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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1934)
9 C I 4 i i ■M,. , 'xl * ^ r • ; THX BATTALION ■ - J. 1 kl/ , fv\TT\LlON iTUPtKT PODUCITIO* Of* j / HI **fM CCllItil Of TfXAS \ COUtffL iTAtlOR .TLXAd ‘] . \ j * /'*! u Mcend cUm matter at tha Post Office at Collar* Station, Texas, under the Act of ConrreM, March 8, 1879. * Subscription rate $1.75 per year. / Advertising rates upon request Editorial Staff D. L. Tisinger .. M. r. Pfncke B. F. LnHa ..A.... .$ditor-in-Chirf • As naming Editor Jack Shepherd. A. S. Queen Champ Smith. .. Walter France., George Wonnacott. G. 8. Morgan z .He-write Editor Editor 1 . ^porta Editor Aset. Sp'ta Editor Itxchang* Editor .Copy Reporter^ Jhn’Lore; Jack Creighton; Mitchell Bancroft; G. L. DeAnnond; T. O. Allen; M. M. Stallings; W. E. Tardy; R. FL Storms; M. Cr Hertik; H. Porter; W. E. Hames; W. W. Harris; J. E. Greer; C..L. Morgan BiU Bradford; G. H. Huffines. Basil Staff Bin Percy M. M. H. F. Souder R. T. Durst. W. E. Fitsgerald Tom Mata. .— R. S. Erans. J. H. McNamara. Advertising Manager ...Asst Advertising Manager .Asst. Advertising Manager Asst Advertisiag “ Manager Manager Circulation Manaj Asst Cin-ulstion Asst. Circulation Manager Asst dreulation 2 MomAW About Professors Starting as a small troubled spring, three years ago when we en tered college, and grown since that time into a welling flood of indigo nation, a feeling of resentment against the deplorable classroom prac tires of professors has induced us to express here in all candour, our honest opinion. We are mindful, of course, of the scores of professors who are quite capable—men whp are scholars in every sense of the word—but there are a great number of instructors today who, we feel deserve criticism. This expression is written with all the respect UflEkionally held for the elder generation and with the full realisation that student opinion cannot help but be immature. “Youth is un thinkingly harsh,’* someone has said. Nevsrtheleas,. even if our in dictment is prompted through a childish misunderstanding, perhaps its presentation may aid a few instructors land a few students!) to walk in a more revealing light. To begin w)th, it is the common belief of all Amercan under i- graduates that their professors, either intentionally or unintentionally, stiile rather than encourage the creative impulses of pupils. Now, this may be an untruth, but merely the fact that the feeling exists is, it seems, sufficient cause for action. Some students have gone so far as- to say that the professor who forbids “crib sheets" and “suggestion sheets” restricts and impedes creative thought. We are not inclined to agree with this criticism, but, nevertheless, it senes to illustrate to what extent student feeling'n^y develop. ^ We do bflieve that tha average teacher lays too much stress on detail, and too much emphasis on purely factual matter. A great many modern pedagogues appear to have the philosophy that if a student learns the unimportant, he is bound to learn the essential. This is true as far as the text-book goes, but the text book is a poor staadard for instruction, especially in the social sciences. If the subject ip literature, and the story is about a knight in search of the Holy Grail, then the thing important is not the name of the knight’s horse ■ but the virtues of the knight'himself, held as ideal by the writer. If | metrical romance tells ofi the mercenary enterprises of a medieval ’ friar, then the class discussion should not resolve itself to a mere l recount of the delinquencies of the particular man involved, but a .discussion of the historical background which led the author to in clude such a character in his tale—in this instance, possibly, the “policy ia the Otholic Church, at that time, of promiscuously selling indulgences. Aside from the criticism that college teachers do not encourage the creative impulse, there ia also the very serious charge of taud- ness. Ninety-nine out of a hundred professors will enthusiastically agree that the chief student fault Is lack of application. This same in dictment we are sure, can be Drought against most faculty members in the pajority of universities. Seemingly blinded by the egoistic real isation of their great amount of 'kn.iwl.sigc, no small number of class room lecturers ramble on and on, from day to day, in disjointed accounts of their personal opinions and attitudes—not about the subject, but about their wives, their life ia the Navy during the World War, and their interest in spring garden planting. Then they wonder why stu dents fail monthly quixses that set forth in rigid detail an outline of the text. - Another group of the lasy division is the fairly small cluster of “scientists” and “research men." Though continually congratulating themselves on their great amount of industry, they are really neglect ful of their bound duty, teaching. Ehthused over their profound study of sociological concepts, superheated steam, or tubertferous plants, they forget that their honorable duty is the study of the science of teaching—for that is the means of their daily bread. The last offender is the unimaginative fellow who apparently has no psychologic*! concept of human nature whatever. He miys: “Johnny is this so, or ia that so? Answer yes or no." This man finds out what the. student already knows (though we imagine he intimi dates the pupil into an embarrassed, and thus sketchy, account of hia knowledge), but does he teach him anything new? Suppose we are in a history class. The usual question is: “Ramsey, did Napoleon win or losef" When it cqukd be: ‘Claaa, why do you suppose that Napoleon met the fate he did?