1 20 6 https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/c75f8c59a393743e7c3ffe6c62a134e1.pdf 7cb9d0cdb02b95ce18841a7c0e9025ab PDF Text Text BULLETl/N o/ The Friends of St. John's College ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND ' march, 1950 �THE FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE THE LANGUAGE TUTORIAL Sponsors The seminar, although the heart of the St. John's program, cannot alone suffice as a means to the end of general education unless aided by more specialized and stricter disciplines.. By its very nature the seminar does not give to the students an opportunity to cultivate the habits of methodical and rigorous study. It has to be supported, therefore, by other instructional devices, 'principally the language and mathematics tutorials. Throughout the four years of a student's course at St. John's two tutorials or classes are scheduled each morning, one in language and one in mathematics. Here a.round a table eight to fifteen students study and learn together under thi;:. direct guidance and instruction of one of the tutors. Other tutors often attend, but in the guise of students seeking to learn about a particular subject. Each tutorial is one hour in length and meets five days a week, except that one hour of each fortnight is relinquished to choral exercises, as will be explained later. WALTER S. BAIRD REV. DR. C. EDWARD BERGER RICHARD F. CLEVELAND MRS. CHARLES S. DEWEY ARCHIBALD EDWARDS .JOHN ERSKINE CLIFTON FADIMAN Gov. WILLIAM P. LANE MEYER KESTNBAUM FRANCtS PICKENS MILLER WILLIAM LENTZ MORRIS DR. THOMAS PARRAN MRS. H. L. RADOFF . MRS. H. R. SLACK, JR. M. ROBERT, JR. REV. DR. H.P. VANDEUSEN EDWARP.. f'. LATHROP MARK VAN DOREN Excc.ft~~e Secretary · ''~.:.:~;·'~;~, : ·~..'~'; v}; ·. ,~- ·!: ·,.;.,_,.,w The entire St. John's community ha~ ~e;;~'· ~~tjidened by the death of Hervey Allen whose devotion to the College w~s~great. Mr. Allen was a membe;~ of the Board of Visitors and Governdrs and also served as Chairman ~l the Sponsors of the Eriepds of St. John's. .. tt This is the second issue of the Bulletin devoted to presenting the curricular activitie$ of the College. In the December issue the seminar was described. The current' number is devoted to the Language Tutorial. Succeeding articles will deal with the Mathematics Tutorial. the laboratories, the formal lectures, and the chor.alexercises. These activities, taken togefher, represent sirjgle. unified cour.se of study in the liber.~1 arts, organized ti.found the literary and scientific traditiof1'.of Western Civil' tion as contained ' in a reptesentative list·'.~f gre~t or impq books. These Bulletins will seek to''present not 0 .. t e'titi'.Joward which ~he College aspires in this program, t also certain probieriis and diffi.culties which arise in the actual opeartion of the program. a Volume II 1950 ... MARCH, ·.,,.1.: ' Pub'lished ·Quarter! y ·. Number 2 Reserving discussion of the Mathematics Tutorial to a subs2quent issue of the Bulletin, we shall consider first the Language Tutorial. ,, PRIMARY .AIM The primary purpose of the language tutorials is not the mastery · of any foreign languages. By studying them, however, and by translating from them into English, by comparing them with each other and with English, the student learns something of the nature of language in general and of his own in particular. During the four years, then, he is studying language as such, the discourse of reason, and, through the medium of foreign tongues, his own native English. He is discovering the resources of articulate speech and learning the rules that govern it if it is to be clear, consist~nt, and effective; if it is to be adequate and persuasive. The media for accomplishing this are Greek in the first and second years, German in the third year and French in the fourth. GRAMMAR. RHETORIC. AND LOGIC The advent of specialization in higher education has led to a profound neglect of language skills. As country is separated from country by the barrier of language, so profession is separated from profession· by the use of technical jargon. The language tutorial attempts to remedy this condition by a training in the means of precise communication and persuasion. In a broad sense, it may be conceived as a resurrection of the age-old disciplines of grammar, rhetoric, and logic. The tutorials concern themselves with seeking to understand the relation between language and thought. To do this they must study the basic articulations of speech, the modes of siga.ifying things, the VJried connotation; �and ambiguities of terms, the role of metaphors and analogies, and the logical relation between propositions. During the early sessions of each language tutorial, the emphasis is of necessity on the primary grammatical forms and constructions and the basic vocabulary of the language in question. But after a relatively short period of time, which is longer in the first