The Death Parade

...Tha .school mags*in* and paper made prominent a stinging cartoon lampooning th* faculty committee's action, And...

...That section of th* Student Curriculum Report which I want to stress at being the all-important question involved i* entitled "Military Science...

...Other viul features of the report are characterised by these few extracts: "For engineers th* present highly technioel course in mathematics i* an undoubted necessity, but for other student* it seems unnecessarily rigorous and detached from life...

...Professor Robinson, * committee member, later had the audacity to refer to th* college si an "institution exemplifying democracy...

...Prof, Palmer of the Public Speaking Department voiced hi* admiration by laying, "A collage which produce* men like this ie one which it accomplishing it* purpose...

...this report give* every evidence that this institution ha* succeeded...

...From "The Campus" editorial came blunt surprise at the expedient conservatism of the student report Everywhere there was great hope that the college program might, in the course of time, receive an overhauling thorough enough and adequate enough to justify the term, "a liberalized curriculum...

...On this matter the report follow*: The Committee recommends that Military Science be placed on the list of elective subjects...

...It was satisfied to take a step at a time In the right direction, to obtain a slice of bread if it could not obtain the loaf...

...A* though to soothe the wound it htd inflicted th* introductory comments had the farcical boldness to state "it 1* th* opinion of your committee that these proposals show keen intelligence and good judgment," Then It brushed aside every request worth mention ing., In reply t* Military Science the report reads: ' I t I* th* sense of your Cetnatltte* that th* coarse Jit Military Science, forming as It dees a concrete method of expressing the stadent*' appreciation of the education offered by th* college under th* American Institation*, I* * beneficial and Important part of tha curriculum and should not be dropped from the list of prescribed subject...

...that Latin be no longer obligatory in the Artt Degree...

...And in reference to that meet discussed of all academic matter*, the dead languages, th* report reads: The Committee recommend...

...Indeed, for weeks the alcoves and concurses, the hallways and classrooms were the scenes of informal debate* about the Student Curricu lum Report The Social Problems Club held an open forum to clear up all misunderstandings...

...That a Liberal callage eheebi la say way seek to sersetaate the eesatltleaa which mate war peaalkle haa alee Blares' a pert la laSaeadag the cotaatittee't aUltade...

...2 ) th* committee declared that if history court** are to be at all significant "they must surely include that period which affects the student closest and interests him most," Therefor, the committee suggested the minimising of Ancient—to—Mediaeval history and the stressing of history sinc 187...

...Thus fer, only the pedagogues themselves had displayed any initiative in this field...

...Then, one month later, the verbatim reply of the Faculty Commit' tee was mad* public...

...We examined critically Curricula of other colleges, ranging all the way from those that were totally elective to the 102 credits prescribed course of Grove City College...

...and finally, under extreme pressure, Dean Brewnson officially acknowledged it* existence by requesting a curricu lum report from the committee, which immediately went about it* work, calmly and judiciously...

...Summing op then, "the i l u d . n l . wanted certain chaageoi the f a t uity detired thoae changes) and T H E D«AN A D M I T T E D Ik* W | * « O P T I O N af THE**) C H A N G M } ia ALL Q U A R T E R * T H E V A L U E A F S T U D E NT P A R T I C I P A T I O N In E D U C A T I O N A L r » » t - A I E A * W A S nagerly A T M A T E D . But listen 1 Th* next term, on September 18, 1024, the first issue of "The Campus" published an almost tragic account of the whole move ment under these captions i F. C. C. CASTS OUT STUDENT REPORT ON CURRICULUM Committee of Faculty Refuse* All Demand* of Students For Revision...

...it characterised tha movement a* a "comic fare...

...In substance the movement was the outgrowth of a realization that a college program should be flexibly adjusted to the requirements of the different types and groups that constitute the student body— if college is to mean anything more than a compulsory "pre-< law requisite...

...These are representative of the sentiment* college professors hold in restraint until the occasion will not attract unnecessary comment...

...Then, on March 16, 1924, the school newspaper, #'Th* Campus," published one of the finest, sanest, most constructively conceived report* it could be the good fortune of any college committee to offer before a board of consideration The recommendations of the student committee are worth the careful scrutiny even of those whose daily interest* do not bring them into contact with academic life...

...Perhaps no other recommendation Is more universally desired by the Student body than this one...

...The pioneer organization performed its work of Investigation assiduously for almost five months...

...In receiving the student report Dean Brownson wa* moved to write "The Committee on Curriculum aska me to acknowledge the receipt of your report, to congratulate and compliment you and your associates on both its matter and form, and to say that while some of your pro posals do not appear to them ac ceptable, all alike will have their careful consideration...

...Firstly: The City College man is set a lounger...

...In nine casee out of ten he ie earning his way through eollegf...

...In the language of Charles Epstein, Committee Chairman, "We talked with practically every representative student at College...

...It grasped the idea that one man's meat may be another man's poison, that the future school teacher wants a curriculum distinctly different from that of the future chemical engineer...