** The professor may still find out if the finally designated pupil knows whether Napoleon met defeat or victory, yet he has had, for a moment or tw °. the assurance that his whole Maas has been thinking. If tin subject is economics, too much importance cab be attached to the learning of such things sat "What is a good, what is a atility. and what is income?" These are necessary fundamentals of economics, yes, but they can in no way assist the future business man is erecting his financial structure, and if given as dry bread without .the butter of discussions at current economic policies, digestion will proceed with out metabolism, and except for the exercise afforded the mind, all labor ptfovea useless. . / ’ i M — >SupiK.se that the subject is chemistry! The instructor; gives a long PooTlK -"TooTiR reason. We haven't, as yet, heard any complaints against the brevity of yell practices. Thirdly, we wish te'remind these loud critics that such ridiculous conduct will onfcr prove detrimental to their good standing while her*. this senseless yelling, we feel, is evidence at intellectual weak ness, cola 1 selfishness, and most of all, lack of breeding. D L. Tlsing er INSURANCE U Mitchell ——r Can This Be Dooley? explanation of the load-chamber process of manufacturing sulphuric acid. Unless ho includes in his lecture the applciatkm, or tha lack of application, of that particular method to modern practice in Industrial centers, the real value of his talk Is loot. “Teach ia connection with the subject’s use" is an old pedagogical maxim, yet bow few answers to its advice! We believe that too many professors fail to realise that there is virtue in a certain amount of “boll." Wo probably have lectured out of our knowledge hers; for we have never taught school, but those are the things that trouble us, and we have given them sincere consideration. We simply believe that the majority of professors are pedagogically in Dr. Mayo's “eighteenth century Ufa.” We have simed at do particular party, for we have had no certain .person in mind in any of this writihg. With no malice whatever, we voice our opinion. In brief it is thisu that the majority of college professors who deplore the work of hi^h school teachers, should turn the same X-ray on themselves—we wish for our high school “profs" sometimes. '• ' j While In Dallas i On most Corps trips, which have been undertaken' in ike past, certain cadets have advertised the school in a most unfavorable light with their imprudent conduct. Fortunately nowever, a flood' of com pliments regarding the good behavior of the majority has usually compensated. But—not always, and thus we make this suggestion: It will be to the benefit of all concerned if those individuals who are habitually inclined to be careless, will exercise personal vigilance regarding their conduct, while in Dallas this week-«*»d. Dallas homes the officers of many large and important cotnpann-s, the practice of which has been, in the past, to employ A and M graduates. The continuance of this favor may be affected to ho small degree by the appearance of the Corps Saturday. Let us hope that coiqplaints will be small in number, api light in indictment. • • • • e . Assembly Hall Bawlers j j We have announced ourselves ss being thoroughly opposed to gripers, and we are, but a student practice, which we consider most lamentable, has manifested itself lately that bids us do some,griping on our own hook. Some gentlemen on this campus (seemingly proud of lusty lungs) have taken it upon themselves to inform (with loud bawling) Assembly Hall audiences of their likes and dislikes, regarding the movie being shown. These oratorical geniuses are so effectively blatant, that we wonder the walls aren’t ripped asunder from‘the vi bration. ’’ In the first place, we feel moved to inform these human foghorns that their opinion is not only unnecessary to the audience’s enjoyment of the picture, but (we know it will surprise the wretches)- is ex tremely repulsive, especially when delivered in such a crude add blus tering manner. Secondly, we pity fellows who waste their energy in such .useless procedure. Where is the profit ? In someone rise's discomfort ? jlf if is energy that just must be thrown away, we suggest that it be ptflited in some purposeful endeavor. However, we hardly feel that that is the r^= AGGIES Let’s Make The Corps Trip £ : Complete by Riding Those • if. MUSTANGS In preparing for your Corps Trip let The Exchange Store supply those things you I J i i* will need while away from College — Toilet Articles, nothing, Furnishings, Shoes. j. The Exchange Store i ^ —1—•— ■ j • j M. L T. Head Would Ask Science Subsidy Cambridge, Maks.— “If the gov eminent is to rains barriers to big fortunes, it must be prepared to subsidise scientific research." Dr. Karl T. Compton, president of the Massachusetts Institution of Tech nology, stated. Dr. Compton pointed oat that many researches that have lad to great scientific discovery have been financed by men of woaRh. “Science is facing a serious prob lem," Dr. Compton stated in sam- mary. “If there are to be ao weal thy men to finance scientific re search, then the’ money for R should come from the federal treas ury." z BEAT S. M. U. k Our Slogan Thi® Week BECKWITH CLEANERS Nash Thompson, A geat 49 Milner Hall .1 A£GI E J! 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