Simmons College - Microcosm Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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'Ha ,r MATHEMATICS l 'l A l 5 WK Robert N. Goldman 1 13, T? 2 1 William D. Novak David Browder, chairperson B.A. Amherst College 119665 M.A. University of Oregon 119685 Ph.D. University of Oregon 119715 A mathematical object of study can be thought of as a microcosm, a small world, in which there is logical struc- ture and consistency, and which might well function as a model of some aspect of reality. Manipulat- ing the model lthe microcosm5 is far less cumbersome, or risky, than ma- nipulating the real world. To decide whether each guest will have a place Q33 ax E . at the table, one need only count the guests and count the places rather than actually conducting an empirical test. ln addition to its applicability, a mathematical microcosm can have its own appeal, its own fascination. It can seem to continually defy description and analysis only to yield to an unex- pected inspiration. Daniel F. O'Reilly John C. Garberson

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GGVERNIVIENT Cynthia M. Hamilton Carroll F. Miles, chairperson A.B. Seton Hall M.A. Catholic University M.P.A., Ph.D. Harvard University The Department of Government is a microcosm of the broader political society. It exists in an environment of politics, it makes political decisions in the broadest sense, its students work in the world of politics, think about that world and leave here to shape that world as citizens or practitioners of politics. Some become lawyers, some bureaucrats, and all become cit- izens. Roy M. Tollefson

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HISTORY No area of human concern lies out- side the interest of the historian, for he is engaged in the admittedly im- possible task of recapturing the past, the entire past. Accordingly, as part of his task, he penetrates the outer skin of the microcosm, as it can be di- versely understood - the nation state, the voluntary society, the indi- vidual. The psyches of nations and of single men, the hidden recesses of the collective and individual mind, are probed for the sources of national cohesiveness and individual stability, for the basic elements of cultures and personalities. To that work the histo- rian is no stranger. But that is only part of his assign- ment. Microcosmic interest is bal- anced and complemented by mac- rocosmic concerns. Probing inward is matched by probing outward. The na- tion in its relations with other coun- tries and the individual in his interac- tion with his fellow men, the total so- cial existence of state and person command the attention of the histori- an. Scrutinizing the charnel house of war along with acts of loving charity, poetry, novels, symphonies, glorious inspirations of the human mind along with torture chambers and concentra- tion camps, great moments involving great figures along with the tedium and drabness of the day-to-day exis- tence of the largely anonymous, scrutinizing, that is to say, the warp and woof of history, the craftsman has but a single goal, to understand. The purpose of the History Depart- ment at Simmons College is to trans- mit to our students an appreciation of the priceless heritage of the past, whether derived from microcosm or macrocosm, with the aim that they understand, and in understanding, become more deeply human. Henry Halko, chairperson B.A. Clark University M.A., Ph.D. Brown University