Bethany College - Bethanian Yearbook (Bethany, WV)

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ulus of great minds. Maybe you came to college to be went with and ain ' t yet as one girl is reputed to have told the dean of women, but regardless, in careful workmanship in one or more departments of the college you will find a satisfaction and pride unequaled by spurious thrills. Every year the administration is giving the student more freedom in work; every year the irksome requirements for graduation are being reduced. This year, instead of taking definite required courses, freshmen are only asked to elect one year ' s work from each of the five depart- ments of the college. With more freedom should come increased interest and greater excellence in work. One who has become so interested in exploring a new country in literature, or art, or science — so interested that hours and quality points are forgotten in the quest may find a year ' s foreign language holding up his gradu- ation, but he won ' t need coffee to keep him a- wake. Bethany can justly boast of its program of in- dividualized teaching. Professors are literally available almost day and night for conferences. Guidance is available for any one at any time for the asking. And in most cases one doesn ' t have to ask. Bethany ' s guidance program is based on friendship between counselor and coun- selee. Informal Sunday evenings at counselors ' homes, and counselee group meetings make it possible. At the beginning of each year a special effort is made by the administr tion in its fresh- man Week program to answer some of the ques- tions and solve some of the problems of new college students. In the past this counsel has been carried on for freshmen only throughout the year by an inadequate orientation program. The catalogue now lists for the first time two ad- vanced orientation courses dealing with political and social and marital problems — courses de- signed to meet the needs of upperclassmen. Bethany in its guidance program does not seek to break with the old life of its students in build- ing the new. It integrates its program with the high school from which the student comes and with the student ' s home. Education day, moth- er ' s day, parent ' s day, the evident pleasure with which professors and friends greet interested parents and teachers on any day testify to the college ' s interest in the student ' s background. The college tries to educate for the true (through its science courses), the beautiful (by its art and literature), and the good (in its re- ligion and ethics classes). But with all its good intentions, the college still graduates seniors with the trappings of intellectualism and pseudo- culture. One may even be well trained intellectually. and polished socially and still remain a snob. That leaven of religion, or philosophy of life, or what you will, makes the difference. Philos- ophy of life is a good phrase, a glib phrase. It rolls well on the tongue. But too often it means the bundle of prejudices by which we live. Now prejudices — in spite of the sound of the word — may be all right. It ' s all in knowing which ones to hold on to. It doesn ' t pay to be too open- minded. Open-mindedness so often is vacant mindedness. But a spirit of toleration can and should go hand in hand with convictions. A man ' s religion should be one of convic- tions. It should not merely be one of doing things because society disapproves, nor of doing things because they are good for him. It may include a steady devotion to a cause or social ideal that outmodes and perhaps requires the conventional social code to be revised and if it does he should have the courage to defend that ideal. This winter in the evening forums at the church we have a chance to consider problems of world importance, seek a solution, propose and defend our own convictions. Here is another chance for Bethany students to practice that free speech which is as much a tradition of the college as the tower clock. Bethany is listed as a Chris- tian college. That need be no misnomer if stu- dents are awake, for the college is supporting the program of the church as it tries to meet the needs of the students. The administration is interested in seeing that a student graduated from Bethany will leave, not feeling that ' twas better to have come and loafed than never to have come at all, but that he will leave with an attitude toward life and society that will enable him to serve society in any capacity without irritation and with the abil- ity to experience abundant living . . . with such an attitude that he will mar his living neither by contempt for his inferiors nor envy for his superiors. PAGE FIFTEEN