year, the tutorial has <>hifted to something more concrete: the slow and careful reading and discussion of great works of poetic imagination or philosophical thought. Thus, the rapid reading for the seminar with its attention focused on the large outlines, the general trend, the development of the central ideas, is supplemented and corrected by a more precise and refined study, concerned with every detail and partciular shade of meaning, and also with the abstract logical structure and rhetorical pattern of a given work. These are matters that do not often come directly into seminar discussion. The student's concern with them in the language tutorials improves all his reading, for whatever immediate end, deepens and enriches his understanding, and increases his ability to think clearly and to talk well. similate the subtlety of Greek grammar and syntax in a single year. During the second year of Greek, the student reviews the grammatical work of the first year and then resumes the reading and translating of important texts, with greater understanding and enjoyment. The texts are in the main taken from Platonic Dialogues, the works of Aristotle, a Greek tragedy, and the Gospels. While in the first year the grammatical analysis is supplemented at certain points by the study of formal logic, the emphasis in the second year is on the rhetorical power as well as on the philosophical meaning of the texts. The close reading of Plato and Aristotle in the Language Tutorial throws decisive light on the pnblems discussed in the seminar. SECONDARY AIM The French tutorial in the fourth year, although reproducing in grneral the pattern of the preceding tutorials, is devoted mainly to the studying of the great works of French literature. The fourth year seminar is strongly supported by the continuous analysis of the nature of the novel in the language tutorial. It is also supported by the study of language from the point of view of symbolic logic, which is taken up by the tutorial for a certain period of time. At this point the Language Tutorial and the Mathematics Tutorial converge. Thus, while the primary purpose of the Language Tutorial is the understanding of language as the vehicle of thought and more particularly a better understanding of the student's mother tongue, the second purpose of the language tutorial is support of the seminar discussion. The student reads and carefully analyzes a few great examples and models of prose and poetry in Greek, German, and French. Some of these relevant texts are not parts of the seminar readings. The further the student advances, the more the Language Tutorial tends to influence the seminar discussion by bringing issues to the fore which otherwise might have been neglected and by introducing more precision into the terms in which a problem is being discussed. GREEK OVER LATIN The choice of Greek, German and French is in part dictated by the exigencies of the seminar reading schedule and is in part arbitrary. A different set of languages might well be used without changing the basic patterns and aims of the language tutorial. At one time Latin was included in addition to the three languages now studied. This resulted in a scattering of energies with no real and lasting profit to the student. Greek was retained in the curriculum in preference to Latin because its flexibility and expressiveness seem to make it the best instrument for inculcating in the student a better understanding of the nature of language in general. Moreover, the amazing deterioration in our linguistic habits and the almost total lack of grammatical training shown by many secondary school graduates make it particularly difficult for them to as- GERMAN AND FRENCH The German tutorial in the third year is structually a condensation of the pattern of the two-year Greek tutorial. Poetry and prose alternate in the reading schedule. Here again, the close reading of Kant provides an indispensable aid to the seminar discussions. The close reading in the language tutorials of the third and fourth years is done partly in German or French and partly in English. The original version is brought into play as often as possible whenever a work is read in English translation. The problem of translating, that is, the problem of articulating the same thoughts and delineating the same images in the various language media, never leaves the language tutorials throughout the four years. THIRD AIM We have seen that the two main purposes of the Language Tutorial are to make the student understand the nature of language as the human way to articulate and convey thoughts, especially with respect to their own mother tongue; and to support the seminar by a much closer scrutiny of texts. A third aim-and one of minor importance-is the learning of the three foreign languages themselves. In the time allotted to the study of each language, mastery of any one of them is,· of