Nichols School - Verdian Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

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HISTORY MILLARD SESSIONS Chairman NORMAN A. PEDERSEN, JR. 24 History is what the historian says it is. The honest historian sets out to capture the truth, to describe how it was. He does this by scanning the evidence. This by itself is often a difficult task, for the evidence is often scanty, or too voluminous, or misleading, or ambiguous. Thus the historian is the agent that reduces this mass to order, gives it meaning, and exercises his judgment on it. The historical account, therefore, can- not transcend the historian. History is his discretion, his words. The historian is present in his work as much as the sculptor, playwright or other artist is present in his work. If this description of the relationship between his- tory and the historian is reasonably accurate, then there must be many historical truths, perhaps as many as there are historians. How does the user or student of history know which history to use? How does he discriminate between the accounts of the past? In short, he must be something of a historian himself. Only by reading and writing history may the student begin to understand what history is. It is by these means that the student comes to use the intellectual and material tools that the historian uses. By these means the student may appreciate the historian's point of view, his techniques, and, most important, his quali- ties of mind. In time, the student may know mind from mindlessness, truth from partisanship. If the study of history is to become something of a historian, is history taught at Nichols? No, it is not. The taking of orthodox courses in history is not study- ing history directly. We can only teach about history. History in a school must be approached obliquely. We do not delude ourselves that we teach history, or that history can be taught. We can attempt, nevertheless, to prepare some of the students to realize these improba- ble goals, that is, to acquire the attribute of mind pos- sessed by the historian. This is our prime objective. We can avoid rote learning, we can provide skeptical remarks, we can offer different accounts of the same event, we can give only essay examination questions, we can require some independent work, we can chal- lenge orthodox solutions, we can insist on accuracy, we can eschew dogma, we can warn of the simple, absolute solution, we can demand that knowledge be the basis for judgment. Millard Sessions

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MAX E. SCHLOPY being placed on the functional approach to mathemat- ics-the relationship that exists between two quanti- ties, whether they be mathematical, political, historical, or scientific. The Mathematics Department believes this approach is a sound one, and pursues this ap- proach at all levels. Much has been said and written about the new or L'modern mathematics. The reference here is to new or modern ways to teach mathematics, not to newly discovered mathematics, although some recently dis- covered mathematics may be included incidentally. We at Nichols have included new teaching methods through the use of recent text books where the need was felt, and where the use of new methods better served the end. Some of the old books are still better than the new, and we continue to use them where applicable. The curriculum remains flexible to permit changes to meet ever-changing demands of the colleges and the needs of the students. Mathematics is an important part of The Educated Man. An understanding of mathematics brings with it an ability to think clearly and concisely, which is in- valuable even in helds far-removed from what the stu- dent leams in class. We of the mathematics depart- ment feel it our goal to help round and mold the stu- dent into The Nichols Man. fi David G. Strachan l DENNIS C. BROWN DON . TREFFINGER!N 23 Wffafe

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GUY M. JOHNSON, JR. RODNEY F. DASHNAW GEORGE B. TRUSCOTT 25