years, plus one summer term of six weeks, and all for the minimun cost of less than $1,000 plus transportation to and from the States. Good accommodations from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Tampa, or Galveston can be secured for from $50 to $85 one way.

Students who would not want to be away from borne for three full years at a stretch can drop out of school any semester or summer term foi a vacation and visit back home.

Parents who hesitate to let their children go so far from home can be assured that the Institute maintains the most careful physical as well as moral supervisión over the students, because of the fact that co-education is a faü'ly young movement in Latin América and careful chaperonage is very necessary.

Students interested in this institution should addi-ess Piieisident J. Will Harris, San Germán, P. R., for further information and application blanks.

THE CHAPEL PRO-TEM.

Until a permanent little cathedral is contributed to the school by some philanthropist, the rectangular room, thirty by eighty feet, on the first floor of the new dining room will be cquipped and used for Morning Frayer and Church Worship services. With paneled ceiling of texture stucco and a row of stately columns down each side, with tinted windows, ithe general appearance of the room will be such to inspire worship. It has been very difficult in the past to create the atmosphere of worship when church is held in the same large room in Marquis Hall which is used also for assemblies, progi-ams, and tven "stunts."

The new chapel will be far superior to the oíd place of worship, but our hopes are permanently set on having our "little Cathedral" some day. We have the site selected and are preserving it till "that day." It is particularly necessary that we have a beautiful and worshipful permanent Chapel here because of the Latin t-jmperament and traditions. The Porto Rican people are artistic and impressionable, and have been accustomed to worship in the beautiful and colorful churches of the Island.

(Continued on page 8, Col. 2).

VISITORS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN.

Mr. Gei-rit S. Miller, Director of the División of Mammals of the Smithsonian Institution of Washin^on, D. C., together with Mrs. Miller, spent two weeks recently in collecting plants, animals, animal remains, and Indian antiquities in and around San Germán. Mr. Miller has shown many of the Institute professors just how rich the surrounding country is in these things of both seientific and popular interest.

Equipped with a saw and machete Mr. Miller has gone through the In stitute forest with Dr. N. L. Britton, the greatest authority on West In dian. plants, sawing off limbs of trees to make a collection of Portorican woods to be studied under the microscope for cellular sti-ucture at the Smithsonian. He has visited two interesting Indian shell heaps, one on a desert island a few miles away, and one right above the campus on the Heylman estáte. These heaps have proved very facinating in that they have been secretly holding numerous plates, drinking vessels, and small digging implements, all made of the shells of the large ocean conchs by the Indians (Arawaks or Caribs) several hundreds of years ago. Some bones of extinct mamals have been unearthed, with the shell debris and broken pottery, of a number of varieties. Upon these in particular, Mr. Miller has fixed his keen mammalogist eyes with great pleasure.

A number of neighboring limestone caves have been visited also in the search for the remains of the lost mammals of Porto Rico. In one cave between Boquerón and Puerto Real Mr. Miller turned out the long, lime-covered, tusk-like tooth of an lextinct ground sloth, entirely unknown to the seientific world until a few years ago, when an anthropologist named Anthony found its bones in' a Portorican cave while looking for human remains.

Mrs. Miller, who is a member of the national council of the Girl Scouts of América, spoke to the student body of the Instituto on Friday, April 1, onthesubject of "Seien tific Collecting" and to the girls on the next evening on "Girl Scouting." On still another evening she spoke most interestingly to students and faculty on "Art and Art Forms."

THREE TRUSTEES VISIT US.

Happy is the institution whose trastees live cióse enough to visit it once in a while and keep pace with its program through personal observation. The Institute has labored under the handicap of having distant trustees (by necessity) from its founding, since its best financial support had to come from the United States proper.

From time to time in the past years, however, some ti'ustee has taken his vacation in Porto Rico and visited the school, but this winter more than usual have come for a few days to enjoy the hospitality of Loma Vista (the President's Home) and examine the work of the college.

