Catholic University of America - Cardinal Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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ACADEMIC LIFE . . . a solid preparation that entails the growth of mental discipline and the growth of a love of knowledge. l11 this day of professionalism, it is a common thing for the observer to lose sight of the basic elements of education that are absorbed by the professional man and the wage-earner alike in their educational growth. It has become increasingly easier to forget that the suc- cessful man is the end-product of a process that has correlated basic cultural knowledge with the more spe- cialized knowledge of a chosen Held. This correlation. or process of climbing from the preparation stage to a solidly grounded specialization. takes the name of college. lt has been said many times that the purpose of college is to prepare oneis self for the role one must play in life. lt was for this purpose that The Catholic University of America was first founded. and it is the purpose which governs the decisions of that liniversity. To give to the nation well-rounded citizens who will participate in and take the initiative in their respective social spheres is the noblest goal an educator can achieve. Toward this goal, then, the educational system employed at the University is aimed. from the preparatory years to the culminating years. The specialization that occurs in later years of the college education must have as its foundation a solid preparation that entails the growth of mental discipline and the growth of a love of knowledge. Discipline of the mind and the gaining of a broad cultural background. then. are among the first goals toward which the educator strives. Accordingly, the faceless mass of first-y ear students are thrust into a pro-

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p1'epa1'at01'y disciplines . . spevializatioll . . . must ltaw . . .a solid pre-paratintl gram that will start tha-in on the-ir way. This attempt at nmste-ry of lqllllfliiltlf-'lllill klimvleflgt- anrl clisr-iplinf-S holfls lim' tht- Pnginr-f-r as ut-ll as thf- scholar in lllllll3Ilillf'S. for tht- arc-hite-c-t as wt-ll as fur the pllysic-ist. ln un instant-Q of training: On the hash- If-ve-I eve-ry l-l'f'Slllttilll applif-S llllllSt'lf tu tht- print-iple-s nl' English rln-torir-. L1-arming the art of s-fTPr'tivf-. avrfuratv. In-f-cisely urittr-n 1-ntnniunir-utinn is un iIN'llSPPllS2ll3lt' acqnirm-ment for thc- man who has anything at all to say. Ev:-11 tht- arvltito-ct. wlwse 4'mnn:f-pts Sc-Cin at first glam-P rvfluvilwlv tn moth-l or plan. innst in thc- f-nfl rf-ly nn ve-rhal vxpres- Sion tn nmlu- 1-le-ar what lit-s hf-hinfl his tri-atitni. Prolmahly, the tnost, I'lgUI'UllS tlisr-iplitlv Ext'-its-fl on tht- fr:-slnnanis niinfl is the ruggf-fl pursuit nl' thi- Gres-lx nr Latin languagm-. At the saint- time-. the kitowlvflge- of nur rultural lwritagt- whicli this sturly affnrfls is a lung- rangie invc-sttnent in nur f-ultural luturt-. The prf-Cisinn and Rt't'llI'ilt,'y wlmifrh tht- am-if-nt language-5 clmnancl is the te-st of the int-ttlv of the true stuflent. Stamping: its 4ll51 lIllll1P upon Ihr- fe-1'tilP mintl. the stnfly of Creek OW-ng then floor tn inte-llf-Ptnzll ar'l1iPvPn1e'nt. PH-fr-law r'rmt'1tltN 1Il'l'tl5llHlllllYllfllkll vlnv- POIIIPIII.