WHY COLLEGE ?

Has it been worth it after all the cold, biting winters, the countless hours at Baker Library, the reading assignments and the papers? The answer is yes. Going to college is a response to particular needs - for me, the needs of a small country in the underdeveloped world. Gambia, situated on the west coast of Africa, is a small country of 4,000 square miles and a population of less than 400,000, one that is largely rural and in great need of trained personnel in both the technical and administrative fields. Gambia is my home.

Although the need for technicians and scientists is great, it is not all of us who can become doctors and engineers. My particular interest has been in the fields of development and international relations, areas in which I believe that I can be most helpful to my country. But for the foreign student studying these areas in the U.S., there are some shortcomings. There is the danger of returning home merely to continue to see indigenous problems through American lenses. There is also the danger of attempting to produce a carbon copy of the American development pattern and trying to impose it upon a society that is functioning at a completely different level. This may lead to frustration and the waste of human and material resources.

In the field of international relations the study has been American-oriented and rightly so. Most or all courses are understandably geared toward the American student. The foreign student benefits here in the sense that he or she sees the American mind in the making. What are the goals of American foreign policy? What are its instruments of statecraft? Under what circumstances would certain actions be taken and at what cost? These are some of the problem areas that the foreign student is exposed to in discussing the U.S. in its world setting. In the final analysis - and this is important - the purpose of college is not to indocrinate but to expand knowledge and to create a mind that is both receptive and critical. The foreign student's responsibility is to accept or reject those principles, ideas, facts (or whatever you want to call them) that may either help or hinder his or her country's national objectives.

It is against this backdrop that I find my college education worthwhile. College has exposed me to things that I had always taken for granted or never known about. The Government Department at Dart- mouth has been a great source of inspiration and stimulation. Working as a research assistant for professors in my areas of interest has also exposed me to much more material than I would otherwise have had.

Enough for the academic world! What about the lighter and brighter side of life in college? I believe that life is incomplete when one devotes all his time to studying in the 1902 Room. Such a student becomes socially disoriented, and whose fault is it if he complains about the social and cultural aridity of Hanover? For college to be worthwhile, instructive, and fun it is necessary to strike a balance. Yes, it is possible to have fun without sacrificing school work. I have learned that the best way (for me) to enjoy living in Hanover is to be outgoing, to make friends, and be willing to learn and do things on my own. Occasional complaints, yes; incessant complaints, oh, well. . . . There certainly is little hope for one who does nothing but wail with the expectation of something miraculous. Make no mistakes about that! That should be perfectly clear!

On balance, my college experience has been profitable. Being in college has provided me with many opportunities. All it takes is an attempt to utilize these opportunities in a responsible way. To paraphrase one of my professors, the more responsible the study body, the more flexible the college. With flexibility and responsibility in mind any student could have a rewarding and enjoyable college experience.

SAIHOU SAIDY '74

Why college? I think a distinction must be made between why a student first comes to college and why he stays there. When I applied, visions of medical degrees and law degrees danced through my mind. College was to be a means to these ends, the means to a lucrative career It was in this sense that college looked to be valuable.

Then I came to Dartmouth and found that my original conception was far from the mark. The true value of college cannot be measured in the amount of pre. professional training one receives. Instead college is valuable in the degree to which it is not pre-professional training. College is a brief time to think and plan without the encroaching pressures of the "outside" world.

A college is a community of scholars; it is a challenging place where you are confronted by ideas and theories totally new to you. One thing college should do is introduce the student to the varied accomplishments and failures which define man. At the same time college should kindle a desire to learn. When I say "learn," I don't confine it narrowly to the accumulation of specific sets of data, but include the broader context of learning to learn, and learning to order your own life.

Stepping away from the generalities, I can cite examples which might illustrate my points. While in college I've been introduced to classical music and developed a love for it which shall last throughout my life. Thus, have I sampled some of the sublime which is man. At the same time, I have experienced some of the tragedy of man as dramatized in King Lear and Hamlet. Finally, being on my own and yet having the time to reflect on my goals, I've had to order my time according to what I judge to be important for my own life. College, it turns out, has been an education - but not the one I thought it would be.