First carne Mr. William H. Stewart, real estáte broker of New York, young, active and keenly interested in everything in Porto Rico, particularly, in the Institute. He ate fresas, the Porto Rican strawberry of the mountains, toured the campus and farms, and saw a great deal of the student and faculty life in the two days he squeezed out for the Ins titute from the less than four he spent on the Island.

Then came the Rev. E. A. Odell, newly elected trastee, on his annual rounds among the Presbyterian missions of the West Indies, for which he is Secretary of the Board of Na tional Missions. Wise, considérate, and well-poised, a life-long friend of the school, Mr. Odell brings to the Board of Trustees twenty-five years of experience in work in and for Porto Rico, and a thorough understanding of the problems of the In stitute. He began his mission work in the Island at about the same time President Harris did—they were both memhers of that young Porto Rican Presbytery twenty-five years ago.

A few days later Mrs. Roswell Miller, Sr., a trastee of a number of years standing, came with her niece, Miss Louis Edgar-, to stay a few days at Loma Vista. Mrs. Miller, genial, frank, and energetic, looked over the campus, visited classes and offered a number of helpful suggestions.

Mrs. Miller's son, Mr. Roswell Mil ler, II, is treasurer of our Board of Trustees, and Mr. Stewart, mentioned above, is her son-in-law. We are reminded of Paul's words to Timothy, "the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy gi-andmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice."

THE PRESIDENT OF THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION VISITS THE INSTITUYE.

It was a pleasant surprise to have President and Mrs. F. P. Keppel of the Carnegie Corporation visit the Institute a couple of months ago. Dr. and Mrs. Keppel were making a tour of the West Indies and stopped off in Porto Rico between boats. We were particularly happy to see them at the Institute because of the great debt of gratitute we owe to the Carnegie Corporation. It was this corporation which gi'anted to the In stitute the sum of $250,000 in 1923.

In his report to the Carnegie Corporation in 1923, Dr. Henry S. Pritchett, then President, says: "The grant just noted is the first expenditure which the Corporation has made in any part of the United States outside of its continental area. It is the hope of the trustees that a genuine interest in the educational progress of Porto Rico may grow up on the part of the citizens on the mainland of the United States."

It was such a pleasure to have Dr. and Mrs. Keppel with us that we "trotted out" our most festive occasion in their honor. In other words, we held an old-fashioned, typically Portorican pig-roast, (except that one of Dr. Harris' peccaries took the fortúnate pig's place), with baked plantains, and all the rest.

President Keppel viewed our Polytechnic Hills, our buildings, and our library. He noted that our buildings were "superior."

He gave a number of helpful sug gestions about the library, which the Library Committee has hastened to put into practico.

THE MELON TREE.

It is a tree, and its frait is a melón. It is called lechoza because its sap and juico are milky (leche, milk in Spanish) or papaya (proiiounced pa-pié-ya). The melons grow from the trunks of the tree and sometimos attain a weight of twentyfive or thirty pounds each. One of the wild trees on the campus at one time had by estimate over four hundred pounds of fruit on it. Each seed of these curious melons is wrapped, floating in water, in a gelatinous fack. The seeds are so full of pepsin that people often chew them after meáis and pharmical companies (Gontinued on next page, Col. 2).

MRS. EDISON'S VISIT.

Mrs. Thomas Alva Edison spent the day on the Institute Campus during the Christnias holidays, being entertained by the President and Mrs. líarris at Loma Vista. Mrs. Edison seemed particularly interested in the beauty of the hills and flowers. She took back with her a number of varieties of flower seeds to be grown iii hothouses in the north. She enjoyed a visit to the carpenter shop and showed particular interest in the beautiful native woods out of which furniture was being built.

