Lee College - Vindauga Yearbook (Cleveland, TN)

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Dr. Ray H. Hughes Mr. President Our Leader ' s Viewpoint on the Times Charles Dickens described his days by saying: It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. I am of the opinion that these times are both the best and the worst of times. The state of our times has been summarized in the epigram: The future is not what it used to be. It most perceptibly points up the anxiety and insecurity of the contemporary climate. No one plans for the days ahead with any assurance. Whatever resourcefulness or dedication we offer, we cannot count upon to- morrow to keep its promises. Everywhere we rum there is disruption, violence, and deep crisis. The mood of our times is reflected in the literature of alienation, in the theater of the absurd, and in the increasing meaning- lessness of art. These times are characterized by a moral and spiritual decline. Permissiveness has permeated our society leaving it pale and anemic. Obscenity, profanity, and pornography are the order of the day. Nudity promenades the broadways and lifts its head in defiant haughtiness as it passes us by. Alcoholism and drugs have paralyzed and blown the minds of millions. Dishonesty and cheating have become accepted ways of life, being evil only if one is caught in the act. Alvin Toffler in his book FUTURE SHOCK speaks of the roaring current of change, a current so powerful today that it overturns institutions, shifts our values, and shrivels our roots. Change is a process by which the future invades our lives; and it is important to look at it closely, not merely from the current perspective of history, but also from the vantage point of the living, breathing individuals who experience it. The acceleration of change in our times is itself an elemental force. Toffler further observes, and I quote: In the most rapidly changing environ- ment to which man has ever been exposed, we remain pitifully ignorant of how the human animal copes. These are the worst of times because of the fear of annihilation, crime and disorder, and crises of every description. To use the words of Hamlet in Shakespeare ' s play, The time is out of joint. This generation has never been free from the fear of annihilation. We live face to face with the threat of cosmic disaster. All of us, especially the young people of our day, keep hearing the ominous ticking of the bomb. Horace Walpole in talking about another age said: The world is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy to those who feel. Could not this age be described in that manner? The crime and disorder have caused this generation to be uprooted from its settled existence and thrust into an uncertain future. We live at the crossroads — one foot in a world that is going, the other foot in a world that is coming, the old world not gone, the new world not jelled. Crisis is a way of life and it is not easy to live with crisis. But these are also the best of times. We must realize that crisis is the problem of change, and it takes a special kind of courage to live with crisis. Crisis presents to us opportunities, and we must accept it as a challenge. It is at times like these that the best is brought out of us and the limits of our potentials are tested. We will never be worthy of our heritage if we fail to meet the crises of our time with responsibility. Therefore, we must learn to live with crisis, for it is the only way that we will be able to live through it. There is no place to hide. We are living among the great issues of our times, perhaps of all time, and Lee College is keenly aware of its place in this kind of a world. In the words of Rupert Brooke, I believe that God has matched us with this hour. Therefore, the plans of Lee College for the future are dynamic plans which will change society for the better and which will develop young men and women to meet the challenges of our time. — Dr. Hughes uJtmraA

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ACADEMIC DEAN Dr. Laud Vaught, Academic Dean, has a firsthand view of the effects that the times have on the student body as a whole. He notes a definite change in attitude toward education on the part of the younger generation and he sees two negative factors contributing to a lower motivational level among students. The present generation does not come out of a ' depressed mentality ' but comes out of a ' subsidized living arrangement ' in which education is not seen as a great necessary factor since many people make as well without education as with education. ' This has affected somewhat the motivation which we see within a student. We also are looking at a circumstance in which the federal government has taken a strong position in helping to subsidize education. This, in part, has led to a lack of motivation on the part of the individual; so he gets into college; all he has to do is do reasonably well. There is no drive for excellence in a large number. This does not suggest that we do not get excellent students, but by and large the number of students who work up to their capacity is relatively small. However, the times do, according to Dr. Vaught, have a bright spot. The average student seems to know more before coming to college than other generations due to the mass media ' s informational emphasis. Dr. Vaught sees this media influence in the students ' perception of education. They may not feel that it is as important because they have other sources of being educated. In other words, you do not necessarily have to come to a classroom. TV, taped classes, extra campus activities, all of these things — they know well that these are educational opportunities, and many of them take advantage of them, and therefore do not see college per se as being the only route to success. Perhaps Dr. Vaught ' s views could help explain the student ' s attitude toward recent educational issues. Only the individual can control complacency in a society of convenience in education. —Allan Hill ASSOCIATE DEAN Basically, our function is to carry on the fundamental operation of academics, in terms of serving students ' needs, and assisting the faculty in carrying out the educational program. This is Dr. Ollie J. Lee ' s brief description of his office ' s responsibilities. As Associate Dean of the College, he is the man behind the scenes and inside the workings of the college. He is also Director of the Institutional Self Study Process which comes to a close this year. This unique vantage point coupled with Dr. Lee ' s background in the study of sociology provides a view unlike that of other administrators. Pertaining to their influence on Lee, he sees the times as two external factors: the demographic transitions and the overall economic situation ' s impact on the sponsoring denomination. Lee states, I think that the institution tends to respond to the conditions surrounding us much more than we would like to think. According to Lee, the declining enrollment, government cutbacks and the economic crunch go hand in hand in producing, internally, a sense of real pressure. This pressure is not just indigenous to Lee College; other private colleges are feeling the effects of the factors Dr. Lee mentioned. Dr. Lee says the self study is responsible for quite a bit of pressure to get the self study completed and to have a favorable report and a favorable review by the committee this April. I think that ' s very much at the forefront of an examination of these times. —Allan Hill ®tm?BA)