Battalion Editorials
Page 2
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1954
Colleges Soon Will Produce
Human Robots, A ot Thinkers
subsidy and other pressures are used by
Dr. Joseph U. Yarborough of tiie SMU
faculty, lashed out recently in a speech at
Dallas, criticizing educators who would mech
anize the teaching process and manufacture
human robots rather than free thinking ind
ividuals.
The Dallas Morning News canned the sto
ry on Yarborough’s speech to the Altrusans
last week.
Yarborough is head of SMU’s psychology
department and former president of the As
sociation of Texas Colleges.
The News’ story quoted him as saying,
“The present tendency toward uniformity of
subject matter and method and toward mech
anization of the teaching process, shows the
extent to which individual interest, needs and
ability are neglected.
“These people find misfits in school and
desire to change them to make them fit the
narrow and limited curriculum.
“Would these same people when they take
their sons to buy a suit of clothes expect the
salesman to alter the boy to fit the suit or the
suit to fit the boy? Is the boy not more val
uable than the suit?”
Yarborough listed three schools of
thought, according to The News,
People in the first group “are aiming at
a transformation of our free society, by
means less violent than revolution, into a
society quite different from our historic pat
tern. The end they desire will justify any
means.’’
Then the Caspar Milquetoasts show up in
the second group. They “wish to retreat to
the educational patterns of their forefathers
with the hope of finding academic security.”
Promises of support in elections, offers of
these two factions in an effort to win their
goals.
The third group are those who “know
that diversity of opinion, within the frame
work loyalty to our free society, is necessary
and basic to any educational institution. I
identify myself with this group,” The News
quoted Yarborough.
If educational trends continue as they
are now, American colleges soon will be pro
ducing just exactly what Yarborough says—
human robots.
Colleges today teach people the technical
knowledge needed to cope with nearly any
job, but they are falling far behind in teach
ing their graduates how to think for them
selves.
For instance, in a recent survey conduct
ed, more than 70 large companies were asked
about the people they had fired over the past
several years. These companies were asked
why each of these employees was dismissed.
It was found that roughly 10 per cent
were fired because of lack of technical know
ledge, and about 90 per cent were fired be
cause of a deficient personality.
Many American colleges no longer stress
thinking, but have put the emphasis on
memorizing. A student can go to many of
his classes, memorize what the professors
say, then write it down again on quizes and
make excellent grades.
This is about as close as we can get to the
“human robot”. The only thing needed now
is a multi-million page book containing all
the answers to the myriad of personal pro
blems which arise, and give it to the robot
to carry through life with him.
News Briefs
DR, J, H, QUISENBERRY, head
of the poultry husbandry depart
ment, will serve on the research
award committee of the National
Turkey federation. He will pre
sent the award to the 1953-54 win-
Y -Y Y
NINETY VOCATIONAL agri
culture teachers of Area III are
meeting here this week for a teach
ers conference. Activities include
a tour of the dairy, beef and poul
try farms and an inspection of the
meats laboratory. E. V. Walton,
head of the agricultural education
department will speak at the
group's banquet Friday.
DR. R. L. ROGERS ’25, Fort
Worth veterinarian and president
of the Texas Phenothiazine com
pany, has been appointed a mem
ber of the Texas Board of Veteri
nary Examiners by Governor Allan
Shivers.
THOMAS SUTHERLAND of the
Institute of International Educa
tion will be in room 192, Goodwin
hall Thursday to talk to students
who are interested in studying
abroad.
THE TEXAS SECTION of the
American Society of Range Man
agement will meet here Wednesday,
with G. W. Thomas of the range
arid forestry department as chair
man. The group is composed of
technicians, ranchers, farmers and
other persons interested in grass
lands management,
* * *
TONY VARJSCO and Lt. M. R.
Moore will be in charge of the
WTAW To Start
Classical Programs
Radio station WTAW will start
a series of hour-long classical mu
sic programs in February.
The program wall be presented
three timer, a week, Monday, Wed
nesday mid Friday, fjorii 2 to 3
p.m.
John Scogin, WTAW program
director, will narrate the program.
He will explain the story behind
the music and give facts of the
composers lives.
Among the composers to be
heard on the program are Handel,
Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Wagner and
DeBussey.
The Battalion
Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions
“Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman”
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechan
ical College of Texas, is published by students four times a week, during
the regular school year. During the summer terms, and examination
and vacation periods, The Battalion is published twice a week. Days of
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and Tuesday and Thursday during examination and vacation periods
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antered as eecond-clasa
matter at Post Office at
College Station, Texas
under the Act of Con-
(ress of March 3, 1870.
Member of
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The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republi-
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the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights
of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved.
News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444 or 4-7604) ox
at the editorial office room, 202 Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be
placed by telephone (41-5324) or at the Student Activities Office, Room
209 Goodwin Hall.
JERRY BENNETT, ED HOLDER Co-Editors
Chuck Neighbors - Managing Editor
Harri Baker Campus Editor
Bob Boriskie Sports Editor
Ion Kinslow City Editor
Jerry Estes - Basic Division Editor
Bob Hendry Feature Editor
Barbara Rubin Society Editor
Jerry Wizig Associate Sports Editor
Frank Hines, Jerry Neighbors, Bob Domey, Jim Cioili-a, Ray Wall,
A! Eisenberg, Arnold Goldstein, Bill Parsons. Bill Warren,
Jack Farley, John Linton, King McGowan. Jay Ireland.
Charles Kingsbury, Georges Manitsas, E. B. McGowan
Gardner Collins
Bob Palmer, Torn Skrabauel: ...
