Mount Holyoke College - Llamarada Yearbook (South Hadley, MA)

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Mathematics to a needier cause, and with far-seeing, thoughtful care, planned the enlarged courses of the College Rhetoric department, wl1icl1 have steadily grown under her direction ever since. The de- velopment of the subject as arranged for the three years showed characteristic thoroughness and method. In carrying out these plans she has been ably helped by her sis- ter, Miss Alice Stevens, who entered into the work with sympathetic earnestness and made her own personality a power in the classroom. The seeming drudgery to Freshmen and Sophomores, of story and argument, of reviews and pleas, is varied by peeps through the loopholesofexainple and illustration at the beautiful and the strong in the realm of books. The Junior course in the technique of the drama and tl1e novel was planned by Miss Stevens with special reference to several coursesin lit- erature, the aim be- ing to have the stu- dents so thoroughly grounded in the prin- ciples of structure that they might not find it necessary to devote a large portion ofthe ti111e give11 to liter- ature tothe mastery of form. The principles of style, both prose and poetic, which before have been given in part in connection with tl1e study of structure, and in part with tl1e development of rhetorical theory, now form a separate elective. The Rhetoric of the Senior year, now to be elective, takes the form of literary criticism, and has been in the charge, of Miss Wood since the establishing of the College courses. Interpretation of beauty in literature must come from the heart of one who loves tl1e beautiful and believes in it. Many a one has received a new vision rr

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English Department as T is evident that good English was almost as solid a part of the foundation of Mount Holyoke as good morals. In the first cat- alogue, as for fifty years afterward, English Grammar headed tl1e list of entrance requirements, and much-stress seems to have been put upon the subject in general. Students were advised to come so well prepared to enter that they might spend more time in composition. The text books in Rhetoric during those first years show that the work done must have been of a high order. The formation of a separate department for this study was, how- ever, a very gradual process. For years the English consisted main- ly of composition work, shared alike by teachers of Chemistry or Algebra, of Latin or History. Hours of chewing pencil ends made Saturday a memorable and fateful word to the students of those days, Along in the sixties and seventies there was apparently little instruc- tion aside from this, but in the years immediately preceding the in- troduction ofthe College curriculum, English began to be given a more important place. Miss Stevens, fortunately for us, turned frgm IO '

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of truth and beauty, and of the unity of thought and spirit in master 1ninds, from the sympathetic study of literary art. The Rhetoric department is being constantly strengthened by the addition of new courses. One which has now been given for sev- eral years is a study of the development of rhetorical theory, begin- ning with the contributions of Plato, Aristotle and Quintilian. Out of one portion of this course, the comparison of modern text books, has come naturally one designed for students who expect to teach English in the preparatory schools. Allied to it are the new courses in the development of literary criticism, and in the history and theory of aesthetics. The course in Journalism was organized last year in response to a request of a class in the development of rhetorical theory, and has drawn to itself some of the most enthusiastic English students. Aside from the familiarity with newspapers and newspaper work which is its chief object, this class offers every possible opportunity for practical work in writing. It furnishes the correspondents who supply the newspaper world with college news, and those who re- spond to the frequent requests from alumnae associations for papers and letters. The present class is engaged in writing a history of the events of last year, wl1icl1 shall preserve for the College much ma- terial that would otherwise be soon lost. The general aim is to give an intelligent preparation for ready writing, whether in the newspaper or out of itg for ready speaking as well, as there are frequent opportunities for impromptu speeches. The work is intended not so much to make woman journalists as to show the students what qualities are necessary in newspaper work, and to make tl1e1n capable, as any educated women ought to be, of preparing matter for publication, The work in writing-and each member of the class is urged to have regular hours for writing as for laboratory work-and the conferences will be supplemented by QC- casional lectures from experienced journalists, both men and women, it is hoped. I2