Davidson College - Quips and Cranks Yearbook (Davidson, NC)

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Davidson ' s Center For Special Studies Offers An Alternative To Curriculum The College ' s Center For Special Studies was established in the old Carolina Inn in 1970. In the eleven years that it has been a part of Davidson ' s academic life, the center has encouraged study in such diverse fields as The Midwestern Mind , Control of Scien- tific Research , and Individual Rights and State ' s Rights , among other even less con- ventional disciplines. In just over a decade, the Center has graduated about three hundred and forty students, a large part of whom have left Davidson with honors and have gone on to graduate schools in many, many fields. AN EXHUBERANT SPEAKER. Dr. Bob Manning is a member of the physics department who also teaches seminars through the Center. The programs offered by the Center for Special Studies are not for everybody. The institution ' s present Dean, Dr. Bliss, stresses that the Center is here for those students who find that traditional majors do not suit their needs or interests. We are here to provide appropriate opportunities for students who have interests that are just a little different, he said, adding that a degree from the Center is all impressive to some graduate schools that are interested in the depth of an appli- cant ' s academic commitment. The student enrolling at the Center for Spe- cial Studies designs his or her own curriculum with the help of a group of sympathetic advisors, as Dr. Bliss puts it. On the average about thirty-two students work through the Center every year in pursuit of various singu- lar majors. Dr. Bliss does not believe that the majority of them are motivated by a desire to find specific jobs upon graduation. Most of them are just interested in the subject, he reports. Davidson ' s Center For Special Studies is a unique concept to say the least. It offers stu- dents an unusual opportunity for self expres- sion, an advantage that most students in oth- er institutions never have in their educational experiences. -Mike Mason WHOLE-HEARTED ATTENTION and concentrated study are needed for intensive programs. P.J. Whit- lock committed herself to this study. WLm HHI H 1 ' k . . 1 K t. - ' ' 1 PARTICIPATING IN THE CENTER ' S PROGRAMS. Freshman Jeff Mann took advantage of the Center ' s opportunities early: students generally do not get in- volved with the Center until their sophomore year. PERSONAL LUNCHEONS in the cozy setting o f the Center for Special Studies building are regular func tions for Center majors, professors, and guests. AN EVEN BALANCE of discussion and lecture are customary for the Center seminars. Bill Appleton. John Richards, Tim Whalen and Elizabeth Brazell participate in Dr. Bob Manning ' s seminar. 24 STUDENT LIFE

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Hidden Opportunities In Belk Located in the lower level of Belk Dorm, the ROTC department may seem Isolated from the other curriculum departments at Da- vidson. But it is set off for a good reason — it is not just another academic department. ROTC offers all the experience of a leader- ship club, a team sport, and a service club rolled into one neat package flavored with a few classes and extra training. The program does this primarily through student-run units within the department. One of the most important ROTC units is the Cadet Cadre, composed of senior cadets who are responsible for the training of the Corps of Cadets. The major weight of this responsibility rests on the shoulders of Batal- lion CO. Cdt. Ltc. David Green and Bataliion XO, Cdt, Maj. Jorge Silveira. Assisting them are David Poe as Training and Operations Officer, Jeff Wright as Bataliion Sgt. Major, and Tim Bethea as Adjudant. The ROCs, another unit organized for mili- tary career motivated cadets, provides an op- portunity to learn advanced skills, such as mountain climbing, small group tactics, land navigation, and first aid for virtually any situa- tion. Scabbard and Blade, a military honor soci- ety, honors academic achievement and spon- sors two blood drives, a turkey shoot, and a military ball over the year. Each of these organizations offers students a position in leadership and an opportunity of learning to work efficiently with others to- ward a common goal. The department not only offers opportuni- ties to the cadets within the ROTC program but also offers services to the rest of the student body. The rifle team is sponsored and coached by SSG. Ransom Cooper, Jr. In an effort to acquaint more students with ROTC and its programs, open-house tours are given during freshman orientation. The bene- fits of this active role taken by the depart- ment to meet the freshmen are reflected in a sixty percent increase in first year cadet en- rollment over last year. Like Cadet George Thompson who states, I joined ROTC in con- sideration of the present and the future, more and more students are realizing how well ROTC can equip one for careers after Davidson, whether military or otherwise. -Lisa Sloan DRAWING BLOOD painlessly is a Davidson ROTC spe cialty. This year ' s blood drive set a new record for dona tions. Among the ROTCs working at the fall blood drive were Brad Perkins. Eddie Beaker, John Shaw, and Todd Beck. m PRECISIOM FORMATIONS characterize the proud and A TOUGH BRAD SIMPSON is initiated into ROCs. Ru hard-core ROCs, a group that can handle just about any mors that the pin pierces both shirt and arm are entirely task. false. 26 STUDENT LIFE