#26: A difficult year (1915-16)
It was a serious question in Managers' meeting, Sept. 7th,
1915, whether the College should open at the appointed hour
the next day or not. There was not an Armenian teacher left
to the institution, and but one student, though a few
employees and two families had been spared to us by special
official favor at the time of deportation. The financial
problem was exceedingly difficult. It was decided, however,
to continue on as nearly lines as possible, and we thus
completed thirty-two weeks of the academic year in a very
rewarding way. Five men went through this period as regular
members of the Faculty, three Americans and two Greeks.
One young man who began teaching in September went as a
soldier in October. Another continued until December, when
he, too, was called to the colors. Another, who began in
January, was drafted away in February. There was no regular
teacher of Mathematics or Science, and the higher work in
these departments was omitted. Several of the lower classes
were taught by advanced students. Mrs. Getchell, Mrs. Pye,
and Dr. Marden finely volunteered to share in teaching.
About sixty-five students were registered, seven Russians,
eight Turks, and the remainder Greeks. The three Seniors
left for military duty during the year, as did ten others.
But the student spirit was earnest; discipline, easy;
religious interest, fully alert. During and following the
"events" of the summer, it was unspeakably difficult to
preach or conduct religious exercises, but as the months
went by it became easier, until it became almost easier
than ever before to give the Christian message, and
audiences were more responsive than ever. The Protestant
Church maintained its depleted Sunday School and prayer
meeting, though the pastor was lost in the deportation,
with nearly 900 out of 950 members of the congregation,
but its other services were merged in those of the
College. Student attendance at preaching services was
wholly voluntary, and habitually all attended. There was
a gracious season of spiritual refreshing in the winter.
Four of the six Greek pastors in the Marsovan field
visited us, each for some days during the year, and
each shared helpfully in our religious services. The
Y.M.C.A. was the one active student organization,
and to some extent it took up and carried literary
and athletic interests among the students. The Greek
community in the city was so straitened by war conditions
that it abandoned the effort to maintain a school. The
Y.M.C.A. met the need. The College readily supplied the
rooms and furniture required, and the Association
employed one of its members as a regular teacher, and
added volunteer instructors for various lessons to
the number of about twelve, thus providing a first
class school of four grades with forty-eight pupils.
Those student teachers were thus prepared to manage
and maintain other and larger schools in later years.
........................................................
About the middle of the year the officials, acting on
behalf of the Department of Education, demanded the
exclusion of Moslem students from Bible lessons and
religious exercises. The students were excused from
such attendance, and they were constrained to remain
away, though several of them would really have been
glad to share with the other boys. As for the common
Turkish people, however, the great majority were
steadily friendly, as were most of the officials
personally.
NEXT: Old Armenian ladies
(1915-16)
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