RICHARD YURKO '75

College has been a very diverse experience for me - two years at a women's college and two years at a men's college recently gone coed. Both colleges were enjoyable and invaluable in terms of my total education. The transition was a difficult one in some respects, but making that transition successfully has proven to be the most practical aspect of my college experience. Transferring has made me very adaptable; being a member of a rather conspicuous minority has made me more outgoing and outspoken.

College offers an excellent opportunity- through the freedom it offers, to structure one's own life. For some individuals, this may mean a virtual lack of structure, to. others, a very rigid structure. The freedom. afforded by college is stimulating to most- burdensome and debilitating to a few. It's a good time to make decisions; it's a go time to put off ultimatums for a while an decide on indecision. Its value lies in the fact that it is the product of the individual. his experiences, interests, expectations, and motivations

The structure of the experience is all one's own. We are offered a wealth of facilities - cultural, academic, social, athletic. The courses we choose, the books we read, the people we relate to, our pastimes, our entire lifestyle are choices ail our own. Assuming that an individual has chosen the right college for him or her, one sets out of college what one puts into it and what one draws from it.

I suppose I tend toward the academic more than some. It doesn't bother me that what I am learning in class and from books is largely theoretical - it's damned interesting. I gain my practical knowledge from living. This year I am trying to integrate just about everything I have studied in the last sixteen years that has captured my imagination. I am doing this mostly through independent studies. The result will be an honors thesis combining my interests in anthropology, psychology, and history.

CHRIS NICHOLSON '74

Is it worthwhile ? Instructive ? Fun?

A half hour ago I sat down, marginally committed to the notion of writing "whether going to college, in general, is worthwhile, instructive . . . and even fun." Shortly after, Gordon (names have been changed to ... ) entered and, spying my scholarly posture, tried to persuade me to alter my consciousness via illicit drugs. Failing initially, Gordon shifted strategies: Now what are you writing an article for the Alumni (pronounced in massive tones) Magazine for?" "Well," I replied, "I asked if they'd pay me money. . . ." "They'll pay you!?" Gordon's eyes and mouth arched wider. "Well, uh, no, but they said that -'0.000 people would read it," I brightened. Gordon spread his hands in benign patience, "Gardella, to me, it wouldn't mean shit if 60,000 alumni read my essay."

The pertinent issue here is that Gordon got me debating over worthwhile-ness (the relative variety or otherwise). The general question of a thing's worth or value is always a hazy issue for me. In specific situations, the question is less problematic; "good things" are those which facilitate completion of the situation's implicit goal (thus, casts and crutches are good things for broken legs, etc.) However, when the frame of reference claims to be universal, worth and value, to my mind, are whatever strike your fancy. (This philosophical stance can be neatly embodied in the phrase, "Your guess is as good as mine.")

In reference to the initial question of Dartmouth College, I would collapse the phrase "worthwhile, instructive . . . and even fun" into "pleasing." Thus, is Dartmouth, first of all, pleasing (bodily, aesthetically, or what-have-you) to me? Secondly, has Dartmouth made me (potentially, at least) a more pleasing individual to others. A remark: Don't restrict your notion of pleasing; a man with a capable smile and another with a capable bulldozer can both be "pleasing" in their respective contexts.

Taking one issue at a time then, has Dartmouth been pleasing to me? Well, I must admit - I've seen better times. A year and a half ago, I took a proverbial "year off." I went to Telluride, Colorado. My first place of residence was a cabin 9,000 feet high, six feet deep in snow, and 200 feet from the Dolores River, my major source of water. Colorado was more pleasing. Skiing deep powder and breathing pristine air were more pleasing.

I eventually figured, however, that Colorado would remain for quite a while, whereas my "threshold-of-life" youth and willingness to endure the strains of academia would not. So I returned, concurrently figuring that if I were to be "pleasing" in any broader sense than an interpersonal one, I'd need skills. I'd need know-how, obtainable at the "Big D."