...I t even went *o far at to discuss suggestions for a second report Finally the student committee men invited the faculty committee to a series of conference* at which a thorough clarification of th* whole matter was made with all the apparent sign* of great satlsfac tion to both sides...

...because of their supposedly salute tory effect on the 'faculties' of need neae, projective imagination, etc., but there is universal testimony to shorn that these detired effects are rarely attained...

...But it is extremely anxious that students desiring to major ia arts or modera languages be exempted from what to them It an extremely heavy and almost valueless requirement...

...Leadership self-control, good carriage and the rest may often be products of military train Ing—but only when that lnlnt is voluntarily undertaken and appreciated...

...Man should be taught to think at college...

...it was entirely possible new to discard subjects that owe their presence in schools to tradition or some need which no longer exists...

...Prof...

...Praise and bright - predictions were plentiful everywhere...

...By COLEN MEYER The Collaf* of tho City of New Tort ia militarising its students, and throttling their active demands and proposals for educational progieas...

...Many other prominent instructors took/the occasion to condemn th* faulty curriculum and even to declare that many suggestions in the student report were "dire need*," and that certain other recommended change* "would serve as light houses pointing out a path—far more valuable than mere unrelated knowledge...

...It has found that a large majority of students art in favor of the change, and that such a step would be by no means unaaual la college administration...

...Hesitating long before making this suagestIon, the Commitand investigated requirements at many other colleges...

...Several of the minor alterations requested were, (1) the addition of a subject to be known as the "History of Science," for the purpose of making clear the intimate relationship of the sciences...

...In the almost unanimou* opinion of th* student body these counts are n*lth*r practically nor culturally valuable, and are obsolete in method and aim...

...Secondly: If there are any siswords which characterize the City College Curriculum they are, "Education by the Grace of Tradition...

...Recently Rufus Vance, Principal of St...

...It ia quite poitlblo that a student may have keen interest in Istbeties ia Literature, and even in the Modern Languages, without desiring to devote a large part of Bis college years to the study of dead tonguet...

...Overstreet of th* Philosophy Department wrote, "The Student Curriculum report seta a pace which will be bard to follow...

...This, organization wa* established with the enthusiastic approval of the student body and the faculty...

...Progressive educators throughout the State and nation have realized this fact...

...To the Student Committee's announcement that most -Arts pupils find Latin a hindrance) to< their progress the Faculty Committee had th* audacity to reply that it negated th* proposal bscaus* it dsimed Latin s* "not very unpopular," This arbitrary body of reactionaries had th* brazen*** to nullify th* argument against descriptive geometry by saying grandiouily: "Your Committee believes descriptive geometry is a valuable part of th* science curriculum," In other decisions th* board simply felt it Incumbent to declare, "in g*n*r*L the CommltU* is opposed on policy to this or teat proposition," or that tha *xp«ns* was "too gr**t to be considered st present...

...Th* general student body immediately recognized the possibilities of this committee...

...And again: "The Committee ree omraendt, the abolition of the de acrlptive geometry requirements...

...Cleir McKelway Junior High School, urged the eliminetion of the educational luggage accumulated in the course of years, declaring...

...If the asm* tamper of careful investigation and moderation contin***, I have no doubt that the movement for student participation in curriculum matter* will b* permanently triumphant...

...the faculty members hailed it a* the inauguration of a new era in education...

...Ho* can tha worthy professor reconcile hj* actions with his sudden changt of persp*ctiv...

...l a order thoroughly to comprehend the intrinsic significance of this unsuccessful student proteat it is essential for the layman to grasp the atmposphere which envelope the City College men's lite...

...an attempt to begin tha liberalization of standardised knowledge htd been throttle...

...Those to whom the beneflte of Military Science appeal will still be able to obtain them as sn elective, the others will be relieved frost whet to them ie the least useful and meet unsympathetic eearse at college...

...President Sidney E. Mes**, tha mas who said to a student assembly enMarch 6, 1924, "College nun, keep the reins of Government," wss content to remain silent while it was taken away four month* later...

...We acquainted ourselves with practical limitations to poeeible change* in the curriculum by speaking to various professors...

...In short, a really raagninesnt' movement had been nipped in {he., bud...

...The Committee would be very sorry to tee the abolition of Latin...

...Th* Campus" editorial was full of bitter aarcaam s i th* whole deception...

...Even their most ardent defender* can justify the course* only on disciplinary ground*—i...

...Otherwise the discipline loses all value, serving if anything to alienate students from the very ideals and loyalty it seeks to inculcate...

...Throughout til* seventeen proposal* th* same spirit of eonttructive criticism is always dominant New, when the** thing* ware made pubit* at school both faculty a i d stadent* secant* literally revitalised with enthuiaam...

...But in November, 1923, a Student Curriculum Committee blossomed into life at City College of New York to alleviate the students' burden, and incidentally to explode the myth of "Education by the Grace of Tradition...