Kent State University - Chestnut Burr Yearbook (Kent, OH)

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THE DEPARTMENT OF KINDERGARTEN-PRIMARY G. Hazel Swan, B. S. The new curricula, both three year and four year, for this department, were com- pleted during- the year of 1926 and 1927. In September, students were able to register in them. Thirteen courses are offered, eight of which have already been given. The department will move to a new suite before the summer session. Students specializing in this department will soon have the opportunity to join a Kindergarten-Primary Club. Membership in the club will enable the students to have many and varied experiences connected with the Kindergarten-Primary field and thus further enrich their college work. Some of the activities possible are social meetings for acquaintance; out of town visiting, as to the Nursery Schoo ' s of Cleveland; shar- ing of experiences among the various classes; attendance of a group at the Inter- national Kindergarten Meetings by invitation, a custom recently established by that organization; bringing speakers of reputation to us and sharing them at meetings with guests. THE LIBRARY Margaret Dunbar, B. L., B. L. S. Just as All roads lead to Rome so all courses in the curriculum at Kent Stale College lead to the library. Every hour of the day students are in the library read- ing; enriching the textbook and classroom work by reading from authorities in the subjects they are studying. Not only are they reading on certain specified subjects but they are reading or selecting for home reading, books written by artist-authors; enriching their lives by using their leisure, for reading; their leisure, the most precious hours of life. Although we are still in an outgrown room, new books have been added, upon recommendation of heads of various de- partments, until now we have a library of about thirty five thousand volumes, selected for our special needs. We look forward to housing the library in the new David Ladd Rockwell building, with its adequate space and its beauty, but this old library room with its informality, its associations, its easy access from other buildings, will long be remembered by many students and faculty. Page twenty-seven

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THE HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT A. Sellew Roberts, A. B., M. A., Ph. D. History is tlie record of the development of man on this earth as told by his remains, his monuments, and his inscriptions. Hisi- (ii-y with its sister sciences, Economics; Government and Sociology, well nigh covers the entire range of man ' s activity on this planet. Instead of being a dry and tedious list of facts and dates as many regard it it is as full of interest as life itself for it is the record of life. There are few if any subjects that have a greater bearing on the development of the student into a useful citizen and a worth while member of society than those given in this group. Likewise there are few subjects that require better preparation for successful teaching than these, and there are none that give a quicker response to the competent teacher. The student of the social sciences is not only the better equipped to be a good citizen but he has also found avenues for cultural development that are unsurpassed. The study of these sciences cannot be too highly encouraged. DEPARTMENT OF HOME ECONOMICS Bertha Nixon, B. S. The slogan of home economics is Better Homes , and a home economics department must keep this primarily in view while, ut the same time, preparing for the teaching profession. How vital this question of Better Homes really is can be realized when we note that ninety per cent of all women become home makers. Every other occupation require:; intensive training and preparation, and yet the profession of home maker, — the greatest of all, — has been generally neglected. A home depends upon the physical, social and ethical standards of its members, just as it does upon the economic phases of daily life. The girl who has studied scien- tific home planning, the choice, preparation and serving of foods, the selection of ap- propriate clothing, and the general care and management of the home and family isbound to be than the girl who lacks this background. more successful home maker Page twenty-six

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DEPARTMENT OF MANUAL TRAINING Clinton S. Van Deusen, M. E. The aim of manual training is to develop in all children, irrespective of their future occupations, mainly throug ' h handwork; de- sirable attitudes toward materials, proces- ses, values and workers and elementary abilities along many lines of manual acti- vity. It is essentially learning by doing. It should be started in the kindergarten and continued through all grades into the high school. The manual abilities acquired in manual training should be used to express by doing, in motivating many other lines of school activity. The department, having been largely crowded out of the power house on account of the expansion of the heating plant and finding but scant space in the basement of Merrill Hall on account of the delayed occu- pation of the new training school, has been working this year under difficulties. It has however been striving to prepare prospective teachers to carry to the children of Ohio the best possible in manual training. DEPARTMENT OF .MATHEMATICS Raymond E. Manchester, A. B., M. A. The Department of Mathematics at Kent State has been steadily growing not only in size but also in strength. A complete range of courses is now open to a student wishing to specialize in the subject with a guarantee that the work offered will be ac- cepted at any other college or university. At present the spotlight is centered on the creation of a mathematics laboratory. This will provide added opportunity for research and individual study. Another dream we have is the establishment of a summer sur- veying camp. If this camp idea materia- lizes it will make possible an opportunity for study under interesting conditions, and at the same time it will provide sufficient change of procedure to appeal to all those who enjoy outdoor life. During the coming year it is the plan to present a much more comprehensive course in statistical methods and to organize outfield discussion club made up of those teaching mathematics in this section Ohio. Page twenty-eight