Bethany College - Bethanian Yearbook (Bethany, WV)

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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

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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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Professor Dawson Head of Department supported the program, no easy task during a pro- longed depression. The department possesses at present a store- room well stocked with chem- icals and supplies for routine work at the undergraduate level, and students can obtain everything which is essential for their work. The physical chemistry lab- oratories are a relatively new development, and it has been the departmental policy to add one or two permanent pieces of equipment to this area each year. Consequently this labor- atory now contains such new apparatus as a Spencer spectrometer convertible to a spectro- graph, a Parr-calorimeter, a hydrophile balance for Langmuir oil film experiments, an alpha ray track apparatus, an Abbe refractometer, a polar- imeter, a du Nouy tensiometer, a potentiometer and many smaller units. Within recent vears a new gas analysis apparatus and Muffle furnace have been added to the analytical department which already had a Braun electrolytic apparatus. The shop contains a wood-metal lathe, taps, dies, motor-driven grinder and various small hand tools where new apparatus may be made. In fact, much of the physical chemistry equipment has been turned out by students working on N Y A or as departmental assistants. A modern trained chemist does not necessarily require as many books as one might think; he must, however, be a constant reader of current literature. In this respect the department has probably made more progress than in physical equipment. Some twenty standard journals are being received and placed on the shelves in the departmental library on the third floor of Ogle- bay hall. These journals are so selected as to give general chemical information in English, German and French and make available journals suitable for beginning students as well as upper- classmen. A few more are needed, and most of the journals require binding. All books are kept in the main library. In curriculum, a summary will show that the student has available a first year general course in chemistry, then by careful selection may ac- quire organic chemistry on three yearly levels, that is to say as much as 18 semester hours, ana- lytical on three yearly levels, and, after the pres- ent year, two years of physical chemistry. He may Mr. Milter Instructor in Chemistry secure special courses, such as a survey of indus- trial chemistry with field trips; last year the trip was made to the Charleston district. There are also courses in chemical litera- ture, special methods of teach- ing and minor research prob- lems. With the present staff these offerings are made possi- ble by yearly alteration of some courses. The problems courses have yielded since their introduction, a number of undergraduate papers, three of which have been presented by the students themselves before t h e state Academy of Science: one by Richard Brandon, The Preparation and Properties of 3-Brom-hex- ane ; another by Bertha Fietz, A Study of the Efficiency and Some Properties of Calgon ; and a third paper by Frank Woltz. A Comparison of the Electrical Conductivity of Some Salts in Water and Deuterium Oxide . There is one area which at present does not seem to be adequately covered in light of student occupational needs. To be definite, nearly forty percent of the Bethany chemistry students enter the steel industry directly, and we fail to give our men specific help for this work. The metallurg- ist rather than the chemist dominates the tech- nicaal side of this industry, and our men must acquire information elsewhere to be considered more favorable. We should and will as soon as practicable, include work in metallography. Our students also need work in drafting, a field which we do not cover at present. How much do Bethany students use the pres- ent facilities? For several years about fifty freshmen have enrolled annually in the first year course, and, generally speaking, about fifty per cent of these have chosen to continue chemistry as a major interest. The usual college casualties diminish the ranks to less than ten graduates on the average. With respect to personnel, we have Dr. W. S. Miller, who is especially well fitted to contribute in the field of analytical and general chemistry. He has had some industrial experience, took his undergraduate work at Lehigh university and his Ph. D. at Syracuse university, where he was a graduate assistant in analytical and general chemistry. He came to Bethany with the best commendation and was called back one summer to teach at Syracuse. Dr. Miller, as an instructor, prepares his work carefully and is making a very PAGE SEVENTEEN