The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 51, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 30, 1963 Page: 3 of 8
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wednesday, oct. 30, 196S
THE THRESHER
Three
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Colleges Should Be
Academic Communities
By DICK BLAKELY
Will Rice President
At first glance, the colleges
represent a certain physical
plpnt with associated physical
and social activities. All of the
colleges fit this description. But
there is a second aspect, which
is much less obvious, partially
because no college at Rice really
fits into it, and partially be-
cause it cannot be explained in
material terms.
A college in this second cate-
gory would be called a true ac-
ademic community. "Academic"
implies an emphasis on the learn-
ing process through exchange of
ideas on both a student-student
and a faculty-student level. When
one examines this university, it
becomes clear that there simply
isn't enough time to permit free,
individualistic thought in the
clasroom.
IF ANYTHING other than
blind acceptance and/or memori-
zation is to come of the knowl-
edge disseminated in the lecture
periods, it must come through re-
flection and discussion in an aca-
demic atmosphere, a "community"
of learning such as the colleges
could provide.
Now the attainment of such a
community is directly related to
the vehicles available for mak-
ing it possible. These vehicles are
simply the various activities and
programs a college chooses to as-
sociate itself with. Clearly, then,
a college in the second category
is also in the first.
IF THE COLLEGE is to have
any deep-seated and lasting value
in the education of students at
Rice, it must fall into the second
catagory. For indeed, if a college
is satisfied with merely remain-
ing tied to certain activities for
their own sake, without any re-
gard to the learning process, then
the value of the college to its
members is probably trivial. Cer-
tainly such a "college is not
unique, for any club or fraternity
could sponsor activities of equal
value.
Very simply, this is why Will
Rice College has, in the past few
years, turned more and more
away from tradition for tradi-
tion's own sake. Seeking to make
our college an academic com-
munity, we theoretically question
everything, putting it before the
examining board of real value to
the educational process. The pro-
gi'ams and activities which
"pass" are retained or initiated;
the others come under sharp crit-
icism.
THE WHOLE question of
whether or not a college can be-
come an academic community is
one of responsibility and maturi-
ty of attitude. It has been my ex-
perience that the administration
of Rice University is willing to
grant as much freedom of devel-
opment to the college as the col-
leges themselves demonstrate
they are capable of handling.
We do not face a stubborn
group of people in Lovett Hall
who fight us every step of the
way, as!. certain individuals and
ad hot comnTrt^es would have us
believe. Rather, there is actually
sagerness on the administra-
/e level to see the colleges grow
in maturity and, concurrently,
take on new responsibilities.
Thus the burden of achieve-
. We Pick Up & Deliver . . .
Village Cleaners
& Laundromat
Discount to Rice Students^
JA 8-9113 2528 Rice b1w.
llll
ment lies with the colleges. If we
are to be simply content with the
various activities, programs, and
traditions of the present, without
question, we will surely stagnate
into mere arbitrary divisions of
the student body. If, however,
we continually evaluate the role
of the college, then the academic
community will become .to reality.
0
SIGHTS-
aad SOUNDS
By CHARLES DEMITZ
Witnesses of last Wednesday
night's spectacle will note with
interest that 1911 saw the inau-
guration of that tribal festival
yclept Slime Parade.
The idea was conceived in Ca-
therine's Ice Cream and Beer
Parlour, as El Jeremiad, even-
keeled editor of "Liberation
Front," and Jack Aff, mild-man-
nered Superfluity Aggregation
Prefect, conferred over their cuba
libres.
FROM THIS historic meeting
sprang the 1911 parade. Billed as
a sightseeing tour, the stai*t and
finish lines were delineated solely
in terms of longitude and latitude,
due to the flooding of Buffalo
Bayou and the consequent all-
obliterating mud flats.
The procession of knicker-clad
frosh was uneventful save for a
brief engagement with the U. S.
Cavalry at halftime and the near-
scuttling of the hansom rented by
Aff, whole plaintive wail of de-
spair scattered eager freshmen
about to poison his horse.
THE SCHEDULED chatauqua
at parade's end failed to mater-
ialize, due in part to the engulf-
ment of the entire freshman class
in an uncharted patch of quick-
sand ten yards in front of the
tape.
Parade steersman Vishnu
Lardlove denied any prior know-
ledge of the bog ("besides, it did-
n't look very deep") and, on be-
half of the ebullient sophomore
class, declared the first Slime
Parade an unqualified success.
SURVIVORS CAN convalesce
at the Alley, which is busy nights
with "The Queen and the Reb-
els," a new twist on those "It
was a restless night in Ruritania"
turn-of-the-century Balkan polit-
ical novels.
Jean Seberg continues her vow
of revenge against American crit-
ics in "In the French Style,"
opening Thursday at the Alaba-
ma. Joan of Arc strikes back.