Did I get it? Hell, I don't know. At times, I wish I'd pursued a more concrete course: chemistry, physics, environmental studies - learn how to turn garbage into useful commodities. As it is, I'm primarily equipped for a lot of philosophical meandering.

And now I'm pressing for a conclusion. Well, I've got none; if you have any, I can be reached at Hinman Box 2843. If you would like to reply, then in all seriousness do so; from my perspective, a reply from a '36 or a '21 would be like a message from outerspace (i.e., meeting of different worlds). And I just got an idea for a snappy ending. If you do reply, you are invited to treat any of the following questions: l)Did Gordon, despite initial failure, ultimately succeed? 2) Is the author really a Dartmouth student? 3) Can the author long endure? 4) Will the author ultimately find his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

RICHARD B. GARDELLA '74

Why did I want to go to college in 1970, the year of the strike at Dartmouth and the year of the murder of Kent State students? I wanted to go to college because I felt I needed to know something only a college dedicated to the liberal arts could teach. To state it simply and not very well, I was searching for wisdom. My senior year in high school found me examining three options; the first and most desired was to attend a soon-to-be opened experimental, co-ed, liberal arts college in Massachusetts; secondly I wanted to attend Dartmouth. If neither accepted me, then I would work and travel for a year and then reapply to both colleges.

Dartmouth accepted me. The other college put me on its waiting list, leaving me disappointed and in a quandary. I didn't know whether I should go to Dartmouth or take a year off and re-apply to my first choice. Then my family moved in on me. Three men whom I admire and respect - my grandfather '24, his brother '25, and my father '53) - indicated that they felt the Dartmouth experience was valuable to them, and they expressed a hope that I would not refuse to consider going to Hanover. I relented, but only to go for one year and then re-apply to my first-choice school.

My freshman year ('7O-'7l) was challenging and enlightening. Through a lot of wrangling on my part and an exception granted by the Dean of Freshman's Office, I was given the opportunity to spend spring term in Africa doing an independent research project on "The Effects of British Educational Methods upon African Culture." It was an attempt to explore the effects and consequences of colonialism upon Sierra Leone. An exceptional teacher challenged me into an academic labor I have not since equaled. As a consequence, I came back to the College impressed with its opportunities for study abroad and its recent decision to go coed and adopt the Dartmouth Plan. I was willing to give Dartmouth one more year and then transfer.

Sophomore year ('7l-'72) I stumbled through my distributive requirements, usually with an interest in what I was learning, but often more concerned with choosing a major. Always trying to be alert to means with which to capture wisdom, I signed up for Philosophy 25 Philosophy of Human Nature, and was thus given the privilege of meeting an incredible teacher who had combined the fields of both philosophy and psychology. At the conclusion of the course I chose philosophy as a major for three reasons. First, it promised a broader scope of the human condition than any other major; second, because of teachers like Francis Gramlich; and third because of President Kemeny's interest in the field. (While in Sierra Leone, I was in the library of Njala University and came upon his book, Random Essays, which I fell upon and finished with an increased respect for a mind so deeply concerned with the construction of an enlightened future society.)

Junior year ('72-'73) I stayed at Dartmouth because of the challenge of majoring in a small, demanding department. I learned a great deal and became aware of at least some aspects of the wisdom I had been seeking. For example, I discovered that college doesn't teach you; it encourages you to teach yourself. Toward the close of the year I began to think of taking a break so as to come to my senior year more mature and serious about exploiting the opportunities at the College. Then I found out that my grandfather's fiftieth reunion would take place at the time of my graduation if I continued without a break.

So I am still here at the close of 1973, most significantly because of my grandfather who has been for me a model of the Dartmouth man that I hope I may some day equal. My graduation will be a sentimental time, as are all graduations, but it has another overriding significance that will make it a pinnacle in my life. It will be a symbolic passing of the Old Guard to the Young Guard with the challenge, "Do at least as well as we, if you can't do better." I intend to honor that challenge, and perhaps that is the real secret behind what is truly distinct about Dartmouth, For over two hundred years, the College has been helping young men - and now young women - become individuals of character and vision. I hope someday to become a person that my family and Dartmouth will both consider a man of character and vision.

