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University Daily Kansan
Monday. Oct. 10, 1955.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
Western Civ Pro:
by Dick Bibler
The University Western Civilization program has been kicked around, then picked up and brushed off—both on the editorial pages of the UDK.
The program has been charged with allowing those students who cram for the material to pass, while the students who study it legitimately fail. These charges have been denied by both a Western Civ proctor and the director of the program.
John McMillion, whose views as expressed on this page have pointed up some valid criticisms of the program, believes that at least in the past the course has not accomplished its avowed purpose. His criticisms of some phases, such as the ability of some students to pass it by taking a three-day cram course, is certainly valid.
But strange as it may seem there are some students at the University who like the program. As one student expressed it. "It ranks along with John Ise's economic classes in encouraging students to think."
He calls for further change in the program, or, as in the editorial below, elimination of its weaknesses.
The program is extremely different from the regular 5-hour lecture course. But is this a condemnation? European students—and indeed students in most of the rest of the world, study by a system similar to the Western Civ program at KU. And as the grades of foreign students here will testify, the system seems to be just as workable in transmitting knowledge from the pages of books to the minds of students.
As several letters to the UDK have testified, the Western Civ "problem" may boil down to a misplaced emphasis in the minds of students, not on the administration handling of the course.
Let them! Regardless of the emphasis on grades here, surely most students can see what they are losing by not reading the material. What is in a grade, and why did these students who do not want to acquaint themselves with this kind of material come to an institution founded on knowledge of this sort?
And at KU, just as in Europe, some students let their studies in this type of course slide. Some of them, by cramming from prepared notes and memorizing a few key thoughts from the minds of the greatest thinkers, are able to get a B, C, or D in six hours of Western Civilization from the University of Kansas.
As an editorial writer, John McMillion can criticize the Western Civ program, but as editors of the UDK, we want no change in the basic direction of the course in either the type of study material or the encouraging of the individual student to read and think on this material on his own initiative.
—Ron Grandon
"YES. TH' OLE FRAT IS GETTING BACK ON ITS' FEET SINCE 'TEX' PLEDGED."
Ben Alexander, who plays Frank Smith on "Dragnet," has a new daughter. She no doubt will be lulled to sleep by the soft strains of "Dum De Dum Dum."
Buttons Gone, Not Forgotten
It is perhaps too much to expect a machine-mad world to heed our appeals in favor of the button against the zipper. The Arkansas mousselshell industry probably is doomed except to sew a button on milady's gown strictly for decoration.
We how to this vanity—but not without warning. It is of the pride that goeth before a fall. Buttons are not perfect. Laundries could crack them; but generally one broken button was not fatal. But zippers, too, are subject to viciissitudes—more than we like to think of. And when a zipper is stuck, or off the track or otherwise out of service, there is no companion to take over its duty.
Nevertheless even men seem to have accepted this gadget. They are brave. But let them not confuse bravery with security. Even with a set of tools in his back pocket, a man can't be sure of being immune to these embarrassments. It may be a lost cause, but how we wear for buttons...
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Springfield. Ohio, has become a printing capital. It sends out an average 16 to 17 million magazines a month.
Back As Teacher At 75
CHESANING, Mich. — (U.P.)— Mrs. Nina Gilbert, 75, found 10 years of retirement more than she could take. She took a refresher course in teaching at Central Michigan College this summer and began her 42nd year as a schoolmarm this fall.
Dailu Transam UNIVERSITY
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 376 Member of the Inland Daily Press association, Associated Collegiate Press association Representative, 420 Marathon avenue, N.Y.Mail subscription rates: $ a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester if in Florida), $8 a semester for Kansas, every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class student. 172 U.S.A., post office under act of March 3, 1879
NEWS DEPARTMENT
John Herrington ... Managing Editor
Madelyn Brite, Gretchen Irineen, Irene C.
Sloe Lee Urban, Assistant Manager,
Bob Lyle, Assistant City Editor; Dick K. Walt, Telegraph Editor; Marion McCoy, Society Editor; Jane Pecnowin, Assistant Editor; John McInville, Sales Editor; Lain L. Jones,
Assistant Sports Editor; Sam Ed.
Ron Grandon Editorial Editor
Ted Blankenship Associate Editor
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Paul Bunge ...Business Manager
Robert Wolfe. Advertising Manager;
Charles Siedd. National Advertising
Manager; Jack Fisher, Circulation Man-
ger.
