Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1946-1948

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EDITORIALS WHY BUILD A UNIVERSITY?

Every parent who looks to the education of his child with the spiritual end in mind, that he wants to make of him or her, besides a storebox of knowl- edge a good moral character, thinks of a University. A school of higher learning is desired which will round out the knowl- edge and information the stu- dent has acquired in the ele- mentary schools during his formative years. Naturally, the ''rounding out" process should be such as to equip the student for his walk through life. Only in a University such as the Uni- versity Foundation of San Diego has in mind can this be accom- plished with the acme of suc- cess. The San Diego University will The greatest benefactors of this great educational ente:- prise have not yet made their appearance. Where are those men and women who have thought of establishing chairs in the University to assure its success-chairs of philosophy, sociology, art, science, journal- ism? Certainly, the people of California, considered the most progressive State in the .Union, are not to be outdone. · There has been a praisewor- thy determination to provide a fitting education for our youth. This determination must not be allowed to slip into a subcon- scious obscurity.

not be the only one which wi 11 impart this form of education. Already we have many such in- stitutions all over the country, colleges and universities, which have received the highest rec- ognition for their achievement. Yet, it is next to impossible for the average parents to meet the expense of tuition, supplies, room and board, clothing and transportation. The San Diego University will so modify the expense of education that a col- lege or university course will be brought within range of the average workingman's limited income. In the county of San Diego alone there are at present 5717 Catholic children enrolled in parochial schools and 8543 chil- dren in the diocese, the four southern counties, in parochial schools. There are just as many Catholic children in public schools, more in the high school bracket. If we were to include the number of children of other religions whose parents would desire to have them in a private school, the figure is astound- ing. How many of these chil- dren will be able to attend col- lege or university? Without the San Diego University, not very many. With the University, ~II, if they so desired, could receive a college training in that field which will equip them for a pro- fession or ground them in the spiritual standards necessary , for a happy and successful posi- tion in life. The University Foundation campaign is not dead. It is very much alive and will continue to be as long as there are people in the southwest. The need for the University continues. The need for funds wi 11 continue until such a time as the Univer- sity is financially secured by foundations.

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"I suppose the prima-facie view which the public at large would take of a University, con- sidering it as a place of educa- tion, is nothing more or less than a place for acquiring a great deal of knowledge on a great many subjects," Cardinal Newman says in his Idea of a University. He states as a first principle, "Knowledge then is the indispensable condition of expansion of mind, and the in- strument of attaining to it." Pointing out the fallacy that "a narrow mind is thought to be that which contains little knowledge; and an enlarged mind that which holds a great deal;" he sets out to prove in his thesis that "the end of a lib- eral education is not mere knowledge or knowledge con- sidered in its matter," but is something beyond it. Too many of our Universities stop at the imparting of mere knowledge, facts· and figures to be interpreted at will. True, this is learning. It is not, how- ever, educ a ti on. Education means a "leading out" or a ''leading away from" ignorance and the mere accumulation of facts to objective reality and the interpretation of facts by use of fund a men ta I proven principles. This, basically, is what is at- tempted in all schools. The ma- jority fall short of their goal, however, because of the pol icy necessarily imposed on the in- dividual schools in the light of political appointments to school positions. In the private school there is much more hope of achieving this ideal because of freedom from social evils and the better application of disci- pline.

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Class of 44 Adults Confirmed on Feb. 1 Sunday evening, February 1, in St. Joseph's cathedral, His Ex- celle_n~y the Most Reverend Bishop · I administered the Sacrament of • Confirmation to a class of 44 serv- ' / icen~en 9:11d adult converts. Confir- mation 1s adminstered in the ca- l thedral on the first evening of each month.