University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Etched in clear outline against the deep blue Michigan sky, Burton Tower stands as both a landmark to students returning to the University and sentinel to her multitudinous activities. The bright, discordant strains of the carillon evoke the image of the Michigan mosaic.

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Lectures, notes, and brains Today ' s campus-dweller, living by the code of the cigar- ette-hutts-iii-enHee-cups and buckle-in-the-back era (char- .11 tei i nl l an alarming conformity they never had in dad ' s ila ! ) , faces the same old classroom problems that scholars as far back as Demosthenes have been obliged to fight. Foi ' .M-nriations the nailing tingle of a sleeping foot, the drooping eyelid, and the stiff neck propping a heavy head against an uncompromising wooden bench back, have plagued seekers of the intellectual. The subject of the lec- ture is often a matter of less immediate concern than the problem of producting a discrete yawn, sitting in the front in . Some, who polish their technique through four long vr.us of 8 o ' clocks, develop it into a real art; they ' re the lucky ones who can yawn with closed mouth and still ap- pear innocently attentive. Modern science, naturally, has come to the scholar ' s res- cue. They ' ve added pastel-colored walls, fluorescent light- ing, and huge picture windows (complete with cold draft) to keep the student ' s blood circulating above the hiberna- tion level. Psychology has brought many innovations in teaching methods, one of the most promising being the in- jection of stale jokes into lectures at appropriate intervals (students already know the newest ones -shopworn stories keep them alert to see who ' ll laugh) . But no one has yet found a satisfactory substitute for the students ' best weapon against boredom, known even to the ancient Greeks: sheer willpower, granulated with a dash of grit. Lecturing in shirtsleeves, the teacher of today becomes an active participant in the fascinating, dynanrc process of learning. The taking of good class notes cannot be reduced to a mere science it is an art that only practice, coupled with a spark of genius, can produce. An upturned sea of student faces in a lecture room presents a real challenge to the skillful teacher. Some students busily scribble, attempting to catch every fleeting word; others listen intently, pausing only occasionally to .jot quickly; a few find the hour too early, and catch up on sleep with covert dozing.

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Burton Tower: Focus of time and culture From hiuh at o e tin- I ' nivrisity campus, since 1938 the Charles Kind Caiillmi has announced the beginning of each -chiKil il.iv .mil ihr passing of each quarter hour. Housed .il [ the I. lined M. ui. m LeKov Burton Memorial Tower, die caiillon repiesents a combination of two important I. iii-is of academic activity: time and culture. In the thousands nl people whose business is the aca- ilemir world. Burton Tower serves as a constant reminder i t man ' s finitude. within the boundless immensities of knowledge. For the coed hurrying to class from the Hill, or for the professor leisurely strolling to an appointment, a ylaiu-e at Burton ' s great clock recalls the inexorable flight of time that precious commodity pervading all of man ' s endeavors. Time Miners with the beauty of art in the tower ' s great chimes. Periodic concerts of holiday or traditional music written for the hells are showered over the heads of thou- sands of people who, day by day, pass within the sound of the carillon. The power and beauty of the chimes is perhaps one of the most distinctive aspects of the University campus, lemembered in shaip clarity by both the Ann Arbor resident and the casual visitor. Burton Tower is also the focal point for students of the Music Depaitment. who turn their heads from their work e i-rv fifteen minutes to await the passing of the chimes. The tower houses several teaching studios, the Departments of Music Literature and Theory, and the Music Library. Within its stately walls is laid the groundwor k for many of the I ' imeisity ' s contributions to the whole world of cul- ture. The great granite obelisk houses a number of leaching studios, where aspiring musicians develop their art under expert guidance. Music students appreciate the convenience and completeness of the Music Library, housed in Burton Tower. Here are available complete scores of the works of major composers, ma- terial on music theory and history, as well as periodicals and journals. University carilloneur Percival Price stands be- neath the metallic dome of Burton Tower ' s largest bell. Professor Price presents frequent concerts throughout the academic year, featur- ing classical works, as well as original music of his own composition.