Mrs. Edison took away with her a very substantial reminder of the In stitute in the form of two oíd mili stones, of the kind that have been in use in Porto Rico for over four hundred years for grinding corn by hand. It happens that Mrs. Edison is building a "Friendship Walk" at her winter home in Florida, to be inade of stones from many places, each to be carved with the ñame and address of the donor. It was for túnate that President Harris had these curious oíd stones among other curios, which he is saving for the Institute Museum, that we hope to have some day. When Mrs. Edison saw the mill-stone steps leading up to the patio of the beautiful winter home of Captain and Mrs. Heylman she remarked that she wished she had some such stones for her walk in Florida. Dr. Harris immediately bethought himself of these rough, round stones stacked away, and offered them, feeling honored to have the Institute represented in Mrs Thomas A. Edison's "Friendship Walk."

Mrs. Edison impressed us most by her sweetness and kindliness. She was not too busy seeing things to stop to talk for a few minutes with little campus children whose parents asked that they might be introduced to her so that they would find the study of the life of Mr. Edison more interesting, when they come to tire age of history and physics, by having met and talked with his wife.

Mrs. Edison was accompanied on her trips over the Island by her brother, Mr. John V. Miller, her sister, Mrs. Robert A. Miller, who has lived for many years in Ponce, and her niece, Miss Rachel Miller.

We wish that larger numbers of people would take their winter vacations in Porto Rico and visit our institution, one of the most interest ing and beautiful spots on the island.

❖ t

CAMPUS VISITORS. ±

The Institute has been X singularly honored this win- 4ter with the number of % visitors who have come to ^ study the school or merely ^ ^ to enjoy the winter May •I* weather and beautiful tro- ^ pical scenery of the Poly- ^ i* technic Hills.

i* Three institutions make visiting the institute a rare .j. X pleasure, unless our visitors X i" are too generous in their ❖ V f ♦!* •> words of appreciation: Loma .j. X' Vista, the President's Home, ^ ^ with its mammoth round *1* ❖ mahogany dining table and <. X trophies of many a chase, ^ Casa María, the interesting ❖ home of Captain and Mrs. 4- Heylman, and Costello, the Guest House of the Institute, i* overlooking the valley of a «J» X hundred palms. J •j* 4* The articles on these two 4» é pages are so grouped in -y order to encourage our read- ❖ ers to "go and do likewise." ^ ❖ 4* j ?

(Continuad from page 4, Col. 3). use them for making digestive tablets. Many persons suffering with dyspepsia have taken the extract of this melón seed without knowing what it was.

The fruit may be eaten ripe like cantaloupe, with salt and pepper or v/hen very ripe with whipped cream, which makes it taste like peaches. It may be cooked when green into very excellent preserves something like citrón or it may be cooked with a tough piece of meat to make it tender, for the fruit itself contains pepsin also.

Mr. Miles, the Institute Agriculturist, has plantad a larga number of the melón trees on sheltered hillsides and near the irrigation ditches to keep the dining room supplied with the healthful fruit. The trees grow rapidly, and begin bearing when about a year oíd. They produce for a year or two and then die. If, then, our gentle readers will accept our invitation to take their winter holidays ir Porto Rico and will visit our campus next winter we will treat them gladly to ripe papaya or "dulce de lechoza."

ON HEYLMAN HILL.

Captain and Mrs. Henry B. Heyl man arrived early in January to spend the rest of the winter on their estáte- above the campus. The first thing they noted was the remarkable growth of their trees and shrubs. Eucalyptus, Flamboyant, and other trees had grown ten feet in so many months. There was also a sti-iking increase among the White King Pigeons. Starting with less than twenty the year before, they now have over a hundred of the large dove-like birds.

Casa María has received a number of guests during the last few weeks. Among others were Dr. and Mrs. N. L. Britton of New York, Mrs. French Maxwell of Ensenada, Mrs. F. S. Bennett, Miss Edna Voss, Mrs. H. C. Louderbough, and the Rev. Edward A. Odell of the Presbyterian Board of • National Missions.

