Curry College - Curryer Yearbook (Milton, MA)

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DEDICATION In keeping with tradition, the Senior Class this year has been given the responsibility of choosing the per- son to whom the yearbook would pay tribute. We sus- pect that they have experienced this year more diffi- culty in selecting the proper individual than classes have experienced in the past. (Such a dilemma was not entirely unexpected in a year of such improvement in so many areas.) For this reason we are saluting not one but two persons. The first of these is an administrator who is unique in the history of the institution — the new Dean of the College, Dr. Frederick Kirschenmann. Dr. Kirschen- mann, originally from North Dakota, opted for Curry because he saw here an opportunity for change . And change he has. In the short year that he has been here he has raised profound questions about the traditional philosophy of education. In his quest to humanize the academic area and develop more options for students, he has opened the door for easier use of equivalent education which allows the student to concentrate more heavily on field-work and independent study. He is also the person most responsible for the unpre- cedented abolition of academic tenure. This cessation of the practice of guaranteeing life time positions after seven years of employment marks the first such action of this type in an accredited college or university in the country. This is a remarkable achievement for a man in the first year of his Deanship. We applaud the action of this pioneer, and wish him success at the leading edge of education at Curry Col- lege. Our recognition of outstanding individuals would be incomplete if we failed to include Dr. Franklin Batdorf, whose career at Curry is closing in June, 1 974. Dr. Bat- dorf is a familiar and beloved figure on campus, dres- sed with the suited aplomb of an 18th century scholar and the sturdy shoes of a patient realist. In faculty meet- ings he has faithfully extracted rationality from lengthy proceedings. He has helped to establish the Curry Arts Journal, through which we can express ourselves crea- tively in poems, essays, short stories, drawings, and crit- ical analyses. Dr. Batdorf ' s cherubic face will, however, be most remembered for his well-structured, uniquely- fascinating classes in English. There we experienced his dedication, his absolute devotion to articulation and precision. In an oral age his insistence on excellence in writing well reminds us not only of our literary heritage but also of the true meaning of communication . Long after the formal classroom sessions had ended he could be found, elbow to elbow with students in need of ad- ditional help. His unselfish giving of himself, his alive humor, and his timeless quality will always be with us. He will be missed.

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STAFF NOTE Etched on the following pages are the collective at- tempts of we, the Curryer staff, to present a comprehen- sive account of what life at the institution entails. To- day, more than at any time in the past ten years, a number of pertinent questions exist as to whether life at any college is worth the time and effort involved. In- deed, it is not unusual today for the college graduate to find himself in a much more difficult position than his counterpart who chose a different route upon graduat- ing from High School. Thus there would appear to be some merit in the high school graduate opting not to choose a college career. This change in attitude has of course had a significant effect on the welfare of the small college. Most of these institutions, if they haven ' t already closed down, find themselves in a state of fi- nancial crisis. Fortunately, at this point anyway, this in- stitution seems to be bearing up fairly well. Although enrollment is slightly on the wane, we have every reason to believe that this is merely a temporary set- back. Due to significant strides both on the academic and administrative sides, the college has evolved into an excellent choice for the prospective scholar. In keeping with the new Dean ' s (this is the administrative change to which we refer) philosophy of making the student ' s academic experience more meaningful, freshman colloquium was originated — enabling the student to avoid structured English and Psychology courses; the language requirement was abolished; and additional avenues in the category of equivalent educa- tion were made possible, thanks to the Dean, to whom, along with a retiring English professor, this year ' s Cur- ryer is dedicated. Indeed, at times in this day and age, with the possi- ble exception of the excutive branch of the federal gov- ernment, there would seem to be very little that is not in a state of economic crisis. It is this sort of thing that the graduating high school student must take into ac- count when choosing the right school. It is our belief that, all things considered, of the small liberal arts schools in the area, this institution offers most of what the student desires. Hopefully, the following pages will help to substantiate that opinion.

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PART ONE PART TWO THE COLLEGE AS AN ENTITY A toal college community amounts to nothing without the shell of it ' s appearance. Curry is one of the more beautiful rural campuses in the Bos- ton area. A college is not a college without an administration and faculty. The following sec- tion exemplifies Curry College as a self- contained learning institute. THE STUDENT AS A PARTICIPANT In a college of 800 students it ' s important that the student not only go to class, but take an ac- tive part in his school. Whether it ' s the year- book, newspaper or radio station, there ' s plenty of excitement to be had. It ' s there for every stu- dent who wants it. This section shows the stu- dents involvement.