James Barit
Stymcur Smith, Will Hcllacay. Jelm Meacher
Roland Bairds Jewel Ravmcnc, Monroe Caonr, Tom. Syler, Buddy W:
Russell Reed
... .Staff Writers
. Exchange Editor
Advertising Staff
.Staff Cartoonist
iff Photographers
relation Manager
Circulguoa SudS
program at the Brazos Aviation
association meeting Thursday at
7:39 p.m. The association will
meet in the council room of City
Hall in Bryan,
* Y Y
THREE A&M STUDENTS have
received appointments to the U. S.
Military and Naval academies. Will
Holiday, Fort Hamilton, N. Y., ant 1
Charles Sinclair, Fort Worth, re
ceived appointments to West
Point. John Lima, Fort Worth,
received an appointment to Anna
polis,
* + -i<
STAFF JUNIORS and first
sergeants should have pictures
made for the Aggieland ’54 before
Feb. 14, said Paul Roper, military
editor at the yearbook. Senior
favorites and vanity fair entries
should be in before Feb. 8, Roper
said.
Three Aggie-Exes
Get Editorial Jobs
Three of five technical men and
writers added recently to the edi
torial staff of The Oil and Gas
Journal are former students.
The additions represent an ex
pansion program designed to en
large the Journal's coverage of
the' news and technology of the
petroleum industry.
Robert G. Deering formerly with
Sun Pipe Line Co., Beaumont,
joined the Journal staff Dec. 30
as assistant pipe-line editor.
Edwin McGhee, formerly with
Mene Grande Oil Co., Venezuela, is
now headquartered in the Journal's
Tulsa office, handling drilling and
production material.
Harry Taylor, oil editor of the
Shreveport Journal, will become a
member of the Journal’s central
news staff located in Tulsa Jan.
11.
McCombs Joins
Experiment Station
Don W. McCombs of Livingston,
has joined the Supervisor training
staff of the engineering extension
service.
McCombs is a butane safety in
structor, and will have a state
wide circuit for instructing dealers
in handling butane safely.
The program which McCombs
will help develop is sponsored by
the lexas Butane Dealers associa
tion, and is concerned primarily
with accident prevention.
McCombs now is working in con-
j^ nc tj o n with the firemen training
division of the extension service in
preparing a short course in butane
safety to be given at A&M during
j the summer. A recommended bu-
i tane storage and loading area, will
-a set up st pert of the tre:r~g
pjrogrsix. "" °
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What’s Cooking
Club To Present
Weekly Program
The A&M collegiate 4-H club
will present one radio broadcast a
month from WTAW and other
stations throughout Texas.
Next Saturday and the first
Saturday of each month are the
times set aside for the program.
One 4-H Club member will be
interviewed on each program, show
ing how 4-H work at home has led
him to go to college at A&M.
R. B. Hickerson with the agri
cultural extension service is di
recting the program. Jimmy Mc-
Mullan, freshman from Ozona will
be interviewed Saturday.
“It is hoped that this program
will help 4 - H club members
throughout the state to decide to
further their education at A&M,”
said Jake Landers, president of the
A&M collegiate 4-H club.
Council Discusses
School Honor Code
The honor system and types of
quizzes in the School of Agricul
ture were the main topics Mon
day night of discussion at the
meeting of the Agriculture council,
according to Don Thompson, presi
dent of the Agricultural Economics
club.
No vote was taken on the types
of quizzes given but opinions were
about equal in favor of both essay
and objective quizzes.
The council was in favor of the
recently revised honor system and
favored its being presented to all
agriculture classes for vote next
semester.
Plant Feam Headys
For National Meet
The range plant identification
team, consisting of four range and
forestry students, is practicing now
for a national contest to be held
Jan. 26-29, at Omaha, Neb.
The .team, coached by W. J. Wal-
drip, Consists of Lamon Bennett,
I. G. Janca, Mark Nash and Jake
Landers.
The contafet will be held in con
junction with the national meeting
of the American Society of Range
Management at which eight teams
from western agricultural colleges
will be participating.
“This is the first year, that A&M
has entered o. team and it will be
up to us to make a good showing'
against tough competition,” said
Lauder's,
AJUKOTC' Intervlews
Tel! ‘Future Vaiue ?
Senior air science instructors are
interviewing this week all Air
Science IV cadets to evaluate them
in terms of “their future value to
the air force”.
The ranking will be used for
various purposes by the air force,
said Col. John A. Way, PAS&T.
Aggie Gospel Time
Returns to WTAW
The Aggie Gospel Time has re
turned to the air at its regular time
9:30 to 19 a, m. Sunday, on radio
station WTAW.
After being off during the
Christmas holidays, the program
will continue as before, and will
be presented in the same manner,
said Walt Fumphory, director.
“All Use work for the program
is done by students here,” said.
Cliff Harris, director of the Baptist
Student Union.
Wayne Young announces the pro
gram, which consists of gospel
songs and selected readings.
Ag Students Take
Civil Service Fxurn
About 100 agriculture students
took the Civil Service examination
set by the- U. S. Civil Service com
mission Tiei'e Saturday.
The examination is for qualify
ing applicants for different agri
cultural positions with the USD A.
WEDNESDAY
7:39 p. m.—-Knight’s of Colum-
buS, basement of St. Mary’s Chapel.
THURSDAY
7:15 p. m.—Lavaca county A&M
club meeting, Academic building.
Urgent.
Rio Grande Valley club meeting,
2nd floor, YMCA.
Houston hometown club meet
ing, room 30.1, Goodwin hall. Very
important.
MONEY
FAINT — WALLPAPER
7:30 p. ni.—Dallas A&M cluls
meeting, Biological Science buileb
ing, lecture room. Important bus
iness.
Whispering Pines club meeting,
room 228, Academic building. Elec
tion of officers.
Guadalupe Valley hometown clu!i
meeting, room 3B, MSC.
Port Arthur A&M club meeting,
room 106, Biology building. Very
important,
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