course, impossible. What the student can reasonably be expected to attain is a knowledge of the basic grammatical forms and a feeling for the pc- �culiarities of the language. To experience the individuality of another language is to extend the limits of one's sensibility. READING KNOWLEDGE EXAMS AND ESSAYS To implement this aim, the reading knowledge examinations were instituted. The St. John's requirements for the final degree of Bachelor of Arts include the passing of reading knowledge examinations in two of the three foreign languages. By the end of the second year each student has to take a reading knowledge examination in Greek. The examination in French or German may be taken at the student's convenience. In each case the s~udent can use his dictionary freely duri:c_g the examination. Failure the first time in any of these examinations does not preclude later attempts. In each of the four years the students test their linguistic skills by writing two essays on themes emerging from the discussion in the tutorials-or in seminars·--and approved by their language tutors. These essays are subject to a thorough criticism on the part of the tutors who, if occasion requires it, arrange special meetings with the individual students for the diagnosis of particular difficulties. St. John's is concerned that each student acquire ability to express himself dearly and skilfully, not less in writing than in speaking. The Language Tutorial is one of the means that contribute to this end. COLLEGE NEWS A central office to coordinate placement activities for St. John's graduates has been established under the direction of Ivir. Edward F. Lathrop. Friends of St. John's are invited to send in suggestions. A series of eight radio seminars on "The Background of Democracy" has been arranged as a public service with Station WASH-FM in Washington, D. C., starting March 26th. Every Sunday evening at 6: 3 0 P.M. (E.S. T.) two tutors, two students and a distinguished guest will discuss a book bearing on this central theme. Among the guests will be William Preston Lane, Governor of Maryland; Admiral James L. Holloway, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy; Mr. Frank L. Pace, Director of the Bureau of the Budget; and The. Rev. A. T. Mollegan, of the Alexandria Theological Seminary. C. Ranlet Lincoln, 19 5 0, is serving as director and program manager. WASH-FM is making these broadcasts available to all FM stations on the Continental Network. The schedule follows: March 26 April 2 April 9 April 16 April 23 April 30 May 7 May 14 Declaration of Independence, Constitution The Federalist Machieve!E: The Prince Calvin: On Civil Government focke: SecoNd Essa Representative ' . Government Rousseau: Social Contract Rousseau: Social Contract John Stup.rt Mill: On Liberty ion The following Sunday evening meetings have been held since last fall: LECTURE AND CONCERT SCHEDULE April 7 April April May May May 21 28 5 12 19 May 26 June 2 Robert Fitzgerald: "The Ethics and the Tragic Epiphany" A. T. Mollegan: "Faith and Reason" Concert: Ralph Kirkpatrick, harpsichordist John S. Kieffer: "The Paradox of Rationality" Luther A. Weigle: "Bible Translations" E. J. McShane: "The Fundamentals of Statistics as the Basis of Modern Physics" Play Reading: Shakespeare's "King John" Blair Kinsman: "Alice in Wonderland" Nov. 20-William S. B. Lacy, Acting Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State; The Indonesian Problem. Dec. 4--James Frederick Green, Associate Chief of the Division of United Nations Economic and Social Affairs, Department of State; The United Nations in Action. Dec. 11-Rear Admiral James L. Holloway, Jr., Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy; The Naval Academy and its Curriculum. Jan. 17-.Tswenling Tsui, Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of China; The Chinese Situation. Jan. 29-Dr. Imdad Husain, Cultural and Educational Attache, The Embassy of Pakistan; Pakistan: Birth of a New Nation. Feb. 12-Niles W. Bond, Officer in Charge of Korean Affairs, Department of State; Korea. March 5-Dr. Henry Sloane Coffin, President Emeritus Union Theological Seminary, New York City; The Christian Conception of God. �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em> Description An account of the resource The <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em>. Published from 1949 to 1950. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College holds the rights to this publication. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BulletinFriends Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 8 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bulletin March 1950 Curricular Activities The Language Tutorial Vol. II No. 2 Title A name given to the resource Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, March 1950 Description An account of the resource Volume II, Number 2 of the Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College, the Language Tutorial. Published in March 1950. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950-03 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/e03a6b5e7709715c17bb8387b46d5c6d.pdf f384a1d3c92a18203171704decd203ca PDF Text Text BULLETIN o/ The Friends of St. :John's College ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND April, 19so �THE FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE Sponsors WALTER S. BAIRD REV. DR. C. EDWARD BERGER RICHARD F. CLEVELAND MRS. CHARLES S. DEWEY ARCHIBALD EDWARDS JOHN ERSKINE CLIFTON FADIMAN Gov. WILLIAM P. LANE, JR. MEYER KESTNBA UM FRANCIS PICKENS MILLER WILLIAM LENTZ MORRIS DR. THOMAS PARRAN MRS. MRS. H. M. ROBERT, JR. MARK VAN DOREN L. H. RADOFF R. SLACK, JR. REV. DR. H. P. VAN DEUS EN EDWARD F. LATHROP Executive Secretary THE MATHEMATICS TUTORIAL This is the third issue of the Bulletin devoted to presenting the curric~lar activities of the College. In the December issue the seminar was described and in March the Language Tutorial. The current number is devoted to the Mathematics Tutorial. Succeeding articles will deal with the laboratories, the formal lectures, and the choral exercises. These activities, taken together, represent a single, unified course of study in the liberal arts, organized around the literary and scientific tradition of Western Civilization as contained in a representative list of great or important books. These Bulletins will seek to present not only the ideal toward which the College aspirEs in this program, but also certain problems and difficulties which arise in the actual operation of the program. Volume II APRIL, 1950 Published Quarterly Number 3 In the preceding issue of the Bulletin we discussed the Language Tutorial as one of the devices designed to supplement the free discussion of the seminar by confronting the student with the problems and methods of a careful study of languages and all that this implies. But there is another kind of language used by man, no less intricate in its structure and perhaps more necessary for the understanding and mastery of nature. That is mathematics. Insofar as things can be counted and measured, they are objects of mathematical science; their number and size and shape, the frequency of their occurrence, the rate of their motion, the figure of their orbit or trajectory, theii: weight and density, and the work they do can be stated in mathematical symbols. This language of numbers and magnitudes, of ratios and proportions, is studied in the mathematics tutorials in its historical development and in both its pure and applied forms. The external setup of the Mathematics Tutorial is identical with that of the Language Tutorial. Each student has a mathematics tutorial daily throughout his four years at St. John's. The class numbers from eight to fifteen students and meets around a large table under the guidance and instruction of one of the tutors. ITS' CONTENT The students begin with plane and solid geometry, the elements of Euclid and the conic sections of Apollonius. They are thus con- �fronted with rigorous, logical systems; they apprehend the idea of a deductive science and acquaint themselves with the intricacies of mathematical development. In the second year they study Ptolemy and pass immediately to Copernicus: they face in these studies two grandiose examples of a ma the~ matical description of the universe; they learn the role and power of a scientific hypothesis and the meaning of applied mathematics. These astronomical investigations also introduce them to the elements of trigonometry. For the rest of the Sophomore year the students apply themselves to algebra and analytical geometry, with due regard to the original Cartesian foundations. Not only do the students learn how to manipulate algebraic expressions, perform all the necessary operations, including logarithmical ones, solve equations and correlate these analytical solutions with the exploration of geometrical patterns, but they are also made to grasp the very idea of a Universal Mathematics as conceived by the great thinkers of the seventeenth century. In the beginning of the third year the students expand their skills in analytical geometry and tackle the elements of mechanics as laid down by Galileo. Concurrently, the students acquaint themselves with the principles of Keplerian astronomy. Most of the third year, however, is devoted to Newtonian physics: large parts of Newton's Principia are studied and discussed very carefully. The first elements of calculus are approached. In the fourth year, differential and integral calculus (including elementary differential equations) is studied almost exclusively, in its rigorous modern form. The students are finally introduced into nonEuclidean geometry (Lobachevski), the theory of numbers (Dedekind), and the theory of transfinite numbers (Cantor). Throughout the four years the