Page 6 - CROSSROADS - January 1973
Social Science Division
By concentrating their
inquiries on man in society the
social sciences seek to transmit
to the present and future the
culture that has been inherited
from the past. They investigate
the origin and development of
man’s social, political,
economic, religious, and other
cultural institutions, study the
social problems of the past, and
prepare the student to un
derstand and grapple with the
social problems of the present.
All of them consider man living
and working and disagreeing
with his fellowmen, from the
remotest past to the con
temporary scene; yet each has
its own proper approach .to the
common goal, each makes its
own specific contribution to an
understanding of society. Each
is necessary: a disregard for one
will result in an incomplete or
isolated view of man in society.
Sociology is the broadest and
most general of the social
sciences, covering as it does the
whole range of man’s social
activity. But its emphasis is on
the present. It offers the student
an overview of human group
behavior, leading to a better
understanding of his culture,
values, and norms, and the
deviations which create social
problems. It studies the
theoretical bases of social
behavior and supplies the means
by Anselm Biggs, 0,S.B.
—Chairman—
and methodology for ap
proaching the study of society. It
seeks to develop a “marketable”
person, who has been exposed to
all facets of society by the time
he has earned his degree. If he
wishes to pursue graduate
studies in this field, he can be
presumed adequately prepared.
At present the sociology major at
Belmont Abbey - College can
choose either a general con
centration or an urban studies
concentration. The department
hopes in the near future to ex
pand the curriculum to include a
concentration in law en
forcement and corrections and a
concentration in social work.
The sociology student' has
the opportunity to see his field at
work through research projects,
attitude studies, and intern
programs. He may work as an
intern in local law and social
service agencies, acquiring at
first hand a reinforcement of the
materials presented in the
classroom.
Economics deals with man's
efforts to satisfy his temporal
needs by the production and
distribution of goods and ser
vices. Three majors in this field
are offered: economics,
economics and business, and
accounting. The first two are
general, without specialized
concentration. They prepare the
student for graduate studies and
threshold positions in business
management and government.
The specialized accounting
program prepares the student
for the C.P.A. examination and
work in the public accounting
field. A developing program of
full-time internship was
inaugurated in the spring of 1972.
It combines a work program
with academic supervision and
study. The intern receives full
compensation from the spon
soring organization and is
supervised by both the chairman
of his major department and an
officer of the organization. A
part-time internship is func
tioning in the accounting major.
Political science investigates
the origin, development,
organization, and charac
teristics of political society in
order to analyze and evaluate
this facet of human life. Whether
it is searching for a knowledge
of the good life and the good
society, or analyzing and ap
plying political theory, or
examining and elucidating the
local, national,• international
societies into which men have
organized themselves, this
department strives to impart to
its students an understanding of
man’s political life, facilitating
their becoming not only
better citizens but, more im
portant, better human beings.
The liberal arts college must
be interested in the whole man,
and so the Department of
Physical Education con
centrates on his body and his
physical health. At Belmont
Abbey College all freshmen take
physical education activities for
two semesters. The up
perclassmen devote their
energies to the acquisition of
skills in at least two of the many
specialized branches of
athletics: such as badminton,
tennis, golf, weight training,
snow skiing, swimming,
basketball, and volleyball. More
important than the skills,
however, is the discipline of
team-work and the spirit of fair
play.
Finally, history gives to the
other social sciences the proper
perspective for a better grasp of
the past and of the contemporary
scene. History observes the
totality of man’s past activity
and provides the data for the
other social sciences. While it
studies the particular, they seek
to generalize. History is one of
the principal means for in
tegrating all the liberal arts
disciplines. It ties them all
together and provides a
knowledge of their several
backgrounds, the course of their
development, their in
terrelationships, and their
contributions to civilization.
More specifically, history makes
the investigator aware of the
civilization in which he lives,
showing him how it came to be
what it is. It exposes both the
good side and the seamy side of
that civilization and explains the
efforts, successful or frustrated,
to improve on the good and to
remedy the bad. A survey of
(See DIVISION, Page 8)
(ALUMNI, From Page 2)
University. Larry Donahue
teaches and is cross country and
baseball coach in the North
Providence (R.I.) School
System. Vernon Wilson is
painter-instructor at the Art
Center College of Design in Los
Angeles. He and Mary Dianne
have three children.
’59“ Charles White is vice-
president of sales for Crescent
Wallcoverings, Inc. in Atlanta,
where he and Gail and their two
children live. Sam Fadel is sales
manager of Fadel’s, Inc., a
commercial food service
equipment and supplies com
pany.
’60“ Ralph Cline is with the
U.S. Post Office in Gastonia. He
and Odies have three children.