Two new institutions of particular interest on the hill are the cactus garden and the Arboretum, both of which are being built under the per sonal supervisión of Dr. Britton, the retired director of the New York Botanical Gardens. The cacti are being arranged according to familias in scientifically preparad beds of clay and sand. So far, twenty-three of the twenty-six endemia species have been collected from the nearby desert regions and transplanted in the gar den. The search for the remaining three still goes on. In addition, a rumbar of other varieties, which have been introduced into the island and become quite common, have been placed in the garden collection.

The Arboretum at present is made up of nearly a hundred varieties of native trees. A path winds about the hill and descends to the dcpths of the valley on whose sides are to be set all the kinds of native trees that can be gathered. Each tiee will be blazed and numbered so that a visitor may walk down "The Britton Trail" (for so is it called) with a key in his hand to tell just what every tree is, both in popular and scientific tei'minology.

A number of new terraces, walks, walls and flower beds have been built about Casa María ín the past few weeks. The Heylman home and gar dens are becoming more beautiful with each season of occupaney.

A view of one end of the Biology Laboratory.

Professor Palmer, the sénior member of the Institute faculty in matter of years of teaching at the Institute, has built up his department from almost nothing to its present condition. The newest acquisition is an insect case for collectlons of all kinds of local insects.

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DEAN.

LATIN AND FRENCH SCORES ARE

HIGH.

Professor Wilfred B. Neff recently gave standard tests to his Btudents in both Latin and French. He used the White Latin Test and the Colombia Research Burean French Test. His college Latin class which had just finished two-thirds of a year, made a median seore of 127. This median is six points higher than that attained at the end of one year of college Latin or two years of high school Latin in the continental United States.

In French I, after completing twothirds of a year's work, the class made a median score of 152. The score at the end of one year of col lege French, or two of high school, in the United States proper is 150.

In French II the class made a me dian score of 225. The median score at the end of four years of high school French is 207.

Mr. Neff and his students are to be commended on the splendid re cord made.

DISTRIBUTION OF GRADES.

In a recent investigation we found that over a period of five quarters of school work in College

our teachers gave 9.7% of A's, 18.4% of B's, 48.5% of G's, 19.4% of D's, and 3.2% of F's. These results were secured under our new grading isystem which requires teachers to rank students, thus making a normal distribution curve compulsory.

Before we adopted a system of compulsory distribution of marks our teachers varied from 0-41%, of A's, 0-48%, of B's, 0-75%, of G's, 0-48%, of D's, and 0-18%, of F's, all in classes of twenty or more students. In small classes the variation was gTcater.

LIBERAL

ARTS AND TEAGHING.

In 1930, W. H. Gooper, U. S. Gommissioner of Education, in an address befoi-e the American Association of Teachers Golleges, mentioned five guiding principies for the training of teachers;

1. The teacher must be, in the best sense of the world, an educated person.

2. The teacher should be able to make adjustments to suit the kind of world in which he lives.

3. The teacher shouíd speak the mother tongue accurately and fluently-

4. The teacher should be able to appreciate the finer things of life

and be a ci-eator in at least one field.

5. The teacher should have a mastery of professional literature.

The first four of the above are furthered very definitely by taking a liberal arts course.

HOW TO SELEGT TEAGHERS.

F. L. Whitney, in his "Prediction of Teaching Success," concludes that the order of influence of various factors is:

1. Student teaching.

2. Professional marks.

3. Physique.

4: Academic marks.

5. Intelligence.

6. Secondary School records.

He says; "The correlation between teaching success and student teach ing remains the highest correlation when all other variables are kept constant."

STUDENT EVALUATION OF GOLLEGE GOURSES.

Recently students answered certain questions concerning the courses they were taking in college. Averages were then derived for each class. All data below is on the basis of class averages.

The time spent in the preparation of an average lesson varied from fifty-two minutes in one course to two hours and twenty minutes in another.

There is only a fair amount of correlation between the amount of time devoted to preparation of a subject and the amount students think they learn in it, the correlation being 42 plus or minus .11.

