Wake Forest University - Howler Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

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or a rationale which never existed for him before. Or he may have fun proving a theorem. This excitement in learning is part of the motivation in education. It is indeed sad when a student hears a poem read to him in class, and he is embarrassed because it makes him want to cry or because he wants to jump up and say. Hey, I ' ve felt that way, too. No one should feel this type of embarrassment. True learning cannot take place until there is an emotional response. Nonetheless, some students complain of a non-intellec- tual atmosphere. They bemoan superfluous courses and an infrequency of seminars and independent study. They say that professors merely lecture and never en- courage class discussion. But they note, too, that when discussion is encouraged, many students do not par- ticipate. Much of what these unsatisfied students seek is already at Wake Forest; it is here for them to take an active interest in and to build upon. But the chal- lenge of this sensitive atmosphere and demanding cur- riculum will not be laid in their laps, it will be available for them to grasp. Of course, there are other students who do not care at all for arguing radical ideas or confronting new at- titudes. Even in their conservatism, however, they have learned from their exposure to these ideas. A small class in which they can talk and disagree with their professor is not where they feel most comfortable: they would rather take lecture notes. And text books are what they prefer in classes; they do not work well within the confines of a reading list or student investi- gation and presentation of a topic. Because these stu- dents are more at ease in and more familiar with this atmosphere of lectures and objective quizzes they do not seek out such field studies as the Anthropology department ' s summer in Belize or the freedom of in- dependent study. Wake Forest offers both of these atmospheres to the student, as its liberal arts curriculum demands. If the idea of this polarity in academic structure is bother- some, one must realize that each student will seek and develop his most conducive atmosphere for study. In the curriculum changes which are promised for the near future, students will find new structures to meet their needs and new and exciting challenges. This is the tradition of Wake Forest. A parallel to these disparities of academic life is the range of life styles of the different students. For the die-hard Greek there is a fellowship that exists best where it is talked about least, and for the independent, as many friendships and activities as he craves. Ml

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Education should give a person an appreciation for his world to more than fill his leisure time. is too isolated it cannot be either the inspiration or the testing ground for these ideas. The school must inter- act with its world. Regardless of the actions of the most socially in- volved administration and faculty, it takes a truly in- terested student body to create an atmosphere which transcends the confines of the school. Only then does education today reach the student and the world. But where is Wake Forest in this grand scheme? Out- wardly, Wake Forest exists in its red brick and white columns and a concrete kind of sculpture. The railings still say WFC and the same light posts form parallel rows with the trees. And Reynolda Gardens is an escape any time of the year. There are the cells which they call boys ' dorm rooms, and the big lecture rooms with immovable desks. And alongside these there are the comfortable quiet of the rare book room, the privacy of Davis Chapel, the swings to play on, the holly trees and the old desks with their curious scratches. These are all part of a picture we see every day and they frame a life here. But it is people who make Wake Forest; they make it for themselves and others. They come to find what they want, and if they find it here, that is good, if they do not. then they make what they want or they leave. The facilities, the books, and the activities and suggestions are here, but it is up to these people to make their own challenge and their own edu- cation. Students and faculty and administrators, friends and strangers, the apathetic and the caring, these are the faces and minds that mold the philosophy and tradi- tions of Wake Forest. To engage these people and this school there is a community and a world demanding attention. The Winston-Salem community of Stratford Road homes and East Winston challenges Wake Forest. The Urban Institute, the Speech Institute and the Ecumenical In- stitute all grow from the University ' s desire to actively confront its community. In turn there is a dynamic in- teraction between the student and his community, on an individual basis. In a developing awareness of the plea for universities to contribute to the communities which support them, Wake Forest students operated the Patterson Avenue Mission, volunteered as aides at the Graylyn Child Guidance Clinic and raised money for food for Biafra. Of course, at National Election time students and professors alike campaigned for local and national candidates. Nixon even won the mock election this year — the first time that Wake Forest has ever picked a winner. All the accusations in the student demonstrations and in the newspapers are well-founded unless schools and students alike challenge the incon- sistencies and injustices of our world. Expression of this social consciousness, however, is only a manifestation of the basic lessons of college life. These rather intangible lessons are the insights into alternative solutions to problems and the values and the sensations that a student gleans from his world of classes, entertainment and friends. In some classes, for instance, a student may have that true learning experience which lasts for only a few minutes. That is, he may suddenly see a relationship

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Outwardly Wake Forest exists in its red brick and white columns. It makes no difference whether a person is a joiner or an activist, a dedicated member of one organization, or a person who needs all his time to study. The people he lives with and the hilarious experiences he has while working in an organization could compile his memories of college. But so could the idea that his time was his own, and that he had no responsibilities except to him- self. And as for relaxation — that is entirely up to the individual. The parties are always there, and so are the CU concerts. Possibly, he would rather go to a violin concert, take a walk in the gardens or sit down and read the book that he has been saving for such a long time. Whatever the student is looking for in college, it is his individual responsibility to find it. In the process he is bound to change, as is the system of which he is a part. But it is his obligation to take an active part and to care. He must also think and use his values by doubt- ing and questioning. Finding out more about himself and his world, he will be able to express himself crea- tively; sensitive and enlightened communication is, after all, the only means to order and progress. Ulti- mately, it is the only mean s to the life of productivity and joy that comes with committing oneself to what one does best. ?vW % !«• '