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FACULTY SEMINAR Delle Williams John Erskine Oe e Willicn-s and John Erskine, both seniors, were the first students asked to present papers before the faculty seminars. Student summary of rec- ommendation madeat the three seminars for the betterment of stu- dent college experience. The faculty has done something about their discussions. BY DELLE WILLIAMS Four weeks ago the faculty of Bethany college met in its third seminar, a scientific experiment in the field of education . Student representation in this meeting was an unprecedented innovation. That fact alone would justify a live student in- terest in seminars. Seminars inform, instruct, inspire; they do not act executively. The germ of ideas lately brought to fruition in the college program may be traced, however, to the minutes of preceding seminars. Seminars were instituted on this campus in 1936 to meet a felt need for discussions of which the faculty meetings could not take care. Pro- gressive trends of education defined in terms of the needs on this campus were to be discussed. Many of the problems considered by our social panel last year were anticipated in the faculty seminars. For instance, we read in the minutes of one: There is no inherent opposition be- tween curricular and extra-curricular interests . . . Spiritual means of happiness and social peace are quite as necessary as the material . . . Hence, we should have increased opportunity for participa- tion in the arts, crafts, recreation. (Notice the plea is for participation, not entertainment. Spec- tatoritis is a disease the infirmary doesn ' t treat — unfortunately.) Furthermore, the faculty, not being as lethar- gic as the student body, has done something a- bout their discussions. They not only propose but also encourage participation in the crafts . This year, cases for the display of hobbies have been added to the ground floor of the library. There are four of them — one for freshmen, one for sophomores, another for juniors, and the fourth for seniors, if you wish. What can the classes offer comparatively? It might be inter- esting to see. You who have leather work, water colors, arrow head collections, etc., display them! Miss Cutlip will be glad to talk with any riders of hobbies — though chicken raisers mav find an exhibit hard to arrange. As for the arts, they are looking up . Music and drama need no mention here to make them known to the student body. They are going con- cerns on our campus. Esthetic dancing is also receiving some attention. Chapel programs and lecture courses have introduced us to folk and interpretative dancing. (The Shag and Susy-Q manage to get around on their own.) Programs such as the arts club, with its every-member- participation, are to be commended. It has made Bethany art conscious, and helped supply in inter- est what we are lacking in courses in the field. The modern art lectures last year did their bit for Bethany, too. We hope they will continue this year, but might we suggest that a series be chosen that will not find its way into a New York junk shop after a month or two? The college is interested in the student not only as he now is, but as he is to be , physically, mentally, spiritually. Our present health program grew out of hours of consideration of the best interests of the stu- dent by the faculty. To see is to believe the im- provement of the new set-up. Instead of a dose of castor oil — from a part-time nurse — for ev- erything from a sprained ankle to a cold, we have efficient health examinations, prescriptions, and scientific counsel. The foundations for ef- ficiency here and satisfactory work hereafter are built on sound physical health — student practice to the contrary. Flagrant abuse of health — late (or early ) hours, excessive smoking, living on nerves — should be regulated by student opinion. We are here to build a life, not destroy one. Mentally, the college offers the student an ex- cellent curriculum and, more important, the stim- PAGE FOURTEEN

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ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT. ..CHEMISTRY Editor ' s Note: The chem- istry department was chos- en for the first in a series of articles presenting the academic side of Bethany college because we recog- nize this department as one of our most progressive. Although the chemistry de- partment has made a spec- tacular development in recent years, it has re- ceived less publicity in student publications than any other department of the college. Certainly no one is more qualified to give us the real story of Bethany chemistry than Professor Dawson who is head of that department T r T T The aims or purposes as viewed by those of us in the department might be stated in words slightly different from the terminology of the college catalogue. It is our belief that if we are to justify our existence we must give a training equal to that of the technical school or college at the undergraduate level and not crowd out the development of religious life, social growth, cul- tural progress, and other p hases which go to make up the completely rounded man or woman. It is not to be inferred that technical colleges and state universities are antagonistic to such a com- plete program as is suggested or that they may not accomplish such results as well as many lib- eral arts colleges. Their aim unquestionably is first the principles, teaching of facts, methods; by their very nature, they are not designed to stress religious and social idealism. It has been our firm belief for some time that the student has ample time to secure not merely a satisfactory technical training but an excellent vocational grounding without otherwise neglect- ing his social, religious, or physical well-being. To accomplish what seems to be more than is achieved by his purely technical cousin, he must learn early to budget his time and energy and place emphasis and best efforts in their proper se- quence. It is assumed that the students will vary widely in their accomplishments of these ob- jectives. As to vocational goals in this area, we are so- licitious that our students have a wide variety. Some should become teachers in secondary school: and in universities; in the latter field only after they have adequate graduate training. Others A comprehensive analysis and description of the aims, purposes, equipment, curriculum, needs, history, and success of gradu- ates of the chemist depart- ment. BY PROFESSOR DAWSON should enter medical col- leges for their professional training. Some should en- ter the graduate schools of the fine universities to add to their undergraduate training. They will then be expected to do research work for the industries. It is to be hoped that some will add a year or more of chemical engineering to help them as operators and managers in the chemical industries. It is commonly agreed that such a training period is quite ideal for this pur- pose. Many students will continue to go directly from Bethany into various chemical industries. Now to accomplish these aims, a physical plant, laboratory equipment, library and personnel are prime factors. The late E. W. Oglebay of the class of 1869 gave to Bethany Oglebay hall in the year 1911 and furnished the laboratories in a splendid man- ner. Within the last two years the college ad- ministration has been generous in the matter of supplying student help, and it has been possible to refinish completely practically every piece of furniture within the department, not to mention refinishing floors, painting walls, and construct- ing and plumbing some fifty feet of new locker space. Chemistry, being the laboratory science that it is, requires much equipment, for both theory and technique must be taught. Our predecessors de- serve much credit for securing su : table modern furniture and apparatus, especially in the field of general and analytical chemistry. It has not been necessary to add a single balance to those here prior to 1930. However, it would be advantage- ous to purchase three new ones soon; one h ; gh grade analytical balance for micro or semi-micro work, a chainomatic and a keyboard type so thit students might become familiar with these newer kinds. It is not uncommon to hear a chemistry major of ten or fifteen years ago, who has not been ac- tive in the field, comment that he is unable to read and understand a new chemistry text or a periodical article. As subject matter and methods change, additions and equipment changes must go on incessantly. Here again an appreciative and understanding president has co-operated and PAGE SIXTEEN