Guriously enough the correlation between amount of time devoted to preparation and the estimated valué of the subject is higher, being 72.7 plus or minus .07.

The correlation between estimated valué of courses and the liking for the courses is 42. plus or minus .11. Iji estimating valúes students seem to take into consideration more than just their liking for the subject.

WHY GO TO GOLLEGE?

Parents and prospectiva stu dents will need to realizo that pre paration for teaching is not the only reason for going to college. Gollege training should fit one for adequate and more complete living. That it does so is evidenced by the fact that a large proportion of our leading men and women are college graduates.

OUR FRIEND, THE GOVERNOR.

The Institute does not go in for politics, but sometimes politics go in for the Instituto, and usually "for" and not "against." Last year it was that the Insular Legpslature favored US with a hill exempting the institution from the payment of taxes for ninety-nine years, since it is a philanthropic, educational, non-profiting organization.

Again, when, hy an oversight, some clauses were omitted from an educa tional hill which were interpreted hy the puhlic as injuring the Instituto, the legislators promptly at the next meeting of the hody presented an amendment which restored those clauses and put the Instituto on a par with all other liberal arts colleges of the same standing.

But, ahout the Governor—now, only a few months ago, one of the hest friends of the Instituto, the Hon. James R. Beverley, former Attorney General of the Island, was appointed hy President Hoover to the governorship of the Island. It was Mr. Beverley who gave the commence- , ment address to the fifth college class on the pórtico of the Marquis Hall last June, on the suhject, "What is an Educated Man?"

Governor and Mrs. Beverley come from Texas, from that same windswept seetion which produced our president and vice-president. Thay are Preshyterians. They are very friendly and sympathetic with the work on these hills, which hegan as an outgrowth of Preshyterian Mission work hut has now gone heyond the hounds of denominationalism. We are glad of the choice that Mr. Hoover has made, not hecause Mr. Beverley is a friend of the College, hut hecause he is, hy the general concensus of opinión, the hest man that could have heen chosen for the place, hecause of his wide experience and deep understanding of insulár affairs.

—oOo—

GROUP WORK UNDER Y. W. C. A.

"So that nothing may he wasted," is a text preached upon many times in the Polytechnic Instituto. This year it is heing applied to the exceptional talents of our women teachers and to those of the wives of our professors. Mrs. Mary Tooker Heyl-

THE NBWEST.

"It is the hest house we have huilt yet," says Mr. Clarence Harris, (Vice Pres. and Work Sup't., hrother of the President) as he surveys the cold concrete walls and drah scaffolding of the new Atwater Cottage rising out of the side of that magnificent hill overlooking the sloping lawn of the sheep pasture and the valley, lush with sugar cañe and dotted with palms.

"The garage is under the open porch; the living room goes clear across the front; here's the sleeping porch and there's the hreakfast room. No, there isn't any dining room, douhle sized sala, you see, for entertaining. Fine place in the hack for a garden; heavy, red earth just the thing for roses, and only a few feet from the irrigation ditch. Always a hreeze up here—sure is a fine house— going to huild me one like it in Texas some day "

The Rev. James P. Gillespie and his children, Misses Olivia and Bertha and Mr. James C. Gillespie, together with their aunt, Mrs. Anna C. Ropes, have given the funds for the four houses in the row, Atwater, Goodyear, Costello, and Gillespie. Three other persons are responsihle for Atwater's growing perfection, Mr. Stoughton, the architect of New York who has planned all the permanent institute huildings, Mr. Clarence, the efficient and versatile huilder, and Mrs. Palmer, who has added those suggestions ahout fixtures, details, etc., that turn a house into a creation.

man, also, whose winter home is near the campus, has helped hy teaching the girls flower gardening.

Organized groups of girls, under the auspices of the Young Women's Christian Association, are heing instructed outside the classroom hy our competent campus women, who have pulled diplomas and hooks out of trunks and, with delightful responso from the girls, are conducting classes in cooking, interior decoration, care of children, flower and vegetable gardening, temporáneo, raising of chickens, hudgeting, tithing, and saving.