James Ormand is a Major in the
Air Force and chief of computer
operations division (Hqds.
PACAF), stationed at Hickam
AFB, Hawaii. Jim received the
BS in math from N.C. State
University and his masters at
Texas A&M. He and Alicia have
three children. Wriston
Thompson is sales and mer
chandise manager for J.CJ.
Penney Co. in Anniston, Ala.
where he and Jeanette and their
three children live. It was good
to see John Barrett when he
visited the Abbey in October. He
is a financial advisor in Miami.
John received his masters in
History at Barry College. He and
Peggy have two children, John,
six and Anne, five.
’61“ Frank Halligan is project
engineer for optics with the U.S.
Navy in Annapolis, Md. Carter
Lofton is a dentist in Charlotte,
where he and his wife Charlotte
(what kind of problems arise
when your wife has the same
name as your home town?) and
their four children live. James
Sparrow is salesman for
Henkel-Harris. He and Blanche
and their three children live in
Winchester, Va.
’62-- Robert Koehler is
president and secretary of
Richard E. Frank Insurance
Agency in North Providence,
R.I. He and Mary have three
children. John McCormack is
administrative assistant to the
superintendent of the Sayreville,
N. J. School System. He and
Sandy have two children,
’63“ Andrew Munch is an
accountant with Price
Waterhouse & Co. in Annandale,
Va. He received his masters in
business at Illinois State and is a
Certified Public Accountant.
Brendan McLoughlin is sales
instructor with IBM in
Richardson, Texas, where he
and Kathy and their two children
live. John Pillion is a real estate
appraiser and broker with Albert
M. Greenfield & Co. He and
Viviane and their three children
live in Gladwyne, Pa. Richard
Inman teaches science in a
junior high school in Warwick,
R.I., where he and Nancy and
their three children live.
Congratulations to “Sam” and
Pat O’Leary on the arrival of a
baby girl on August 2. (This
makes two boys and two girls).
Tom Barthel is an instructor of
English at Herkimer County
(N.Y.) Community College.
James Taylor has accepted the
position of food and drug in
spector with HEW in Orlando,
Fla.
’64“ Enjoyed the leter from
Bryan Cavan bringing us up-to-
date on his activities. After
leaving private practice of law,
he became assistant district
attorney for DeKalb County in
Atlanta. This summer he ac
cepted the position of special
assistant U.S. Attorney assigned
to DALE (Drug Abuse Law
Enforcement). He is with the
regional office for DALE, which
includes the Carolinas; so we
hope to see him, Cheryl, and
their two sons, Michael, 3, and
Sean Patrick, 2, at Homecoming.
Brian McDonnell is analytical
chemist with American
Cyanamid Co. He and Barbara
live in Woodbridge, N.J. Whitney
Norton is a yarn broker with
Buckner-Howard & Co. He and
Donna and their three children
live in Buckingham, Pa. Patrick
Doherty is a programmer for
Fairfax County. He and Sarahi
live in Forestville, Md. Bob
Kelleher is a dermatologist in
the Army. He and Mary and
their two children live in
Augusta, Ga. received a card
from Dez Waters who was
Greece. He is now studying in
Florence, Italy, an^dhe and
Janice have been touring Europe
for thir*ty-eight days. Thomas
Clonlnger teaches in the Gaston
County Schools. He has done
graduate work in education at
N.C. State University.
’65“ Bill Dockery is an at
torney in New York. He received
the J.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Brenda (Gillespie) Husemann
and her husband Dick stopped by
on their way to Wright-Patterson
AFB in Dayton, Ohio. Henry
King is a chemist with DuPont in
Ann Arbor, Mich. Alex Laiewski
is summer extension coor
dinator, social work, at Stanford
Settlement House in Fair Oaks,
Calif. Mike Nestor is office
manager of Reynolds Metals Co.
in Holliston, Mass. Gene Miller is
a CPA in Charlotte and teaches
part-time here at the Abbey. Don
Cresswell received his masters
from George Washington
University and has done work
towards the Ph.D. He and Mary
Ann spent some time in Europe.
Don is now back at the Abbey as
Director of the Library. Charles
Hutchins is a CPA, employed as
controller of York Corregated
Container Co. in Rock Hill, S.C.
Glenn Boone is ar
oceanographer in the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers in Norfolk,
where he and Connie and their
one child live. He received the
masters in oceanography from
Old Dominion University.
’66“ Frank Becht is head of the
physical education department
and teaches at Hudson Catholic
High School. He and Loretta and
their one child live in
Maplewood, N.J. He received the
masters degree in business
management at Fairleigh
Dickinson U. Ronald LeDonne
teaches in the Springfield (Pa.)
School District. He received the
masters in chemistry from the
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