Furman University - Bonhomie Yearbook (Greenville, SC)

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The fearless, untiring pursuit of truth holds the answer to our strength. Where does this statement of freedom tie in with Furman University? Substitute the word Furman for democratic government and the word student for the word people. Any college or university must follow the laws of free government if it is to be successful in providing an atmosphere of freedom for its students. The college campus of today is permeated with individualistic freedoms. Furman is not indifferent to these collegiate freedoms. Furman is remarkably at ease in the realm of academic and intellectual freedom. The Furman faculty is absolutely free to say and teach what they feel to be pertinent, and in most instances the professors exercise this right. The students also have the right to dissent and discuss ideas which confront them. Furman's academic atmosphere does provide the seeds for thought; it is the responsibility of the students to supply the 14

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water to grow the seeds. Freedom is an idea or concept when applied to academics and all other fields, but it is an idea to be fought for when it is physically and intangibly missing. An expression of freedom is often seen in the dress, attitude, writings and actions of students. Beatniks come and go. A person may read Freud. Ayn Rand, Marx; listen to Miles Davis' jazz, or Joan Baez's melancholy folk voice. One may read Ian Fleming, or listen to the Brothers Four. The point is that Furman has an atmosphere free enough to permit this diversity and produce different kinds of students and individuals. This lack of conformity should be productive, but the students must seek this productivity themselves. The BONHOMIE chose the theme of freedom in an effort to impress upon the students, faculty and parents the possibilities that Furman University has to offer. The attitude with which this challenge is accepted remains with yOU. 16