cmiiLorit
COLLEGien
Vol. 4, No. 4
Charlotte College, Charlotte, N. C.
February 6, 1953
Bill Being
Support Of
Drafted For State
Community Colleges
STUDENT ASSEMBLY MEET
HEARS MR. EDWARD CAHILL
The most recent assembly meet
ing enjoyed a talk by the Rev. Mr.
Edward Cahill of the Unitarian
Church of Charlotte, speaking on
his observations in Europe. M>-.
Cahill is well informed on the po
litical, economic, and religious
problems of most of the countries
of Europe, having traveled in Eng
land, France, Holland, Sweden,
Denmark and Czechoslovakia.
Mr. Cahill began his talk by
pointing out the multiplicity of
foreign travelers, who, overnight
become foreign affairs “experts.”
While he agreed that many points
of view are necessary in forming a
policy toward Europe, he warned
against the overnight “experts.”
He continued by pointing out the
fact that U. S. foreign affairs i."-,
very big business; that a great re
sponsibility lies with the U. S.;
that we Americans should take an
interest in foreign cultures, eco-
mies, religious, etc.; and that we
should become more nearly world
citizens.
Mr. Cahill pointed out the two
different views of the border of
Soviet-^ontroUed Furope. From our
side it is called “Iron Curtain”—
from the other side it is called the
"Gold Curtain.”
He further pointed out the dif
ference between capitalism and
democracy by stating that “capi
talism is a form of economy—
democracy is a political structure.”
The fact that they are separate and
distinct means that a government
can be democratic while at the
same time the economy can be
socialistic.
He referred to the “road to
socialism” upon which all of the
countries of Europe have embark
ed within the last fifty years. He
is of the opinion that “socialism in
western Europe is here to stay.”
Mr. Cahill cautioned that the eco
nomic structure of the government
is not nearly so important as the
political structure. To stress this
point he referred to Czechoslovakia,
which country became dominated
by Communism in the span of
eighteen months, at which time all
other political parties were out
lawed.
Mr. Cahill is most widely versed
in internal affaii’s in Czechoslovak
ia. While there is now a communist
government, he stated that in 194(i
“Czechoslovakia had the largest
number of books and foreign liter
ature that he had seen in any other
country.”
Mr. Cahill closed with the pre
diction that an economic unification
in Europe will hae to precede any
political unification.
A question-and-ane w?r period
followed in which Mr. Cahill sup
plied answers to specific questions
concerning affairs in Europe.
Assembly Committee To
Sponsor Discussion
Between February 15th and 22nd
the National Conference of Chris
tians and Jews will conduct a series
of panel discussions at various
civic, religious, and industiial
meetings in the Charlotte area.
On about the 17th, at the regu
lar student assembly, the Assem
bly Committee will sponsor one of
these panel discussion by a
Protestant, a Jew, and a Catholic.
The public is invited, and all stu
dents are urged to attend.
Geology, Zoology Trip
Dr. Heck, the (ieology cla.ss, and
the Zoology class are planning a
field trip to Washington, D. C.,
during the first week of .March.
They intend to visit Smithsonian
Institute, the Zoological Park, the
Botanical Gardens, and other sites
of particular interest to the two
classes.
Any person.s interested in mak
ing this excursion with these
classe.s. may make arrangements to
do so by contacting Dr. Heck at
Charlotte College.
Theie is presently being drafted
in North Carolina a bill for presen
tation to the General Assembly,
calling for State aid to community
colleges. The aid being requested
is both financial and supervisory.
The drafting of the bill came as
a result of the study made by the
North Carolina Survey of Public
Education, headed by Dr. Allen S.
Hurlburt of Chapel Hill. The study
began by direction of the State
Superintendent of Public Instruc
tion.
Dr. Hurlburt was also “instruct
ed to recommend standards and cri
teria for the community colleges
and to propose principles for legis
lation necessary to implement such
a program.” (The report completed
by Dr. Hurlburt’s committee was
published in late 1952.)
The Community College Commit
tee of the North Carolina Survey of
Public Education, which compiled
the data, was composed of twenty-
two state educators; among them
were Miss Bonnie E. Cone, Direc
tor of Charlotte College; Mr. Ver
non A. Buck, Director, George
Washington Carver College; Dr.
Elmer H. Garringer, Superintend
ent, Charlotte City Schools; and
Mr. W. A. Kennedy, President of
Tetxile Machinery Corp.
The committee employed as con
sultant Dr. L. 0. Todd, President,
East Central Junior College, De
catur, (ia., a noted leader in the
field of community colleges.
Final preparation of the report
published yb the State was made
by the Bureau of Educational Re
search and Service, School of Edu
cation, University of North Caro
lina at Chapel Hill.
The most intensive study con
ducted by the Community College
Committee was in an area within
a twenty-five mile radius of Golds
boro, N. C.
The Committee field workers
questioned both students and busi
nessmen, as well as faculty and
.'-chool supervisors, to determine the
need for, and interest in, a com
munity college. The committee be
lieved that the area they investi
gated was representative of any
such area in the state.
The committee did not limit itself
to the Goldsboro area in its study.
Rather, they investigated the state
as a whole, and also, referred to
other states which pioneered in the
Junior College movement. They
drew on statistics from New York,
Illinois, California, Mississippi,
Texas, and Pennsylvania. Further
information was obtained from sta
tistics published by the United
States Office of Education.
In making its recommendations
for legislation the committee point
ed out the following criteria as
being most important:
That a minimum of 750 high
school students must graduate an
nually within a 25 mile radius of a
community college.
That 25 miles is probably the
best figure to call “commuting dis
tance,” and that the state should
not go to the expense of building
dormitories for community col
leges.”
That the resources of a com
munity college should, within five
years, become adequate enough to
hold both day and night classes.
That local initiative is such an
important factor that the state
should withhold aid until local citi
zens have demonstrated enough in
terest to insure that the communi
ty college would succeed.
That the curriculum should in
clude vocational, academic, techni
cal, semi-jjrofessional and recrea
tional courses.
That a system of scholarships
be established to insure that stu
dents living in sparsely populated
areas could attend community col
leges in more populated areas.
The committee further recom
mended a number of physical facili
ties which should be met by a com
munity college. These included: an
adequate site, sufficient space for
administration and student serv
ices, classrooms, library, laborator
ies, shops, physical education facili
ties, and a heating plant.
The bill which is now being
drafted for presentation to the
people of the state and to the
General Assembly, incorporates
most of the proposals outlined by
the Community Committee, which
(Continued On Page 4)