Springfield College - Massasoit Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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PREFACE I WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS MOST FROM ITS PEOPLE IS NOT THAT THEY BE EDUCATED. BUT THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONS AND THINGS: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING RESPECTED AND BEING USED. UPHEAVAL AND REBELLION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN SOCIETY IS NOT THE RESULT OF DEFIANCE—IT IS RATHER A SEMI CONSCIOUS. CONFUSED. PASSIONATE ATTEMPT TO ASSERT THE MEANING OF THIS DIFFERENCE-TO RE-EMPHA- SIZE THE ONCE VALUEO AMERICAN IDEALS OF HUMAN DIG- NITY AND WORTH. AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON THESE PRINCIPLES AND THE PRINCIPLES HAVE BEEN PERIODICALLY DEFENDED WITH THE BLOODSHED AND LONELINESS OF MEN AND WOMEN. WHO. ACUTELY AWARE OF THE PR08LEMS OF THE WORLD AND THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. FEEL OBLIGATED TO LEAD THOSE WHO ARE CONFUSED BY THE CONFUSION OF OTHERS TO AN EXISTENCE. PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. THAT MAKES LIFE WORTHWHILE. AND TODAY. IDEALISTS IN PROTEST AGAINST HATE. UN- FOUNDED PREJUDICE AND IGNORANCE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF A PEOPLE TOO READY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THINGS IN AMERICA AND NOT CAPABLE YET OF WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO FORM A MORE PERFECT SOCIETY. AS A LAND OF THE PEOPLE. AMERICA CANNOT BE A NATION ANYTHING OTHER THAN ITS PEOPLE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. AMERICA IS THE LAND OF MONEY. MORALS. AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY: AMERICA BELIEVES IN MATERI ALISM AS THE BEST MANIFESTATION OF HUMAN INITIATIVE AND SKILL-ASSERTION OF ONE S BEST PHYSICAL AND INTEL LECTUAL ABILITIES; AMERICA BELIEVES IN THE JUDAEO CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE AND LAW. OF RIGHT AND WRONG. OF THE HIGH VALUE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE AND CHARITY; AMERICA BELIEVES IN EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY. OF FREEDOM TO ASSERT ONES INDIVIDUALITY-ONES ABILITY ACCORDING TO THE JUST LAWS OF THE SOCIETY. YOUNG AMERICANS TODAY ARE ENGAGED IN A STRUGGLE TO BRING THESE PRINCIPLES BACK INTO AMERICAN LIFE. TO REVEAL THE DEEPER MEANING OF THESE PRINCIPLES. HUMANITY NEEDS OPEN MINDED PEOPLE WILLING TO LIS- TEN TO ITS PROBLEMS WITH UNDERSTANDING HEARTS. PROBLEMS INVOLVING MINDS AND HEARTS CANNOT BE LEGISLATED AWAY. FOR LEGISLATURES ARE THINGS. AND THE ONLY RELATIONSHIPS WHICH CAN PRODUCE CONSTRUC TIVE CHANGE ARE THOSE BETWEEN PERSONS-CAPABLE OF JUDGING EACH OTHER RECIPROCALLY. SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE MAKES THE ATTEMPT TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER-TO STIMULATE SUCH RELATIONSHIPS. SOMEWHERE. WITHIN THE CLASS OF 1968 (INDEED WITHIN THE ENTIRE COLLEGE COMMUNITY). ARE PERSONS OF UNBEARABLE SENSITIVITY WHO STRIVE EACH DAY OF THEIR LIVES TO EXPRESS THE TORMENT THAT FOR THEM LIFE IS ONE BIG ACHE-BECAUSE THEY CANNOT IGNORE THE PLEADINGS OF THOSE IN NEED. OF THOSE WHO FEEL THE QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF LOVE. OF THOSE WHO FEEL AND CANNOT UNDERSTAND OR EXPRESS THEMSELVES. SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE EXPERIENCE REFINES THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THE WORLD NEEDS. CLAUDIA F. SAMMARTINO CO EDITOR-IN CHIEF AMERICAN STUDIES 1969