"Mary, Mary" presents rapid-fire
verbal flak in wave after wave
of Kerr wit. Just a shell of the
Broadway original, Thursday at
the Majestic.
THE ALLRAY maintains its
oriental bent with "The Hidden
Fortress," horse opera and "Ro-
(Continued on Page 8)
THRESHING-
(Continued from Page 2)
Even the Thresher has to admit
that such an attempt is being
made (the shape of the future,
Oct. 23), then goes on to elucidate
some of the problems involved and
to warn against use of superficial
values—and do I detect a note of
hope at the end?
This most gracious about-face
is delightfully edifying, but I
reserve my applause for Mr. Kel-
ley's courageous statement that
past achievements have engen-
dered hopes far beyond what is
immediately possible. I wish
someone would spread this Gospel
to the student body before they
all get disgusted enough to quit.
The Thresher should attack
student apathy more: the admin-
istration may be out of touch with
student feelings, but is it all their
fault? We must actively inform
the administration of our feelings,
but in a more positive manner
than just continual enumeration
of real and imagined faults and
dangers.
I note little of the "active and
critical interest" among under-
graduates: they think nothing
they say counts, but how hard
have they tried to make them-
selves heard ?
For an institution in a period of
flux, in the process of climbing
into the "big league," each per-
son's opinions—and silence—can
make a difference.
—CHARI/ENE KRAUSE
Jones '67
Hickey Responds
To Editorial Note,
Restates Position
To the Editor:
Having been cast in the role
of a reactionary silencer of the
"Voice of Truth" by the crusad-
ing Thresher editor in reply to
my letter last week, I should
like to restate my position more
clearly.
FIRST, AN editorial that
makes a blanket condemnation of
the "situation" of the humanities
at Rice is read by two groups of
people. One is the group that al-
ready feels a general resentment
about liberal arts education here.
The editorial only serves to rein-
force their resentment, liot to put
them to work doing something
constructive.
The other group is the one that
is doing something constructive.
The editorial does not give them
any helpful suggestions for
speeding the institution of "re-
forms," nor does it even take in-
to account the efforts that they
are making to help improve the
-intellectual climate of the cam-
pus. It merely informs them that
they are not moving ahead fast
enough.
SECONDLY, the fact that
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x Corner Montrose & W. Gray
young professors leave a school
proves nothing about 4hat school
unless we know whether or not
they all left out of a justified
dissatisfaction with the school's
conditions. Statistics qua statis-
tics prove nothing.
No, Mr. Keilin, editorial silence
will not bring about an atmos-
phere beneficial to learning, but
neither will editorials like "Once
More to The Trenches."
—DAMON D. HICKEY
Hanszen '64
o
Hudson Defends
Alma Mater, Says
'Finlandia' Is Trite
To the Editor:
The cartoon in last week's
Thresher showing an Alma Mater
petition signed by Jean Sibelius
was mildly amusing, but probab-
ly not accurate.
I have an idea that Sibelius
would be happy if Finlandia were
not so popular, for it tends to
eclipse his more serious works.
In fact, the hymn from Finlandia
is now so hackneyed as to be al-
most on the same level as the trio
from Our Director.
FURTHERMORE, though it is
not a fight song, it lacks the
weight of tradition of Rice's Hon-
or, so I think the opposition of the
alumni to the new song is un-
derstandable and justified.
As for Roger Glade's conten-
tion (in last week's Threshing-It-
Out) that a song may be chosen
by those who would sing it, I
thing this is questionable.
the alma Mater might be
considered part of the Establish-
ment, like the name of the uni-
versity, and not to be changed
by a bunch of students who may
lack mature judgment.
Therefore I am opposed to the
replacement of Rice's Honor until
a song can be found which satis-
fies both students and alumni. I
hope that such a song can be
found (or composed), and that it
will be better than the present
candidate.
JIM HUDSON
Hanszen '65
JERRY CANDLER
University Representative
for
Amicable Life
Insurance Co.
Specializing in
Life & Health Ins.
401 Century Bldg.
Office: CA 2-2206
Home: OV 6-5728
Harold's
Garage
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Automatic Transmissions
* Air Conditioning'
* Foreign Cars
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j 2431 DUNSTAN
CROMWELL S
CHEW NECKS
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FROM 14/t.i
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Cromwell's crew neck sweaters, of traditional
cut and color, are styled for daily campus living.
Our collection includes a range of handsome
fall colors.
Square pa
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LEARN the LANGUAGE
of
SAVINGS
CERTIFIED CHECK: An ordinary check on the face of which the
bank lias stamped the word "certified" and the name
of the bank, together with the date and signature of an
authorized person. The amount of the check is. then
charged against the account of the drawer.
m
6135 KIRBY DRIVE
5225 BELLAIRE BtVO.
HOUSTON, TEXAS
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Keilin, Eugene. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 51, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 30, 1963, newspaper, October 30, 1963; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244897/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.