Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1912 — COMMENCEMENT AT ST. JOSEPHS [ARTICLE]

COMMENCEMENT AT ST. JOSEPHS

Large Number of Visitors Were v.' In Attendance STUDENTS DEPART FOR HOME Wednesday In Large Numbers—The IMay “Hermigild,” Tuesday Night ' oted Great Success. Exercises for the seventeenth annual commencement at St. Joseph’s College were opened Tuesday evenipg, June 18. At 8 o’clock in the presence of a crowded hall the curtain in the college auditorium was raised and star actors of the' C. L. S. told the behutiful and pathetic story of “Hermigild,” prince and martyr of the fifth cen-, tury. The author of this excellent' play, The Rt. Rev. Msgr. John Oechtering. V. G., was himself present and expressed his pleasure and satisfaction in the play’s rendition. 1 Charles Bueehe, who played the part of Leovigild, King of Spain, l deserves mention for his excellent stage work and especially so do Leo Gnau and Urban Koehl who played a's the two brothers, Hermi- 1 gild and Recared. The wrongs inflicted upon Hermigild and the pity- j ful pleading of Recared for his brother’s life made the audience sway with emotion and at times

brought them to actual tears. In the opinion of many it was the best play rendered for several years. l Following is the cast of characters: I Leovigild. King of Visigoths.. Chas. Bueehe I Hermigild and Recared, sons of Leovigild.. Leo Gnau and Urban Koehl | Count Goswin, brother-in-law of Leovigild and Chancellor of the Realm.. Clarence Burkart Argimund, Duke and Commander-in-Chief. . Edward Shields Counts Agilan and Sisbert, Ambassadors of the King. .Edmund Eisenhardt and Michael Petzold Roderic, son of Goswin. .Theodore Fettig I Boso, royal officer and former tutor of Hermigild. .August Halter | Otulf and Agilulf, officers of the Visigoths. .Edward McGinty and Herman Daniel | Utolf, friend of Hermigild. .Lloyd Curby j Claudius and Comminius, Sevillian officers. .Richard Kuntz and Wil-’ liam Rachor Beoulf, blacksmith in Seville. .Frank Beuke j Fredo, peddler and traitor. .Anthony Pax Jailer. .Thomas Williams Teias. . . .Walter Barth Officers, Soldiers, Citizens. Musical numbers: Prologue from Pagliacci. . Prof. W. J. Nowak Violin Humoresque, Dvorak. .Master J. McGahey Alumni March. (P. Andrew) Orchestrated by Prof. W. L. Hovorka . . . .Orchestra i To the Friends that are Gone (P.* Andrew).. Prof. W. J. Nowak Air Varie No. 6 (De Beriot). .Mas-; ter J. McGahey Estudiantina Waltzes. (Waldteufel) .... Orchestra March Militaire. (Schubert) ... .Orchestra The Rt. Rev. Bishop of Ft. 1 read Mass and distributed Communion at six o’clock Wednes-I day morning in the College chapel 1 and at 8 o’clock the exercises werej continued in the auditorium. The speaker for the occasion, The Hon. Michael F. Girten of Chicago, was introduced to the audience by Clarence Burkart. Judge Girten is a pleasant and persuasive speaker; his deep thought i and excellent command of the English language' showed that he is a man of extensive learning. The Rt. Rev. Bishop in praising the gentleman’s speech said: “I don’t know that I have heard a better.” Hon.' M. Girten first recounted the rise and subsequent history of chivalry; the virtues of knighthood and the deeds it accomplished. Then passing to the 20th century he showed that chivalry, although not displayed so glaringly in our own age is still in the hearts of our Christian youth. He recounted some of the virtues which sbonld imbue the knight of our time; he should be master of himself; must respect others and make others respect himself; he must be a man of hope and an optimist, a man of moral truth and moral beauty for these virtues are

to the soul what life and health are tp the body r ; he must be outw-ard-ly Pure for man’s sake and Inwardly pure for God’s sake, and he must be prepared in this life for work, for without work there is no path to Success. The labor quesI tion and the problems of woman | and children employment are, he ?aid, excellent fields of labor for the modern knight. He has wrongs to right, weak and oppressed to protect, and law and liberty to make stable by justice. The speaker then closed with a few spec .a 1 words to the graduates of 1912, assuring them the best future success if they especially be temperate in all the affairs of life. This was followed by the valedictory by Walter Reineck. He spoke briefly about the clas3 motto: Light, Love, Life” and explained I he significance of each for human existence, then delivered in the name of the graduates a few parting words to student -friends and to the faculy of the College. Before the awarding of the diplomas and medals, the College -horns accompanied by the orchestra. rendered the ‘Nun of Midaros. This beautiful composition, the words by H. W. Longfellow, and music by Daniel Protheroe, was a grand feature of the morning exercises and casts much credit upon the College chorus and the orchestra. Five classical students received the degree of Bachelor of Arts: The}' are: W. S. Reineck, C. W. Burkart, F. B. Beuke, J. P. Tekath, R. L. Kuntz. Four reeeived diplomas in the Normal Department: J. J. Kramer, L. J. Hemmelgarn, A. H, Reichert, H. A. Sudhoff. Thirteen received diplomas for a successful commercial course: F. L. Bertke, A. I>. Mueller, J. I*. Forsthoefel, E. J. Allen, W. A. Butler, O. L. Schell, A. M. Schooled J. P. Whitcomb, L. I. Kirkmeier, E. Carlos, A. H. Holt house, T. F. Keating. C Burkart and U. Koehl received first and second prize respectively lor the best English essays; ,1. Kenkel received a gold medal for the best oration delivered May 25; J. Kramer received a medal for the highest average in the Normal and b. Bertke in the Commercial department. Gold medals were aißo awarded to W. Reineck for tia highest average in the sixth c'a ical; to U. Koehl in fifth; to T. Hairington in fourth and to C LeJeune in third classical. The distribution of class merits w>s then continued and after this the Rt. Rev. Bishop gave a closing address. He first thanked the faculty and students for his entertainment while at the College, showing special appreciation for the play rendered the night before. He expressed regret that such plays are not more recognized by the stage of our day because of their influence for good and refinement of taste. As other causes of his pleasure and thankfulness he mentioned the excellent orchestra music and magnificent singing, the grand old faculty and the good sunshine on the outside. He left the stage amid the applause and laughter of the audience.