Friday, November 14. 1975
7
American Civ class suggested
Staff Writer
By DARYL COOK
A general survey course in American civilization is needed for freshmen and sophomores, according to Earle Davis, of the Kansas State University English department.
"I think that there is a case for a good comprehensive course in general American culture, and one that is not dependent upon it, so that we are not shoddy patriotism," Davis said.
Davis spoke Wednesday to a group of 12 persons about his experiences in teaching such a course in the 1940s at Wichita State University.
Student response to the all-inclusive
game was good, Davis said, and more than half of
would be good.
the students often turned in more than the minimal requirements.
"We never had fewer than 200 students in the course, and once it strained all classroom facilities by exceeding 350," Davis said.
The need for the course is based on the fact that after completing two years of general studies, most students spend their time in the classroom following specialized programs. Davis said.
The courses a student takes in the first two years of college are often unintegrated, but
"The courses we design for our students are automatically fragmented, so that the student is likely to learn more and more about less and less until he is in danger of knowing everything about nothing at all," he said.
The aims of a comprehensive study of America culture would be to integrate materials about America and to emphasize the elements of American civilization, Davis said.
"It's remarkable that American literature is not considered as important as English literature," he said. "Is that an inferiority complex?"
The downgrading of American civilization is based on the fact that America hasn't had as much time to develop culture as other countries have, and she's doing it.
The best way for state universities and colleges to present such a course would be with lecture courses and outside readings, whereas courses aren't in fashion today. Davis said.
He said the preceptorial method used in
Next Freshman Record doubtful
The Freshman Record, a yearbook for freshmen, might not be published next year because of the publication's low sales. One third of the class purchased the books.
Steve Clark, assistant director of the Alumni Association, said that the yearbook was created two years ago by the Board of Class Officers and Alumni Association to help incoming freshmen become acquainted with their classmates.
"We thought it would be an excellent idea to personalize the university for the freshmen."
University get so large that we don't know one another."
Clark said that 1,000 students had ordered the books. But he said he wasn't sure whether that number was large enough to warrant publication of the book next fall.
Clark said that a committee would soon be appointed to make a decision on the matter.
"We're letting a committee look at it because we wanted to leave the matter completely open so someone else could participate in the decision," Clark said.
Letters were sent to incoming freshmen.
Transit study plans begin
Plans to begin the proposed University of Kansas-Lawrence mass transit study will get under way today at 1 p.m. in the Oread Room of the Kansas Union.
University Daily Kansan
Steve McMurray, chairman of the student senate transportation committee, who was the president of theober, and City Manager Wadleton Watson will discuss plans with Lee Waddleton and Chuck Donald of the District Urban Mass Transportation Administration in Kansas
Iowa City, Fort Dodge, and Clinton, in Iowa,
have completed similar studies. They each have
from 30,000 to 40,000 in population, he said,
and are similar to Lawrence.
Donald said the costs of the Iowa studies were between $20,000 and $30,000. The transportation administration pays 50 per cent of the cost of each study.
during the spring before they came to KU asking that they send a picture, information and about what they planned to major in, where in Lawrence they planned to live, their hometown and their interests in the association, along with the price of the book.
The books arrived in time to be distributed at enrollment this fall, according to Clark, who said that no extra books were ordered.
Clark said he thought that more freshmen in small communities order the books than usual.
"The freshmen from small towns won't have any friends here and people from big high schools have all of their old friends coming to school with them," Clark said.
"But I think it should either be required that all freshmen order it, so we'll have everyone's picture or they shouldn't do it at all." Cousins said.
Susie Cousins, Prairie Village freshman,
said she ordered the book so she would have
the opportunity to read it.
Ivy League schools, which employs famous lecturers to speak to small classes, is too crowded.
While at Wichita State, he taught with the political science chairman, Hugo Wall,
"Nadia"
A modern love drama taking place in Egypt & France In Arabic with English subtitles
Starring Soud Hussni & Emad Hamdi
Wall, a liberal Democrat, lectured about the major events in American history from a political science angle, while Davis lectured about American literary contributions.
Organization of Arab Students presents the film
FRIDAY, NOV. 14TH
Forum Room
7:30 p.m. Kansas Union
Everyone Invited
Davis said he often pretended to be a conservative Republican to counter Wall's attacks.
The success of the course at Wichita State was due to a broad selection of materials, well-planned presentations and an emphasis on reading, studying and reacting, he said.
Davis graduated from The Mommouth College at Mommouth, Ill., with degrees in English and music. He received his doctoral degree in English at Princeton University.
The well-planned lectures resulted in rounds of aplause or boos from the students as they reacted to the presentations. Davis said.
Wall became the dean of the Graduate School at Wichita State and has recently written about the course for the next issue of Kansas Quarterly. Davis, said.
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