Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Nov. 20, 1972, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Meredith College Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
PAGE 1 THE TWIG WouembeA- 20,1972 THE TWIG MEREVITH COLLEGE Letter to the Editor ARE WE RESPOIVSIBLE? There is a tendency among college students to voice opin ions about nearly everything, to work with these opinions in some sort of action capacity for a brief time, and then to fall back into an oblivion of passivity or of non-active criticism. At Meredith, it appears that we are approaching a stage of oblivion not particularly in the political or social action realms, but rather in the aspect of everyday life. We complain about various conditions at Meredith, yet there are several personal aspects which seem to lack attention. We claim to he responsible young women, aware of problems such as pollution, aware of the right of others to express themselves. Yet, day after day we clutter the student union with ketchupy plates, wadded-up candy wrappers, and sticky paper cups. Cig arette burns are appearing on the new chairs, as well as choco late stains and mustard marks. And in the chapel programs, the right of speakers to be heard is being squelched by the whisper ing balcony, the newspaper readers, and the studiers. It seems extremely inconsistent to voice responsibility and maturity in some areas and not exercise it in others. Mature young women know what to do with their trash; there are waste cans provided to take care of such matters. Similarly, mature young women know when to show courtesy to chapel speakers. Responsibility does not merely mean being politically and so cially aware; it also means applying that awareness to daily life. It is time to ask ourselves if we are truly responsible or, “are we slipping?” JFS Dear Phis, ‘‘We ourselves must change to master change. We must re think all of our old ideas and beliefs before they capture and destroy us.” Robert Kennedy Many of the Meredith Com munity have questioned the pur pose of the societies as they now exist. Begun as literary organizations, the societies have passed through various stages with recent emphasis being on service projects. Built on tradition, the societies need reviving. Though I am presi dent of, and loyal and “true BLUE” to, our Philaretian So ciety, I will be among the first to tell you it needs redirecting in order to survive. What was the Phi Society? A service organization and a pseudosisterhood. Who are the present mem bers? A majority of Meredith stu dents, a minority of which par ticipates in rush, a smaller nii- nority of which participates in the service projects. What have we done this year? The Phis have collected toil et articles for Dorothea Dix, contributed to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, had par ties for the C. P. children, done volunteer work at the C. P. Center, and raised $631.00 for the Center. Most important, we began the year with a re thinking of our old ideas. What is the Phi Society now? It is still a service organi zation: however, it is now a real sisterhood. Fellowship and involvement are being promot ed as the goals of our sister hood. Phi means work, fun, and friendship. We must work together to re evaluate and redirect our so ciety. By becoming more of a sisterhood, we can make Mere dith life fuller and richer. Who will be the members? Not a disinterested majority, but those who want to be mem bers. In the past, students have felt an obligation to join a so ciety. Now we want active mem bers whose ideas and partici pation will make the society system on this campus more relevant. Within the next few weeks, you old Phis will be giv en the opportunity to recommit yourselves; in order to main KILPATRICK.. A MEMOIR By HARRY K. DORSllTT I am a teacher. What a beau tiful thing to be able to say! To be a teacher is tobe search ing, always and everywhere,for some one to teach nu'. My search has not been unreward ing; I have found many excellent teachers and one truly great one: William Heard Kilpatrick. My first superintendent had studied with Kilpatrick; it is probably more accurate to state that he had “got religion” at the shrine. So I must go and immediately. Thus, in 1!)22, I hurried to Columbia Univer sity. Along with Scarlett O’Hara Kilpatrick came out of Georgia. As the son of a Baptist minis ter he went to Mercer Univer sity, a Baptist institution. Then he entered the Great Profes sion. As a grammar - school principal he became controver sial by doing away with report cards and never punishing his pupils. When he returned to Mercer to teach Math he stir red up more controversy by admitting that he did not believe in the virgin birtli. After a three day theological trial before the trustees of Mercer he was for ced to resign. On the summer of 1000 he went to Cornell. More from a sense of curiosi ty than real interest he took a course in education. There,for the first time, in a brochure “Interest As Related to Will” he met John Dewey. His com mitment to Dewey was total and unshakeable; he