Georgia Institute of Technology - Blueprint Yearbook (Atlanta, GA)

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Individuality Is the Essential Component of the Personality of Georgia Tech Ultimately, the quality of a whole unit must depend on the quality of its con- stituent parts. In the case of a university, were it not for the students, the school would not exist at all. The higher the caliber of students it attracts, the more - prestigious a university becomes. The more diverse the students, the more complete the university is as a commu- nity. The presence of the students necessitates the presence of the equally important complement of administra- tors, faculty, and staff. Thus, the individuality within a school community is directly responsi- ble for the personality of the school. Today ' s Georgia Tech has inherited a personality from past students, faculty, and administrators. The stories concern- ing George P. Burdell, the Rats, various shaft professors, blunders in the plan- ning of bus stops and people movers, and the good old days when current Tech professors were only Trade School students themselves continue to mold attitudes and contribute a solid base of unique tradition to the school. But, Tech ' s special character is not static; it changes from year to year as new indi- viduals with new ideas and outlooks join the university community. 1977-78 was an important year in this continuing development of Georgia Tech ' s individuality. The opening of the Fuller E. Callaway III Student Athletic Complex and the completion of the Price Gilbert Plaza in front of the library gave the campus a new physical appear- ance while adding new dimensions to extracurricular life. The largest fresh- man class in the history of the school brought with it an unprecedented div- ersity of outlooks and perspectives. The largest enrollment of women in Tech ' s history forced continued changes in on- campus attitudes and opinions toward women in technical fields. Administra- tive investigation into the relative mer- its of research and teaching, as they per- tained to Tech as a whole, promised to leave a lasting stamp on the type and quality of education available. All facets of the Georgia Institute of Technology saw modifications as the school ' s con- tinually changing personality went from one kaleidoscopic form to another — each form related to the preceding one, but distinctly different.