PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1949
8
Guest Editorial
The Student and Freedom
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of guest editorials by University professors. The Kansan has requested the writings, and appreciates the time and effort spent on them. E. O. Stene, professor of political science, was the first guest writer this year, and in the future we will print editorials by John Ise and Domenico Gagliardo, professors of economics, and Hilden Gibson, professor of political science.
Amidst the present plethora of books and articles on the subject of "crisis," including "the crisis of education," one is reminded of A. L. Lowell's papers which he published years ago under the title, "At War with Academic Traditions in America," a point from which comes to my mind. Why is it, he asked, that the American college student, in general, is more genuinely interested in athletics than in the life of the mind? A main reason, he thought, is the fact that achievement in the sphere of athletics is more accurately measured and more truly recognized, without regard to some specified number of performances or length of time spent in the training and preparation, than is the case with academic accomplishment. Our course credit system of measurement seemed to him to be the root of the trouble.
There are things to be appreciated on beautiful college campuses. Many students find here a kamraderie that they will hardly forget in later years. They enjoy association; but do they enjoy learning? Why is it that we have here so much less of that sense of freedom which, in the world's traditional university, has made books and learning a great pleasure? Americans who study abroad very generally testify that this is so; and also foreigners who come to us, while they have good things to say too of their experience here, will say that this is so. Where the university life is not too regimented there is, correspondingly, the greater love of learning—such as in the long run will do more for the spirit, and even for the retention of facts learned, than is accomplished by our systematic, watchful and distrustful pouring in of the facts.
More than a few American universities have reached high standards of accomplishment in many respects. Universities, however, are among the least provincial of institutions, and their custom is to learn from each other. We need yet to learn, as Emerson said, to "respect the pupil"—especially on that adult level of the student-teacher relationship which the university is supposed to be.
Every curriculum must make certain requirements in the basic areas of knowledge. Yet as much freedom as possible in regard to the acquiring of knowledge seems clearly to be desired. We are told that American college students are not mature enough to be freed a little more from the controls of required class attendance and the like. Our experience with the Western Civilization requirement in this institution has shown otherwise. Especially the abler students appreciate that whether they work hard to do well in the examination or whether they do reasonably well, as the abler ones should be able to do, in considerable part as result of earlier preparation, they are accredited simply for what the examination demonstrates. Yet, a six-hour requirement alone can do little indeed to modify an atmosphere of learning toward a larger and more creative freedom.
This is shown also by the experience of the partial honors programs of independent study in this and in some 150 other colleges and universities in this country. Those who have studied the record agree that honors programs must be carried out upon a reasonably extensive scale really to succeed. Ideally, the honors student should give the full time of his junior and senior years to the program if he is to experience "the atmosphere of leisurely concentration which is the most favorable condition for flashes of insight and understanding," as Dr. Frank Aydelotte says in his book, "Breaking the Academic Lockstep." Real steps in the direction of this ideal are not impractical even in our state universities. And the first of the state universities to make this advance, it may be, will have done even more than Chicago or Swathmore or Harvard to point up the future of American higher education. In any case, as Chancellor Malott said in our most recent meeting of the College faculty, improvement and progress never yet have come from complacency.
-Walter Sandelius, professor of political science.
Shaw Opens Concert Course
The opening concert of the 1949-50 season of the University Concert course will be presented by the Robert Shaw chorale at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, in Hoch auditorium.
Robert Shaw, 33 years old, director of the group, is one of the youngest choral conductors before the public. He is conductor of the Collegiate chorale, an amateur group which he organized in 1942. Since 1946 he has been choral director for the Berkshire Music center at Tanglewood, Mass., and director of choral activities at the Juilliard school of music.
After his graduation from Pomona college, Claremont, Calif., Shaw came to New York City to form a radio glee club for Fred Waring. He had seen Shaw conduct the Pomona college glee club when the film, "Varsity Show," was made on the
Shaw was named outstanding American-born conductor of 1943 by the National Association of American Composers and Conductors.
campus. Shaw remained with Waring until 1945 as glee club director.
Student Burns Way Through
West Haven, Vt.-(U.P.)-Peter F. Winant is working his way through college by operating a novel one-man industry, a charcoal kiln.
Dear Editor-
Patronize Daily Kansan Advertisers.
A. S. C. Salaries
Concerning the bill passed by the A.S.C. giving salaries to its president, secretary, and treasurer, we should like to answer with a "bravo".
Dear Editor:
Many offices on the campus already receive salaries for doing considerably less work. If for no other reason, the salaries voted by the council for its officers seem to be more than a reward for services rendered. It is a vote of confidence and recognition which puts the student government on par with other student organizations.
Those persons who have participated in student activities know to what effort and expense most officers go in performing their duties. Congratulations to the A.S.C. for taking this rather ticklish question in hand.
(Signed by 9 University students)
Yours truly,
Dear Editor:
No one got a hammer lock on any of the present members of the A.S.C. and forced them into office. As I remember, most of them sought the jobs quite eagerly, despite the fact that no salaries were offered at the time.
The A.S.C. is a ridiculous organization to most students now. The generous self-grant of salaries certainly will not raise the group in the eyes of the students.
(Name witheld by request)
Kansas Educators Meet At Emporia
The executive board of the Kansas Adult Education association met at Emporia to formulate plans for the school year on 1949-50.
The objectives are to make a study of library facilities in western Kansas, to co-operate with agencies holding cultural development tours; to assist communities to set up adult education councils, to encourage the use of educational films, and to train group leaders in methods and techniques of holding adult classes.
Gerald Pearson, director of University Extension classes and president of the association, and Miss Ruth Kenney, director of the bureau of correspondence study and secretary of the association, attended the meeting.
Mere BA Holds No Joy For Modern Students
Northfield, Minn. — (U.P.) — The Carleton college placement service director says college graduates aren't as satisfied with getting a mere B.A. as they used to be.
Dr. Leith Shackel says that from 1947 to 1949, Carleton graduates going into business and industry dropped percentage-wise from $36\frac{1}{2}$ to 27, while the percentage of those going after higher degress jumped from 30 to 42.
The oldest still-existing tax-supported library is at Peterborough, N.H.
Dr. Shackel said educational requirements in many fields of work have been raised, and students plan when they start college to get higher degrees.
Beal To Go To St. Louis
Prof. George M. Beal, chairman of the architecture department, will attend meetings of the American Institute of Architects, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in St. Louis Nov. 17 through 19.
Dr. Beal will be on a panel for discussion of architectural design with heads of the departments of architecture at Oklahoma and Nebraska universities. They will discuss intermediate architectural design as to objectives and program.
The meetings will include the central state regions of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. The University of Washington in St. Louis will be host.
Ralph Walker, New York city architect and president of the A. I. A. will speak to the educational section of the association on Thursday, Nov. 17.
Fort Ord, Calif.—(U.P.)—Poachers are having a rough time doing any hunting on this sprawling military reservation.
Spotters Bag Poachers Before They Bag Game
The range patrol with their rough riding jeeps have added light planes to their squad. The pilots spot the hunters almost as soon as they enter the reservation and radio their location to the ground squad. Arrest usually follows in minutes.
The first oil well in the U. S. was built in Titusville, Pa., in 1859.
Daily Hansan
Student Newspaper of the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
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