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PREFACE IN THOUGHT 1968 THE GROWTH OF AMERICA . . . SOMETHING IS HAPPENING HERE . . . CRISIS WITHIN A DECADE OF GROWTH . . . THIS IS THE EIGHTH YEAR IN THIS DECADE OF GROWTH. AMERICA IS MATURING. PAINFULLY. SLOWLY. AND NOT WITHOUT CRISIS. AMERICANS ARE FINDING A NEW IDEOLOGY. A NEW SELF IMAGE. AND A NEW RESPONSIBILITY. NEVER BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF THESE UNITED STATES HAVE THE ISSUES BEEN SO CLEARLY SET BEFORE US. NEVER BEFORE HAVE THE ANSWERS BEEN SO INTANGIBLE. AND NEVER BEFORE HAVE SO FEW BEEN GIVEN SO GREAT A RESPONSIBILITY. WHO? THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WHAT? AMERICA AS AN INFANT MATURES THERE ARE INVARIABLY GROW ING PAINS.” AND SO IT HAS BEEN. HERE. IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. DALLAS . . . NOVEMBER 22. 1963 . . THE ASSASSI- NATION OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES-JOHN F. KENNEDY. DETROIT . . . JULY 1967 43 DEAD IN THE BLOODIEST AND MOST INSANE RIOT IN THE NATION'S HISTORY. MEMPHIS . . APRIL 4. 1968 THE ASSASSINATION OF THE REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING. JR.: A MAN. A WORD. A PRAYER AND A DREAM . . . THIRTY YEARS FROM THIS DATE-1968-HISTORIANS WILL VIEW THESE YEARS WITH CONCERN. THEY WILL RECORD THE WORDS AND EVENTS THAT WERE SPOKEN AND OCCURRED BETWEEN 1960-1970. THEY WILL PROBABLY SUBMIT THAT THESE YEARS, THE YEARS WHEN REASON WAS BASED ON DISSENT AND THE WAR IN VIETNAM WERE. IRONICALLY. THE YEARS OF AMERICA S GREATEST STRIDE TOWARD MATURITY. AMERICA WAS COMING OF AGE. SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE OURING THESE PAST FOUR YEARS WE HAVE ENJOYED OUR FREEDOM AT A DISTANCE FROM THE TURMOIL AND THE GROWING PAINS. OUR WORLD OF ROLLER COASTER RIDES AND SUNDAY AFTERNOONS IS. BUT. AFTER ALL. A TEMPORARY ESCAPE FROM OUR RESPONSIBILITY. SHOULD WE SPEAK WITH 5 UNDERSTANDING? SHOULD WE EDUCATE WITH UNDERSTAND ING? SHOULD WE LEAD AMERICA? WE SHOULD . . . THIS IS OUR LEGACY-WE THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1968-AND OUR STORY IS YET TO BE TOLD. WE MUST BE THE ONES THAT UNDERSTAND. THESE BOOKS AND THE HOURS THAT WE HAVE SPENT PREPARING FOR OUR PROFESSIONS ARE VIRTUALLY USELESS UNLESS-TODAY AND TOMORROW-WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR TRUTH; UNLESS WE CAN ERASE THE PREJUDICE AND DESPAIR THAT HAVE KEPT AMERICA FROM COMING OF AGE. AND UNLESS WE CAN UNDERSTAND . . WE ARE TOLD THAT WE ARE HERE BEING PREPARED TO SERVE AND TO UNDERSTAND. STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: TEACHERS. DOCTORS. AND COMMUNITY LEADERS-WE WILL JUSTIFY OUR PREPARATION. TODAY. AND TOMORROW WE MUST ALL BE EQUIPPED TO SERVE AND TO UNDERSTAND. THE MASSASOIT THE BEGINNING WAS . . A PORTRAIT OF SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE THAT IS NOT YET COMPLETE THE CLASS OF 1968 SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS TODAY AND TOMORROW BUT. ALWAYS TOMORROW THE ENDING WILL BE . . . CARL E. LINCOLN CO EDITOR IN-CHIEF AMERICAN STUDIES 1968