Los Angeles Valley College - Crown Yearbook (Valley Glen, CA)

Page 46 text:

I. . 4 'i S . if V25 i af lf V L if X 3 I gif. Discussing standard dissection procedures, Samuels and zoology student Bill Jones study the skeletal anatomy of a shark cadaver. By Carolyn Ristuccia Illustrated by Robert Lachman Different people possess different talents. Some are blessed with the capability for making music. Many manipulate words to make them come alive, while others excel in the study of foreign languages, mathematics and science. Hut certain people are endowed with a very special faculty for helping others. Such is the case with Edward Samuels, associate professor of biology. A man who loves his students as much as he loves his subject, Samuels has devoted himself to helping others realize their own potential for success. He wants his students to learn. So, they do. Whether he is in the lecture hall, the bio-tutorial lab, or on a field trip, the professor works to give his instructional technique a more intimate kind of appeal. The instructor has the responsibility of making the material interesting, he will say. lust because the subject is rigorous it doesn't have to be sour. My objective is to give selection within a conventional but elastic framework. Recently, Samuels adopted the view that the textbook has become less important. The textbook is now more of a reference than a primary source. The average text reads like an encyclopedia. lt's much too impersonal, he said. Fortunately the Bio-l program has a multifaceted emphasis. In addition to the individual attention Samuels is always willing to offer, the student has access to a supplementary tutorial laboratory guide, Scci EU I3 :Big ll EHTIUEIS written by the professor, along with many slides, tapes, and films. Believing that the foremost responsibility of science is to distinguish between facts and assumptions, Prof. Samuels en- courages the curious mind. Today students ask questions and they want answers, he will say. As his students well know, all questions are answered in the style that made him popular. Although he is soft-spoken and gentle, Samuels' manner is marked by authority, never austerity, directness, rather than uncertainty. So successful is Samuels' technique that he almost entertains his students, even while examining the intricacies of the DNA, as one enthusiastic student puts it. The professor looks forward to the day when all students will have a practical knowledge of biology. Biology is not for an elite minority, Samuels commented. People must know the biology of all that surrounds them. In essence, we must attain a sophisticated level of biological literacy. In this way Samuels feels that society may provide for the continuing value of culture. Since coming to Valley College in 1963, he has made tireless efforts to give Valley's biology program increased relevance. Since World War Il, we have witnessed a tremendous explosion of information. More than ever, the professional educator is very vulnerable. He can no longer keep up with the facts, per se. It is increasingly the concepts, rather than just the facts, states Samuels. Wednesday afternoons Samuels takes a break from the classroom to participate in faculty volleyball games.

Page 45 text:

There should be a degree of respect as far as employee and employer relationships, he said. The employer knows that you're going to do the iob and do it well. But at the same time, there are certain circumstances that prevent one from doing a good job, and it's not the photographers fault. The talents and experience of Bill Varie are not reserved solely for the professional media. Students enrolled in his Photography 23 class would be the first to appreciate this situation. As a photography instructor, Varie explains the best education for photographers is taking pictures and wanting to be a good photographer. lf you want to be a good photographer, you're never going to really be happy with your product, and you're continually going to be striving for a better product, he said. Youfre going to be self- examining yourself all the time, striving for some- thing better with every picture. After fulfilling his responsibilities to the L.A. Times and teaching, Varie manages to devote time to working on a book. Amazingly enough, the subiect matter is photography. No one could argue that the photographer has a hard time getting along with reporters. Why, he even went so far as to marry one. His wife, Patricia, is a reporter for the Valley News and Green Sheet. Since meeting his wife at San lose State College, where both were studying journalism, a third mem- ber has been added to the family. Cara, their white German Shepard dog, rules over the Varie domain in Agoura. A talent in her own right, Cara is credited with many professional quali- ties revered in the dog world. Varie explained her vast realm of talents, include sitting down, shaking, rolling over, opening Christmas presents, and when I want her to, we can howl together, he said. However, Cara has her price. Her price is a people cracker. They have people crackers in various shapes, the photographer ex- plained. They have mailmen, firemen, and police- men. I think she likes the policemen most. Having a darkroom available to him at all times, Varie finds it easier to make his deadlines. U

Page 47 text:

Q' H-.jump b i Y ,,-- ' J,-'4 ... ',,.. 4 -- -J,,.,3',,- ,,, - -5- - f'.,-f---- f- ,f 1'- ,' ,- 9, ,. 1 -4 - ara- rj-'.. J. .. ln-, r'.,g-- f - ff Q-:,4,1,,.. A man of far-reaching ideals, the professor does not reject the feasibility of a Colden Age of Learning. lf man collectively decides to utilize the knowledge and educational resources at his command, this will occur, he asserts. But, this can never happen if education, as an institution, continues to come under attack. More specifically, Samuels notes, if you cease to trust the professional educator, if you tie him up by demanding that he conform to an unbending, outmoded, and ritualistic education- al format, we will lose sight of that 'Colden Age. ' Samuels emphatically maintains that the good life is just around the corner. With dedicated professors like Samuels helping students round that corner, it very well may be. -l - -nun.,-5. 'U-1 -v 'w YD: On a field trip to Malibu canyon, Samuels examines two specimens found in a shoreline tidepool. Reading up to four hours per night in order to keep up with the onslaught of increasing information, Samuels subscribes to a variety of educational publications. -ar., -l Samuels spends many hours collecting, shooting, and editing material for 8mm biology films. 43 ,ayqkcl eww. H