Millsaps College - Bobashela Yearbook (Jackson, MS)

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Dr. Baba sits with freshman Shanti Am- biavagar at the Cross- Cultural Connection potluck dinner held during the fall semes- ter. While aided greatly by lab assistants. Dr. Berry still finds plenty of time to help individual stu- dents such as sophomore Debbie Chou in chemistry lab. Cindy Houston carries on a conversa- tion with her ceramics teacher. Dr. Jack Agricola guides senior Courtney Egan as she sets up her Senior Art Project in the Lewis Art Gallery. 20

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tation, states the scope and purpose of the group: To me, the central purpose of this organization is to increase the number of minority students and to effectively mini- mize the racial and ethnic differences that limit full participation in the college. At the meeting, the various comments which were submitted revealed that people at Millsaps are divided by race just as peo- ple are elsewhere. Clearly, a rift that sepa- rates Millsaps, Mississippi, and the United States is based upon the color of one ' s skin. However, the self-worth of an individual should be emphasized instead of irrational- ly concentrating on the race to which one belongs. Many at Millsaps question the ar- tificial barriers drawn by race and ask just exactly why such barriers exist. In addition to simply questioning these problems, members of the Consultation have set im- mediate and long-range goals to destroy these barriers. Unmistakenly, any solution which was proposed at the Consultation must occur through a change in attitude and not only in reformed policy. Although policies of this committee, the Admissions Department, or the Administration itself may be written to help minorities, they will face opposition unless a change of heart occurs first. This involves a partnership between the policy- makers themselves and the Millsaps ' popu- lation: if we are to become a community, one cannot override the other. Junior Edie Hall emphasizes the importance of continu- ing this open attitude: Even though the Consultation is over, we must stay aware of this problem to make any changes for the future. We can work to immediate goals to plant the seeds of the long-range goals. Let ' s not let this issue die. Presently, the task groups of the Consul- tation ' s Steering Committee work to change existing problems on minority stu- dents. The members of the Consultation, along with others on campus, have an op- portunity to make a difference for the fu- ture. Just as the treatment of minorities was questioned in the past, today students can question their own attitudes to see if they are willing to risk a change. 19

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— -» I the day-to-day activities at Mill- saps, many stu- dents take for granted the fact that most professors on campus are available to them to answer questions or solve certain situations in which the student may re- quire assistance. The professors take time from their massive amounts of pa- perwork, grading and preparation for upcoming classes in order to assist the students. This type of direct assistance cannot be found in any of the larger state schools or even in those elitist ' schools. In those types of places, one must work with a teaching assistant, or worse, fend for oneself. However, at Millsaps, teach- er-student relations are much warmer, friendlier and helpful. Most professors are more than willing to provide any as- sistance the student requires in order to smooth the way for the pupil ' s quest for knowledge. The professors usually know all their students ' names, and in time, learn each of their students ' strengths and weak- nesses and adjust to them accordingly. This type of flexibility is rare at any campus, yet it is here on our campus and flourishing. Although Millsaps has been receiving a large amount of national at- tention, it has not turned into an aca- demic leviathan in which the student be- comes relegated to a mere number or ignored for purposes of research in order to gain further prestige. A visiting stu- dent once remarked upon how well pro- fessors knew their students by name and how often the professors would stop and actually converse with their pupils. It was amazing to the visitor who happened to attend a big-name school in the North that the professors did not treat their students in a condescending manner- .What was more perplexing to the stu- dent was that the professor actually no- ticed the absence of a student and in- quired into the reason of his absence . In the visiting student ' s school, the teachers did not seem to care. Milsaps ' good teacher- student relations are not due solely to a low teacher-student ratio because there are many schools that of- fer comparable ratios but still do not pro- vide the necessary contact between the teacher and the pupil. The good relations are due mostly to the type of attitude that the Millsaps Community produces. This attitude is one of sharing, consider- ation, and the pursuit of knowledge. Of course, this attitude is fueled mostly by the professors because they understand that this is the best environment for learning. Most students also understand that this is the best way to learn and reciprocate the professors ' openess by utilizing the various opportunities for di- rect contact with their educators. Carol Woods, a transfer student from Baylor, feels that the faculty-student re- lationship here at Millsaps as compared to that of Baylor is one of more personal relationships and added attention. . . . Because the classes are smaller here, the interaction between faculty and student is more one-on-one such that a better, stronger relationship can be estab- lished. Professor Bavender. a perfect example of a teacher who will go out of his way to help a student, expresses our strong student-faculty relationship as a tradition here at Millsaps . Professor Bavender goes on to say that one of our basic traditions is a concept known as the total student. The teachers at Millsaps really care about the student in a total sense and this feeling is not just a one-sided one; the student gets to know the teacher in the same personal sense. This type of teacher accessibility is im- portant to us as students, because it is vital to our studies and to our experience here at Millsaps. 21