Northwestern State University - Potpourri Yearbook (Natchitoches, LA)

Page 9 text:

But to the students of Northwestern this is not just one of many schools — it is our school. To many it is our home — a place to live, learn, and love. At first glance, few people have any conception of what Northwestern, or col- lege itself will mean to them. The freshman year is spent primarily in just getting into the swing of things. Orientation, rush parties, and the Tech game help us to get acquainted with college life. On the surface we jokingly com- plain about the dormitories, food in the chow hall, and the nutty profes- sors, but inwardly we feel the beginnings of a deep sense of pride in our school — its heritage, reminiscent of long ago — and its modern program for expansion, ever striving for progress in the future. Yes, Northwestern is a remarkable institution, and we stand eagerly upon the threshold of knowledge she has opened for us. But all of the benefits reaped here will not come from books, for we are also learning how to live and work with oth ers as an adult. This is the world of the Northwestern student.

Page 8 text:

Just exactly what is a college? Probably to each of us it has had various meanings at different times in our lives. Perhaps while in grammar school or col-lcgc (kol ' ij), n. (L. collegium, community, »ociety, guild, fraternity) 1. institution of higher learning that gives de- grees. 2. Am. the academic department of a university for general instruction, as distinguished from the special, profes- sional, of graduate schools. 3. Am. school for special or pro- fessional instruction, as in medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, or music. 4. Am. organized association of persons having certain powers, rights, duties, and purposes. 5. building or buildings used by a college. m we junior high, thought of college as merely a place for which an older brother or sister departed each fall. Upon reaching senior high we begin to look to the future and examine the possi- bilities of a college ed- ucation. We realize that job opportunities and chance for success are greatly improved if we have a college degree included in our agenda of qualifica- tions. And so upon graduation, finances per- mitting, we march off to one of the hun- dreds of colleges or universities throughout the nation.

Page 10 text:

The student ' s primary purpose at Northwestern is to gain an education. The desire for knowledge burns within him. It can be sensed in the air — in the scat- tered conversation on the way to classes . . . in the busy hum of voices in the cafeteria. It spurs heated discussions over a calculus problem or debate over an English novel. It is present in the noises and odors of lab or in the sound of children ' s voices as they play. The search for knowledge causes him to ask questions, to seek out answers and explanations. Northwestern exists for the student. The development of his intellect is her primary concern. It is here in her library, in her classrooms, in the labs, that he acquires knowledge and an understanding of life.