Page 2 University Daily Kansan Thursday, March 13, 1952
Editorials
Greatest Need Of Liberal Education Is A Catchword With Some Meaning
What liberal education needs most is a catchword.
After that, it could use a good press agent.
While intellectuals have engaged in long-worded controversies about the matter and form of a liberal education, the process of popularizing it has gone to pot. And unless the scheme of a well-rounded guide for growth and development is accepted by the public, it might as well succumb
The idea behind liberal education is to produce not a few highly trained leaders, but a host of well-informed followers. And in this respect at least, modern education is failing.
It is failing because the majority of the people neither understand nor appreciate the benefits of education as such. They look on it not as a means to live a fuller, better life, but as a tool to make money, to secure prestige, and to promote their material existence. Perhaps this is an unchangeable result of American culture—or perhaps it is the result of poor advertising on the part of modern educators.
If poor advertising is the case something ought to be done about it.
Possibly the only promotion of liberal education occurs in the introductions of college catalogs and in commencement speeches. The idea should be stressed to the college student, in his every class, in all of his activities, and to the public, through regular publicity channels.
Many college students will say they are attending school to "get a degree" and "make some money later on." Many men on the street will say that a college education is a complete waste of time, then, on second thought, they may admit it is an easy way to skip the hard knocks associated with apprenticeship in a business, trade, or profession. This is an oversimplification, but it seems to bear out the general attitude.
Changing the situation is not an easy task. It takes men who will step off their shelves of scholarship and risk their reputations for sheer intellectualism. It takes men with an eye and an ear for good public relations.
But back to the original statement.
A catchword is needed. This won't smooth over the deep alienation that exists between education
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and the public, but it is a worthy and useful starting point. Educators are fond of the term "the whole man." It signifies the fullest development of man's natural abilities and capacities.
But to A1 Average, it has no meaning whatsoever. And even if he understood what is meant by "the whole man," it still is not an adequate expression. Publicity-wise, it is rotten.
A far better tag would be "the model man." Let this be the goal of a liberal education. Here we have a word familiar to the public, a word that in itself implies the completeness of development that should mark every college graduate.
At the same time, "the model man" should be defined in much the same way as "the whole man," but with a greater effort toward specification. A model man should be a constant, active contributor to the spiritual, physical, social, and cultural welfare of his family, himself and society.
He should be the type of person who is flexible enough to adapt himself to various situations, different types and classes of people, many kinds of work and recreational activities. He always should keep in mind the advancement of his fellow man to one standard—God's standard—the dignity of man, and strive for the salvation of his soul.
Subtly, at least, modern educators should explain to the public that colleges are not grinding out money-making robots. They should explain that at each commencement, graduates are challenged to lead a richer, fuller life through the advantages of a liberal education.
—Chuck Zuegner.
Thirty! Not Thoity
"Moider the bum!"
That's a Brooklynn baseball fan, no doubt.
Brooklynn baseball fan? Or Hollywood character?
That's an armchair philosopher, no doubt.
"Going to see a baseball game is not nearly as much a matter of looking to see the hometeam win as it is a matter of seeing a game played."
Armchair philosopher? Or Brooklyn baseball fan?
The first statement may well have come from the script of a dozen Hollywood productions, but the second is the words of Abraham Lipschitz, graduate student and Dodger baseball fan from Brooklyn.
One of Lipschitz's pet peeves is persons who stereotype Brooklynites, and especially Dodger fans, as bad-English-speaking "dummoxes."
"Hollywood," he says, "has done more to cause this than Brooklyn itself."
"There are 31/2 million persons in Brooklyn. They live in a melting pot of all nationalities, races and religions."
"There is a quaint nationalism in Brooklyn. People think of themselves as members of neighborhoods, and not as residents of Brooklyn," he said.
Lipschitz lives in the Williamsburg section of the borough—site of the "Tree."
"You go mad watching a game. Equipped with hats, sandwiches, blankets, and soda pop, fans yell their lungs out. Sometimes they don't seem to care who wins. They're just out to have a lot of fun."
"Subway, buses and streets around Ebbets field are mobbed with people on the day of a Dodger game," he said.
Some of his friends here, however, still can't understand why he says "thirty" and not "tholy".
Ben Holman.
"Oh, that. Some sort of self-improvement plan the sorority girls started."
Letters:
Says Cheerleaders Take Much Abuse
Dear Editor:
Dale Dodge and Judy Buckley (KU cheerleaders at the Colorado game) had scarcely piled off the special bus from Boulder . . . (when they read a letter to the UDK which said) they were "pretty fair" but lacked that "live wire" quality of "real" — whatever that means — cheerleaders.
Yet Mr. Nelson was being "constructive" in his blast. Most people don't build houses with dynamite!
It's a wonder KU has any cheerleaders when they realize that during their term of service they will be blasted continually by "constructionists."
Warning to all aspiring cheerleaders: the chief qualification is the ability to take snowballs in the back of the head, and endless complaints from "constructionists."
So, Mr. Nelson, cheerleading school begins Monday, March 17 Massage those biceps, relax you larynx, forget what people will think about you, and try out. I looks easy from the sidelines.
Don Hull
College senior
Letter To Kansan Was Slap In Face
Dear Editor:
We think a recent letter in the Kansan was a trifle unfair to our "well-dressed" cheerleaders.
There are a few little points you have either overlooked or perhaps
ignored in the interests of "good" copy.
1. It is not the function of the cheerleaders to organize or plan pep rallies. This duty was relegated to the pep clubs two years ago.
2. It is not the (the cheerleaders') duty to publicize these rallies
3. Cheerleaders are often called on the spur of the moment to attend these "huge" gatherings of faithful students.
4. Organized cheering during actual playing time sometimes results in a technical foul being called upon the team. Cheerleaders are allowed to lead cheers only during the half, quarters, and time-outs.
This letter is not meant to criticize Mr. Nelson's letter. We just want to remind him that his views are not necessarily those of the student body.
Mary Ann Mahoney. Education sophomore Mary Ruth Herring College senior
Lack Of Cheering Fault Of Students
Dear Editor:
In answer to the Kansan's letter of March 11, "Where Are The Cheerleaders?", I believe it could be more appropriately expressed, "Where Is The Student Body?"
Why should the writer blame the lack of enthusiasm of 5,000 on a handful of cheerleaders? Our cheer-leaders are just what their name implies—leaders of the cheers. If the student body fails to show up to support the team with cheers, then blame all of us who call ourselves students.
Friday's pep rally was indicative of our school spirit. The cheerleaders, pep band, a few University officials, and a comparative small group of students were on hand. And of those attending the rally, some were more interested in throwing snowballs and the "promise" of a holiday, than in offering their assistance to the yells.
I'll admit, something is wrong, but let the blm*e fall where it should—on us, the students, not on the cheerleaders.
Charles Price Journalism senior