WesternCivCon:
The Western Civilization committee thinks it has found the answer to the problems created by the course. The committee feels that this year, finally, they have made steps to correct the various ailments that have aroused animosity among the students.
For one thing the committee feels that perhaps the students at KU have never really understood what Western Civilization is trying to accomplish.
Western Civilization, as it is offered on this campus, is supposed to be a step away from the conventional "spoon-feeding" type of teaching. It is supposed to create initiative in the student and expose him to knowledge, encouraging him to delve deeper.
The former chairman of the Western Civ committee, Walter E. Sandelius, professor of political science, admits that when Western Civ was first started on this campus it went too far. However, Prof. Sandelius believes, the changes that have been made thus far will correct the problems in the course. This remains to be seen.
The new proctorial system, admittedly, is a big step. It will go a long way toward correcting the lack of supervision in the past.
All sophomores must enroll in these sessions as it stands now. Upperclassmen may enroll but are not compelled to do so. This leaves transfer students open. Students will get one hour's credit a semester for attending these sessions.
Prof. Sandelius thinks these proctorial sessions will serve to squeeze out the cram course which is offered every semester downtown. This also remains to be seen. The proctorial sessions in the past have never accomplished this and there is some doubt as to whether the current setup will do so.
We believe that, while the committee has made a big step, there is still much left to be done. Since the course was started in the fall of 1945 it has never quite attained its goal. Ten years is a long time to iron the kinks out of a course.
This semester should be a test. If the new system definitely doesn't correct all the deficiencies of the course maybe it's time to admit that someone made a mistake.
John McMillion
Imported Hollerers
I see where Mr. Allaway of the YMCA thinks we can win more games on lung power. I agree. The UDK could begin by refusing cigaret ads. Smoking weakens windpower, as any coach can tell you.
We could use that cigaret money to import some real loud holterers from New Mexico, Chicago, and Pennsylvania. That's certainly what's needed to win. I also recommend my Cousin Superior from right here in Kansas. I'd bet on him to out-holler any YMCA meeting going, even one from Massillon, Ohio. Nothing apathetic about him; he's a regular high school graduate!
Hand choke, Rock Chalk, shift!
Archibald Dome
..Letters..
editor:
I think John McMillion must have had a specific, minor area of Kansas in mind when writing his editorial of Oct. 6, and I think that portion must have been somewhere besides western Kansas. As a native of the western part of the state, I feel this way:
First, there can be no answer to the question, "Where in the United States is there an area prettier than a field of Kansas wheat about 7:30 on a warm night?" A field of wheat is not "pretty." The scene as pictured by Mr. McMillion would likely inspire a feeling of gratitude that there is, indeed, a wheat crop, and a prayer that the fleecy clouds hung low on the horizon do not bring hail, but seldom would a farmer climb from his tractor, wipe the dirt from his mouth and eyes, gaze at his fields and say, "My, how pretty." As a matter of fact, he would probably spit, kick the soil with the toe of his boot, and swear at the lack of moisture. A poet-farmer is a rarity in western Kansas.
And most anyone who has lived the gamut of western Kansas seasons would be less inclined to find beauty in the weather out. there
than is philosopher McMillion, who apparently lost his head when he envisioned the weather as having character, or a Kansas corn field covered with snow as being clean and pure. We are shaken back to stern reality by the presence of grasshoppers and the anything-but-inspiring scene of precious inches of top soil being whipped off the fields by the unceasing winds.
Jerry Dawson Journalism junior
Rather than rely on the superficial pride of dirt storms and blizzards, we should convince our farmers that true pride comes of wind-rowing, terracing and contour plowing—this would be pride with a profit, for only then would Mr. McMillion's golden wheat fields be a consistent reality.
Editor:
In the University Daily Kansan edition of Thursday, Oct. 6, (page 1) appears an article about the 170 foreign students who are enrolled at KU. The article says, "The new countries represented this year are San Salvador and Indonesia."
I would like to make an observation: My country's name is El Salvador, not San Salvador. San Salvador is the capital city of the Republic of El Salvador.
Yours very truly.
Carlos A. Manzano Graduate student
Tickets at Fine Arts Office, Student Union, Bell Music Co.