Newspaper Page Text
PAGE TWO
West Student Almanac
I'iilil'nlicil Bi-Weekly By
The St mien Is of
WEST (IKOIIOIA COLLEGE
Member Georgia Collegiate Press
A social ion
Member Associated Collegiate Press*
HMIMNTID PON NATIONAL ADVNTI*INO NT
National AdvertisingSenrice, Inc.
Collti* I‘ubliiktrs Rifreunlalivt
420 Madison Avi. new York. n. Y.
Chicago • lotron • Lo Amoilii • San Francisco
Cdifor-in-Cldef Kdwaril Stout
Robert M. Strozier Faculty Advisor
Staff. Pauline Prichard, W. L. Nix, Tom
mie Herndon, Virginia Hayes, Henry Par
ker and Freeman Brannon.
Why Have ‘Yen Men’
In Classrooms?
As the greater percentage of the student
body of West Georgia College is composed
of teachers during the summer session, it
may be well to assess the values and ana
lyze the methods in the educational pro
cess. A familiar note along this vein is
sounded by L. J. Houser, Superintendent
of Schools of Riverside, Illinois, who fears
that the emphasis of authority in class
room teaching tends to make “yes men”
and “yes women” out of students and dis
courage thinking.
Too many times, Mr. Houser asserts in
a report given publicity by the Associated
Press recently, the student who expresses
his own viewpoint freely, on controversial
as well as on other academic questions,
“is subjected by the teacher to ridicule,
sarcasm and low marks, merely because
he does not happen to agree with his
instructor.” The educator remarked that
this unfortunate condition exists in some
elementary, secondary and schools of high
er education throughout the country, and
recommended that the system of competi
tive grades be eliminated. With its elimi
nation, he asserted, would come a greater
fredom for creative thinking and a “de
crease in the tendency to give back to the
teacher that which he gives out.”
► Without denying the assertion that stu
dents sometimes tend to become classroom
“yes men,’ other educators might find it
possible to disagree with Mr. Houser’s
contentions that grades should be abolish
ed and that teachers are to blame for
the lack of independent thought on the
part of their classes.
Moreover, objectors to Mr. Houser’s
thesis might question his implication that
teachers are prone to force their opinions
by authority upon students. If the word
of many who have taught, for example,
can be taken, it would indicate that many
students themselves either are incapable
of original thinking or that they conscious
ly look for security in obtaining from the
teacher the word of authority. Instructors
may seek to impose their opinions by the
force of low grades or by sarcasm, that
weapon most easily available to the teach
er. But lecturers who day after day have
faced a desert of blank faces marked by
the occasional oasis of an interested and
alert countenance can testify concerning
the eagerness of many students to receive
ready-made judgments.
You teachers are human, and your posi
tion exposes you to the temptation of think
ing that you possess all knowledge. But
most of you are conscientious, and it seems
reasonable to believe that many of you
would like to encourage freedom of thought
on the part of your students.
July 14, Thursday
County ‘Nile’ in gym
July 15, Friday
Speaking In auditorium at (1:110
July 15, Friday
Softball Game at 3:30
July 21, Thursday
Exams begin
July 22, Friday
Graduation
September 19, Monday
Freshmen arrive for Fall Quarter
September 21, Wednesday
Sophomores arrive
September 22, Thursday
Fall Quarter begins
In Tribute To Those
Who Are Leaving
It is realized among college students
today that a great part of our education
is due to the contacts which we make on
the campus with our supervisors. Our
future is greatly influenced and our per
sonalities are developed by our associa
tion with our instructors, both in and
outside the classroom. The students of
West Georgia feel that much has been
contributed to their lives by the influence
of such persons as Miss Katie Downs, Mr.
Thomas Hart, and Mr. Robert Strozier. All
of whom will leave us in the near future
to study in other institutions. A great
amount of the progress which West Geor
gia has made is a direct result of their in
fluence while on the campus.
It is with profound regret that these in
structors will not be present at the col
lege next year, but, on the other hand, it
is good to know that they will be in
training to broaden their knowledge of
life and to prepare themselves to carry
on better the work which they have so
well begun.
Miss Katie Downs, the supervisor of the
training school is largely responsible for
the enviable record which the college
possess as a teacher training school. Under
her guidance the equipment of West Geor
gia used in training future teachers is
among the best. Miss Downs will be re
membered for her religious activity. It
was she who founded our annual Religious
Emphasis Week.
Among students here today and among
the alumni, the name of Thomas A. Hart
stands as one among many. Mr. Hart has
passed down to the students some of his
philosophy which has given satisfaction to
many and has made the campus a happier
environment. Attendance to his class are
regarded more as a pleasure than as a
duty. It was under his guidance the Mu
Zeta Alpha conducted its drive to establish
a Ellis Health Law in Carroll. Mr. Hart
will be missed next year for it will be dif
ficult, indeed, to find one with his per
sonality, his patience and kind understand
ing of the student’s problem. It is those
of us who know him best that love him
most.
It would be hard to determine w ? hich
organization or department on the campus
will feel the absence of Mr. Robert M.
Strozier the most. Mr. Strozier has dis
tinguished himself in the Department of
Language and the Humorities. Mr. Stro
zier has been the friendly adviser to the
students in many of the campus organiza
tions. Students have not hesitated to ap
proach him with their cares, when Shake
speare wrote,
“The kindest man, the best conditioned
and unworried spirit Ts doing courtesies,”
it must have been one as Mr. Strozier who
furnished the bard’s inspiration.
Yes, these members of the faculty w T ill
be missed next year, but their records
show that they are entitled to the year’s
fellowship which they have been granted.