Later in the year the different groups are to he addressed hy the men of the faculty on the suhjects of Missions, and Religión in the Home.

INDUSTRIAL ARTS PLAN.

The Instituto is endeavoring constantly to improve methods of teach ing and administrativo procedure, not only as applied to academic work hut also in c'onnection with manual labor and industrial arts.

In the past a largo part of the manual labor of students has heen of a practical nature only. In this form it has had two defects; it failed first, to acquaint the student with theory of hoth how and why work needed to he done; and second, to provide for a largo variety of work experience on the part of each stu dent in that one might he kept at the same work an indefinito length of time.

Furthermore, in the past there has heen no definite distinction hetween work done for training and work done for defraying school expenses.

Recently plans were made to in augúrate a new procedure, which we feel, will place our industry on an educational basis, will provide a variety of training, and will sepárate labor done for training from other labor done to help defray school ex penses. A conciso statement of the new plan is as follows:

1. A series of industrial arts courses are to he developed and ofíered.

a. Said courses are to he:

1. Standard college courses prohahly not acceptahle toward the A. B. degree.

2. Other practical courses.

h. Each course is to contain the necessary theoretical material as well as the practical. In general, the latter is to consume not less than half of the time, while it may consume more.

2. Freshman and Sophomore colkge students will he required to take a series of industrial arts courses. The specific courses to he taken hy any one student will consist of:

a. Certain hasic courses re quired of each sex.

h. Other elective courses.

1. Júnior and Sénior college students may take any of the in dustrial arts courses offered. (We cxpect to offer advanced courses at a later time.)

THE STUDENTS' PARADE.

Students are the same the world around. That same enthusiasm that students of Princeton show at a football victory over Harvard was revealed to be present in the "Poly" student body when the news of the accreditation was announced. How best to celébrate ?, that was the question. It was answered thus: get out the Institute truck, hire a "guagua," one of those buses that may be labeled "In God we trust," borrow faculty and town cars, decórate them all with pennants, banners,

❖ X

^ A

❖ Needed—Two Good Pianos. 4.

•I* X

^ We need a piano for the ,j.

❖ new temporai-y chapel, and

X another for Loma Vista on ^ i V

T whose porch and lawn we

V frequently have vesper serv- X X ices. It occurs to us that X

^ some of our readers may X

i* have used, but good, pianos X which they would be willing ^

^ to give to US. The tropics ❖ are hard on pianos and so X

X are we, for our students are T

^ very musical and use the X instruments a great deal. If ^

X you, gentle reader, have a X piano that you do not need, T or know of one that is not ,5. ^ needed, will you be so kind T f as to communicate with us? X

And from then on, we will ^ literally sing your praises. ^

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE BULLETIN

etc., and have a "big pee-rade."

Flying such banners as, "Now we are Accredited" "The University accepts our credits," "We are grateful to the University," etc., they paraded one aftemoon as far as Ponce and on the next moming to Aguadilla passing out handbills and giving cheers in all the cities and towns along the way. Oh, they had a great oíd time!

(Continued from page 3, Col. 8). We wish to unite the past and present in the architecture and adornment of

our Institute Cathedral to be built in the future on that central knoll between Marquis, Phraner, and the Heylman Athletic Field, thus suggesting the meeting ground of the physical, the intellectual and the social in the edifice of Worship.

Like a certain small town in the hills of Jersey which appears, from the hilltop over which the road winds, to be built about the oíd brown stone chnrch, our little Cathedral will stand with the other buildings of the campus grouped about its "beautiful feet."

The Carpenter Shop with some of the Capá chairs almost finished. Most of the boys work in this place, building doors and windows for the dining hall and Atwater Cottage and forms for the rapidly rising Veve Cottage, the memorial being erected in honor of the late Dr. Santiago Veve y Calzada.

INSTITUTE

Tip. Puerta Rico Eyangélico, Ponce, P. R.