gave up teach ing matli so that he could teach young people who would teach children. Then on to Columbia where, at last, he found a permanent hom‘. Here, without any re straint, he was able to attack a whole herd of sacred cows in education. During a period of 28 years he taught 34,000 graduate stiuients. These stu dents hav(' rem idf' education as we know it in tiu' United States, especially in the elementary school. He was known as the “Million Dollar Professor”be- cause of fees turned in by his studc'iits. His books were trans lated into seven laiiguagi'S. His students would not permit Co- luiTd)ia to retire him whi-n lu' reached retirement age.lle ludd fast to his ideas until his death in 1060 at the age of 04. Kili)atriek wa.i a handsome ly distinguished man all of his long life. lit' was obdurate in resistance to ordinary erosions of liody; at 80 his image of himself was a latl of 20. He was smooth-skinned, with deli cately modeled features. His hair was silver and he never lost it. His raiment was im peccable, with a preference for blue. His gestures were poetic. And what exquisite hands! He was always courtly; this was integral to the kind of person he was. His voice was violon cello; he never raised his voice. There was even a kind of style in his breathing. His gait was leisurely but positive. He was a moving projection of a way of living and teaching. I used to wait, on the other side of Am sterdam Avenue, in order to observe him walk down the street with Miss Ostrander. He called Miss Ostrander “his helper” not “his secretary”, married her after his wife died when he was in his eighties. He was, truly, the kind of teacher a class always falls in love with. At Columbia Kilpatrick was a part of The Holy Trinity - Dewey and Thorndike com pleted The Trinity. Just to be in an institution with Dewey and Thorndike placed one in a pri vileged atmosphere; to chance upon either one on campus, in a corridor, or in men's room left one in glowing exultation. But, in my book, neither Dewey nor Thorndike could teach. Dewey mostly lectured in his twangy New England voice. I recall, at the conclusion of one of his H'ctures, his saying “I think I understand what I’ve been talk ing about a little better now.” Thorndike often read from one of his books. Imagine that, from a man who Knew more about learning than anyone who has ever lived. Thorndike was more interested in research, from what makes a chicken peck to what makes Scarsdale a good place to live. Dewey was ded icated to writing, was an avid believer in democracy and change based on research. Kilpatrick taught philosophy and method. I took all of his courses. Before Kilpatrick I ’ thought philosophy was an ivory tower activity, with only elder ly goateed practitioners. From him I learned that I was a phil osopher, that there are no phil osophical absolutes, that crit icized experi('nc(' is the final test. I had never looked at meth od critically, thought it was concerned with remembering what tlu' textbook and teacher said. How did he teach? Although some of his class('s had over fiOO students he nev('r lectur- 'd, maintained that lecturing was talking in someone el.si''s sleep, that it was often inane, vapid listening to what one al ready knew or would never need to know - a kind of endless flow of articulate noise while others sat and licked their chops. In the beginning there was a clearly defined and com pletely accepted purpose of the course. The role of philosophy was to give direction to teach ing, to know where we are go ing in education. Method was the best and most expediant means of getting there. Aca demicians often thumb their noses at “method” courses and those who teach them. How ridi culous! Flverything well done involves method. His courses were divided into large units. Varied ideas of eminent people were available to read. Perti nent issues and problems were to be cogitated individually and then discussed in a small group every day before class met. In class there was only dialogue; the student came to class pre pared to engage in dialogue - in case he was not prepared he was to write a note to Kilpat rick stating why he was not pre pared on that day. With a seat ing chart before him (the roll was checked each day by Miss Ostrander) Kilpatrick directed questions to specific students. Their responses were always treated with respect.Out of this dialogue the excitement of learning. Classes always began and ended “on the dot.’’ I never knew Kilpatrick to miss a class; nothing was so important as the meeting of a class. All tests were objective, new type. There were not grades on tests; you knew what you missed and an swered correctly. I always made C’s on his courses. I can’t even remember the names of some courses on which I made A’s. In one of his courses I wrote a paper on Kant’s dictum; “So act as to treat humantiy,whe ther within their own self or some other, as an end withal, never ;is a me;ins merely.” I was concerned with applying this principle to all facets of living. He listened attentively to my youthful entluisiasm to transform the world with this thesis. My Memory of this con ference is as vivid as if it had happened yesterday, even though I have not been (>ntire- ly successful in getting people to treat others ;is ‘'an ('nd with al.” The sheer power of ;in idea. But wind ;i pel'son teaches in volves not only his ideas but tain your “membership” in the Phi Society, it will be neces sary for you to rejoin. It is my hope that each of you will seriously consider the pur poses and goals of the Phi So ciety. If you are apathetic, please don’t join; however, if you are concerned and feel that the Philaretian Society is an important and meaningful part of Meredith, and that you can be an active Phi, please rededi cate yourself. What will we “new” Phis do? Our motto is; “For this is the journey that men shall make, to find themselves.” By our continued involve ment in the community and our increased involvement with each other on our campus, we will indeed find ourselves. Mary Marvin Johnson president, Philaretia Society Everything comes to those ■who wait, but they have to work while they wait. the phrasing and articulation of his ideas. Reaching into the crannies of rny memory I find certain words that have re mained. “Full living in the present is the best way to prepare for the future.” We live fully when we enter wholeheartedly into activities that are worthwhile and see them to a successful conclusion. We are too much engaged in the pastime of look ing back or looking ahead. It is entirely possible that these are the good old days we will miss in 1980. Children need to taste the fullness of life every day in the wonderful world of child hood. This is bound to influence our social order; the world will be saved when people live de cently day by day. Having fun together is most important in the world of childhood. Through the years when I deposited my own children at school my de parting words were “have fun today”, words given with the hope that on this day there would be a conspiracy between teach ers and pupils to have a good time together. “Growth and indulgence.” We grow w'hen we move toward a purposeful, worthwhile goal. Indulgence retard this move ment. Instant gratification of whims and caprices is often in dulgence. I.ooking at violence and brutality on T.V. and in movies and reading about it in so-called “comic” books is a kind of indulgence. It is bound to influence our children toward becoming violent and brutal. Saluting the flag and pledging allegiance to the flag can be a kind of indulgence. Studying and learning to live the bill of rights in our constitution is bound to lead to growth in its best sense. “Treat the student as he is with reference to what he may become.” There are no fit and unfit, but fit for something else. For better or for worse we are all .stuck with our foolish, fumb ling selves. A sparrow cannot soar like an eagle but he has wings sufficient to get around in his world. We often under estimate what a child can real ly do; he seems to have a thin portfolio of assets until we get to know him. We must keep in mind that every child has his own way and own rate of learn ing. A child is always going somewhere. Oftentimes he is not sure where he is going. Sometimes his going is not in his best interest, present or future. He needs creative self- direction. Kilpatrick had a vaulting image of children and a passionate concern about their destiny. The sacredness of a child’s personality w;is in violate, utti'r rt'verence was due him because he was a child. To hurt a child in any way was a real, basic sin. “Subject - matter is a means to an end, not an end within it self.’’ We live in a society that worships grades and test scores. There is even an or ganized group whose members include only those with I.Q.’s about 140. Last year one of my students completed 19 years of straight A’s and no experience of life; naurally, she is going on to graduate school. We make a fetish of subject - matter. I once heard of a teacher who asked, “Is the earth flat or round? I can teach it either way.” We have too many tea- (Continued on page 3) EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Janice Sams Copy Editor Eleanor Hill Feature Editor Renee Lindsey Reporting Staff Karen Britt, Claudia Denny, Joy Seaborn, Norma Heath, Catherine Stover, .Susan Webster, Mary Owens, Barrie Walton , Gloria Smith Typists ....Deborah Phillips, Suzanne Martin, Susan Webster Faculty Advisers Dr. Norma Rose, Dr. Tom Parramore Business Editor IJbby Owen Advertising Managers Emilv Johnson Circulation Manager l-;mily Johnson, Deborah Phillips Staff Nancy Alvis, Lou Ann Roebuck, Candy Purvis Faculty Adviser Dr. Lois Frazier Member Associated Collegiate Press. Entered as second- class matter at post office at Raleigh, N.C. 27611, Published weekly except during holidays and exams. THE TWIG is served by National Educational Advertising .Service, 18 East 50th .Street, New York. .Subscription Rates; $3.70 per yt'ar.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 20, 1972, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75