Written at the Dartmouth Grant, Wentworth's Location, N.H.

PETER W. BLODGETT '74

These students say yes

It is hard for me to explain why I decided to come to college because there was never any real doubt in my mind that I would. During my freshman year in high school I became interested in biology, and soon concluded that I wanted to study medicine. This decision gave me no choice about college - in order to fulfill my goal I had to attend some institution. This is not to imply that I came to Dartmouth only as a pre-med student. If this were the case, I would have already had many second thoughts about my decision.

As a freshman this year, I was (and am) amazed at the vast number of opportunities in fields which I know nothing about. Already my "definite" plans about medical school are becoming less definite. This, in my opinion, is the basic purpose of a college education - to learn more about ourselves, our abilities, our interests, and our goals. In this way, we are better equipped to make decisions about careers, marriage, etc.

One of the things which has impressed me about Dartmouth is that there are so many professors and advisers who are willing to spend hours talking to us about vocational, personal, or academic problems. All my professors have been willing to give extra help, or to go into more detail on subjects which have been discussed in class. Each freshman is assigned an adviser during Freshman Week. Amazingly enough, he does not disappear after a short period of time. My adviser has had a picnic for his six students, eaten lunch with us at Thayer Hall, and has sent periodic notes asking us to come visit and talk in his office. In addition, there is a special advisory committee for pre-med students which consists of about 10 men and women who are available for consultation about special fields, courses medical school requirements.

I have also been impressed by the ease with which freshmen become part of the non-academic college life. I had been veactive in high school, but I came here expecting to find most doors closed to freshmen. Nevertheless, quite the opposile has been true. In both the yearbook staff and the Pre-med Society, freshmen probably outnumber upperclassmen, and many of us have found ourselves with positions of authority and responsibility as freshmen. This is so important because this, too, is part of our college education, and it is fortunate that even the underclassmen can become involved.

I have been most active in the music department. The Women's Glee Club gave its first annual House Parties Concert last Friday night. It has been so exciting to be one of the first freshmen women at Dartmouth because we are able to help organize new women's activities. I have found no problems in adjusting to life as a coed. Actually, I am surprised at ho« much we have been accepted after only one year of coeducation.

I feel that the four years we will spend at Dartmouth are four of the most important years of our lives. Even if we are not preparing for a specific career by studying so-called "relevant" courses, we are learning about ourselves by studying subjects that interest us and participating in non-academic activities which allow us to develop our creativity and our relationships with other people.

DARYL O'BRIEN '77

In evaluating the worth of going to college, I would have to say that one passes through phases. I think basically when a student first attends college, the reason for being there lies in pressures not only from the family but also from other factions in the home community who wish you well. Thus many students enter college not for personal satisifaction but to make the pressures of home ease off. The only thing that the student is aware of is that he must do well for the people back home who have placed their faith in him because if he fails, he's let them down.

The first year is actually the most difficult one to make it through because it seems as if you are at the bottom of a very high mountain. You know you're at college, but you don't really know if your reasons for being there are your own. During the first year, academic success has a large part to say in how one perceives college. It is very important for the student to believe that he can make it during the rest of his stay. Thus, the first year becomes the main reassurance which allows the student to look back and say. have something behind me now which makes my journey that much shorter." But you are still able to go home during the vacations and see that your friends who didn't attend school seem to be enjoying life and making it. So you still have some doubts.

The second year is again a big year as far as how the student perceives his college experience. He has a pretty clear concept of what is now expected of him. He has become a little bit more sure of himself. By now he has acquired some new friends, and he is no longer a stranger in the academic community. He can begin to explore some new things. When the student starts to acquire a feeling of freedom and realizes he has some time to do as he pleases, this is the point where he really starts to enjoy himself.

In the next two years I think that the student really enjoys his free time. One of the most rewarding things I've found out about Dartmouth is that you are able to meet quite an assortment of likeable people. The students from this school seem to be very outgoing and very friendly. It seems to take only a couple of months to make new friends who will replace the "old home buddies" as your best friends in life. You find that it is very easy to get along with college students because some way or another you discover that you and many others have a common experience to share.

