Upsala College - Upsalite Yearbook (East Orange, NJ)

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order to secure employment. And colleges had to resort to compromising their ideals so that reality might be served. Upsala College has adapted itself to chang- ing conditions. Founded as a Liberal Arts college, this institution has kept abreast of the times by co-ordinating an essentially cul- tural curriculum with one of practical val- ues. No matter how specialized an individual wants to become, he is taught here the rudi- ments of culture as well as those of his trade. For we must realize, if we wish to preserve a reasonable sense of values, that the indi- vidual is not a useful member of society if he is merely trained along one line of en- deavor! To this end then, the student who signs up for pre-medicine here is required also to acquaint himself with the technique of good writing, the beauty of fine arts, and the sound of a foreign tongue. If the student takes these courses seriously, he will gain a rounded personality. It is a matter of action and reaction. However, the administration of Upsala College has gone further than simply pro- viding'for subject matter that might be as- similated. For several years now students have been able to consult members of the faculty about their future. Competent voca- tional guidance has been added to the actual curriculum. The result of this innovation has been gratifying, to say the least. Firstly, many students as yet undecided about their future have found themselves during a con- sultation with the vocational guide. Sec- ondly, through the efforts of this agency many members of the student body have obtained gainful employment in vacation time or after classes. Thirdly, this part of the college facilities has made it easier for countless graduates to find out about firms and concerns in which they would like to work or to receive advice about personal and monetary problems. And by no means have all the students de- cided on business careers. Quite a number in- tend to teach in high schools or even colleges some day. These must be accommodated ac- cording to state regulations. And so, Upsala College offers a thorough going Curriculum for prospective teachers. Besides his major, the student is required to take a certain num- ber of education courses which acquaint him with the history of learning in general and the methods applied to his field in particular. The English major must find out about teaching grammar and composition to ado- lescents. The biology major not only learns how to dissect a frog but must be able to teach dissection to youngsters in the future. Likewise, the prospective history teacher learns to analyze news items and to inter- pret historical events. Lectures on how to take state board ex- aminations and how to secure positions sup- plement the training for a teacher. Upsala College has made a name for itself in the field of turning out educators. Back- ground and knowledge of subject matter are the items stressed as most important. Also, personality and character are regarded as essential to a teacher who wants to suc- ceed. In addition to the vocational guidance and the teacher training courses, the psy- chology department has experimented with special aptitude tests. These have been de- veloped by experienced men and can be of great value to those who have not decided about their future, although they still are rather experimental. To sum up, a college course nowadays is composed of three essentials: practical learn- ing, cultural background, and vocational guidance.

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Perhaps in no human institution do we observe the progress of mankind so well as in that of the university or college. During the last five hundred years we wit- nessed how a medium of higher education has been changed from a school for theolo- gians, physicians, philosophers, and mathe- maticians into highly-developed and organ- ized mechanisms where, now, everything is taught from diatetics to broiling steaks. We need not question why this happened. It is apparent that, as men progressed and increased, the division of labor became more and more imperative. And so it happened that, in order to build a house, the appren- ticeship in a carpentershop is no longer necessary, whereas a specialized training in Eighteen theoretical calculations is of great importe ance. With each invention of mechanical use, new and more complicated training resulted. Today, then, when even the members of one faculty, let us say medicine, specialize, it seems very natural that all those who wish to attain gainful employment and social dis- tinction attend some such institution known as a college. Not only has it become necessary for the prospective employee to work for a degree, but the employer too has found it more or less justiiiable to demand a college educa- tion. Unfortunately, the cultural values have often been subordinated since economic cir- cumstances forced us to seek education in

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Sweat Bemidmin Wan Prexident A.B., Upsala College B.D., Augustana Theological Seminary S.T.M., The Biblical Seminary in New York Th.D., The Biblical Seminary in New York There is a fascination to the records of the past. The geologist seeks to read the rid- dle of the physical world by examining strata, fossils and the like; the archaeologist unearths materials which tell how folk lived in other civilizations; the historian assembles all manner of data from Which he recon- structs and interprets the story of the past. Without this knowledge of the past we could never hope to understand the present. It is indeed true that we are what we are Twcnty by virtue of all that we have experienced in the past. We have met personalities who have influenced us most profoundly; we have come into contact with ideas which have molded us; we have been numbered in groups which have left their mark With us. Four of our most impressionable years have been spent in college. The experiences of college years have entered into the very fabric of our lives. We should be filled with gratitude for the opportunity which has been ours. In days to come When we desire to relive these years it will be a simple and pleasant thing to turn to this Upsalite. Herels the record. Read it. It will bring back memories from days happy and profitable. Evald B. Lawson