We are willing for them to have greater
THE WEST GEORGIAN
Gone With The Pen —By Edward Stout
CONFUSION has been aroused among
the student body by an apparently dimi
nutive practice. Consider for a moment,-
the farcical elements of a custom such as
fifteen people (the faculty) taking maga
zines from the college library, thereby de
priving several hundred students of the
opportunity of using periodicals for study
and entertainment. Students are being de
prived, when really they are the. ones who
possess the impertubable privileges.
In the first place, why must magazines
he checked out for days, weeks maybe,
when several articles can be read in only
a few minutes?
Faculty privileges, Bah! This is the
sentiment already expressed by many and
will be the feelings of others since this
petty injustice has been brought to light.
It is merely in consideration, so let’s have
a reform!
PROFESSORS ROBERTS AND BONNER
have taken the Genola spotlight since their
volumn of Georgia history has progressed
into ranking eminence. “Studies in Geor
gia History” has been given publicity by
various press agencies and has gained
editorial comment in outstanding news
papers.
EDITORIAL TID BITS: There is a very
noticeable lack of males on this campus...
Several states are recognized in the student
body “Ho! Hum!, It is about dawn,
let’s go to breakfast, it is after the
middle of the afternoon, let’s go to supper.”
Also, we have lunch before noonr This
gives the cooks a few extra minutes off
explains Miss Burkhalter.... The food has
improved thought. That indicates wonder
ful handling of the budget.... The long
needed renovation of the dormitories is
Significance Of
Building Projects
Allocations for another new building
have been made, demonstrating more clear
ly than ever, the consistency of the build
ing program which has been under way
at West Georgia College since its establish
ment. This program was begun two years
ago with the construction of the Women’s
New Dormitory and the Sanford Library.
Before this month is gone, the new Rural
Arts Life Building will be ready for use.
And now our college is to take one more
step on the path of progress with the con
struction of the long needed tri-purpose,
dining hall, gymnasium and auditorium.
This $50,000 building will contribute much
to the general beauty of the campus as
it is to be situated on the back drive where
it can be seen from the front drive between
the academic building and boys dormitory.
Such a location will be a continuation
of the symmetrical planning which has
been utilized since Genola was founded,
first for the District A and M school.
What does such an announcement as
that of the latest construction project
mean? It means that West Georgia College
is definitely a growing and worthy insti
tution of the state of Georgia—an institu
tion in which the state is not hesitant to
aid whenever the occasion arises. The ac
tion taken by the governmental agencies to
wards West Georgia shows a great faith in
the institution of which we should and
are proud.
Chancellor Sanford, President Ingram
and the Board of Regents are to be congra
tulated upon securing this vast building
program for West Georgia College.
opportunities, even at losses to ourselves.
West Georgia will give them a hearty
welcome on their return one year hence,
and during their leave we wish them the
best which they deserve.
Tom Herndon,
President of the Student Body.
TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1938
underway. . . . Many celebrites have visited
our campus recently; salesmen have had
their 'wares displayed in the Academic
Building halls also.
REGISTRAR VAUGHN needs to be laud
ed for the fine way he fills his position.
He is very accomodating, considerate, sin
cere and is a real friend to all students.
“HOW TO WIN STUDENTS AND IN
FLUENCE THE COLLEGE STANDARD”
might be an appropriate title for a discus
sion of the possibilities of a second summer
session at West Georgia College. This in
stitution needs another summer term.
The reasons are obvious. Today’s aver
age student has been victimized by the
“depression-recession phantasms.” College
credit must be obtained hurriedly, and ob
tained when the most favorable occasion
arises. Various employment is at an apex
at various times of the year. A vast num
ber of youth of college age from this sec
tion of the state are unemployed or only
partially employed during the summer
months. West Georgia MUST have a per
ennial curriculum to accomodate these
young people.
How can this reform be brought about?
It only calls for the advocacy of our student
body and alumni.
FAREWELL will soon be the word on
our lips. The 1938 summer term has been
a pleasant one. We have made much
progress and have witnessed much plea
sure. The end is drawing nigh though.
Such thoughts as these revive the words of
Byron:
“Farew r ell! A word that must be, and hath
bee, —
A sound which makes us linger; yet —
farewell!
Health And
Vacation Hazards
Vacation time is almost upon us! And
since a great many students will soon be
enjoying a variety of outings, it might
be well to review a culmination of data
concerning summer hazards.
The most serious hazards of the summer
season are not, as might be expected, the
effects of the heat, the exhaustion that
comes from fatigue, or the diseases that
prevail especially in summer. Under mod
ern conditions of living most of these fac
tors are under excellent control.
The real hazards to life and health now
adays are accidents.
The reason is, of course, that we have
in this country more motor cars, more ma
chines, more railroads, more tall buildings
and more evidences of new ways of liv
ing than are available in most foreign
countries.
Incidentally, drowning continues to pile
up a great toll of death, particularly of
children, and particularly during the sum
mer months. More than one-half of the
people who are drowned in the United
States meet their deaths during the months
of June, July and August. Three-fourths
of these deaths occur in the fivemonths
from May to September, the remaining
fourth occurring in the next seven months.
Men die from drowning much more fre
quently than do women.
With the great amount of teaching that
has been done in recent years relative to
resuscitation from drowning, the deaths
from drowning seem to be steadily decreas
ing.
About 7,000 deaths occur from this cause
each year. If people would only realize
that there is danger from water sports; it
life-saving methods could be taught more
widely, and if more people learned how
to give artifical respiration when needed
in an emergency, the number of deaths
from drowning could be still further di
minished.