The work doesn't seem as hard anymore because you've become a part of the system, and know how to meet the academic demands. You become reassured by the people from home that this is the best way you could have gone in life. Time and time again I've heard it from older people whom I have worked with during the summer and from many of my friends who are working steady jobs say, "You're so lucky for going to college and I really wish that I had." This constant reinforcement gives you an outlook on college that you never would have thought possible. A Person through his experiences begins to notice that he has something of real value and worth.

The most worthwhile personal experience for me has been as an active member of the football team. I've been on three varsity teams that have won three Ivy League championships. Each year we've won the championship another way, with a different group of guys. But this year being my last, I think everything is at its best. I've never played on any football team where unity of the players has been such a major factor in its success. A season where a team has lost its first three games and then has struggled back to become the winner has been one of the greatest athletic conquests that I've ever been a part of.

In ending my evaluation of college, I would have to say that during the senior year a student finds out that college life is really fun. You realize that for only a short time you are sheltered from the respon- sibilities of the world and life. You can do as you please. During the last year, you realize what a short journey it actually was and that now its going to be very beneficial for you. But you also realize that this is the last one, so trying to make sure you enjoy it, you extract all the fun possible. As a senior, you realize that this is a lifetime experience. As it comes to an end you're sad that you must leave this way of life which has been a part of you for four years, only to go out and face responsibilities which lie in wait.

DON SMITH '74

...forvariousreasons.

It is very difficult to evaluate any experience while one is still engrossed in it. This is perhaps compounded when the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime affair like college. For most, the college experience is vastly different from what came before it and from what is likely to follow. I have now passed the halfway point in my college career, and I know that while the second half will pass even more quickly than its predecessor, it will be even more rewarding. My views, therefore, are from the center - looking out.

College is supposed to be a learning experience, a chance for development. My feelings about the "college experience" are shaped by the fact that I am at DartmouthCollege in Hanover, New Hampshire - with its facilities, its faculty and administration, and its diversified student body. My experiences here could not be duplicated at another institution. The choice of a college is probably one of the most significant decisions of my life: it is one which I do not regret. For me, Dartmouth has provided an opportunity for growth - both intellectual and personal.

In determining the worth of a college education, I feel that there are three aspects which bear consideration: intellectual adventure, personal interaction with peers and adults, and an atmosphere conducive to reflection. I believe that Dartmouth not only offers all three, but works to stimulate the growth of all three.

In the area of intellectual curiosity, I have found the faculty to be experts who are interested in and excited about passing on the knowledge they have gained in a lifetime, but still willing to investigate a new theory or analyze a new interpretation. Baker Library and the Kiewit Center speak for themselves; they cannot be duplicated. Most importantly, however, Dartmouth fosters an environment where lively discussion and debate can take place - where the students want it to take place. This is essential to intellectual development.

Personal interaction is a vital ingredient of the college experience. The dormitories are the focal point, where one learnS to relate to and get along with his peers in a more-or-less extended family. Their hopes, their accomplishments, their failures - they all become your concern and yours become theirs. And you can help each other to grow. Clubs and organizations on campus increase the interpersonal contact and provide an opportunity for individual growth through responsibility. Dartmouth provides more than peer group contact, however. The chance to interact with faculty and administrators is always present, and truly invaluable. My most worthwhile experience thus far at Dartmouth has been serving with other students, faculty, and administrators on the College Committee on Standing and Conduct. It is both challenging and rewarding; it stimulates thought and personal growth. To learn what makes other people what they are helps one to discover what makes him what he is.

Thus we come to the elusive time for reflection. Every so often, it becomes necessary to stop what you are doing and sit back and think and decide where you are and where you are headed and why you are headed there. This is essential, and Dartmouth allows for it. This permits the pulling into place of all the other facets of Dartmouth life, and helps me to realize just how worthwhile an experience it has been.

ERNIE KESSLER '75