students are in continuous contact not only with the pure science of mathematics but also with the very foundations of mathematical physics, the great weapon of man in his struggle with Nature. Throughout the four years the Mathematics Tutorial supports therefore the seminar discussions bearing on the relation of man to nature, the criteria of intelligibility, the nature of knowledge, and the all-powerful role of symbols. LOGICAL RIGOR AND IMAGINATION The work done in the mathematics tutorials imposes upon the students the duty of rigorous demonstration; the blackboard becomes the arena of intensive logical struggles. The students are made to see how the discovery of logical inconsistencies leads to a revision of the assumptions upon which mathematics builds. But it is not only logical rigor that is expected from the students; their imagination is constantly brought into play. Any device that might help their imaginative effort -geometrical models, mechanical linkages, astrolabes, etc.-are used and often the students themselves are asked to construct them. Whenever the occasion requires it, the students have to apply their skills to the solution of problems. All this detailed preoccupation with mathematical objects and methods, however, is subservient to the more general consideration of the relation that mathematics has to problems raised in the seminar. On the other hand, the mathematics tutorials refer most of the time directly to the work done in the laboratory. THE CHIEF AIM The chief aim of the Mathematics Tutorial is to give the student insight into the nature and practice of abstract thinking, of reasoning that proceeds systematically from definitions and principles to necessary conclusions. He sees and becomes familiar with the power of a method or methods that can gather into a single formula or law the most diverse phenomena and can thereby predict and even control their occurrence. His intellectual imagination is freed and developed to the point where he can investigate the structure of worlds that are possible-that is, consistent-beyond the power of sense. It is in the various mathematical sciences that abstract imagination and reason are seen at their most impressive and effective work. Here all is distinct, orderly, and necessary. To see reason thus at work-building its structures as in pure mathematics, or making the world intelligible as in the mathematical sciences: of nature-is perhaps the most exciting and absorbing of all intellectual activities. �COLLEGE NEWS A St. John's College Open House, held April 17, afforded a large group of educators a firsthand acquaintance with the College and its new president. County superintendents, high school supervisors, and headmasters spent the entire day visiting tutorials, laboraclasses and seminars. also toured the campus, lunched and dined with the undergraduates, and heard an address by Dr. Luther H. Evans, Librarian of Congress and a member from the United States on the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris, on "UNESCO and World Educational Goals." A new four-year tuition scholarship at St. John's College has been set. up in the name of George Washington Parke Custis, step-grandson of George Washington and a St. John's graduate in 1799. It will be awarded to a high school graduate from the State of Virginia or the District of Columbia on t~,2 basis of his competence to pursue the St. John's Program and his performance in writing a 2,000-word essay on "The Meaning of Education." Authors of the four best essays will be invited to the college for personal interview. Members of the Examining Committe to select the winning essays are Dr. Dowell J. Howard, Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction, Richmond, Va.; Walter S. Rbbertson of Richmond, Va.; Francis Pickens Miller of Charlottesville, Va., Vice-Chairman of the Board of Visitors and Governors of St. John's; Charles Nelson, Director of Basic Education Program, University College, University of Chicago; and Richard Scofield, St. John's tutor and a member of the Board. Contemporary problems in the United States and the world are brought into sharper focus for the St. John's College community through the current events talks of its Sunday Evening Meeting series. This month's schedule of informal addresses began with one on "American Foreign Policy in the World Today," by Dr. Samuel Flagg Bemis, Farnam Professor in Diplomatic History at Yale. Speaker for April 16 was Edwin M. Wright, adviser on UN affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern, African and South Asian Affairs of the State Department, on "Trouble Spots in the Middle East." Others are: April 23-Leonard J. Cromie, Officer-in-Charge of Greek Affairs in the State Department, on "The Role of Greece in American Foreign Policy"; and April 30-Ernest von Hartz, St. John's 192 6, National News Editor of the New Yark Times, on "The Fourth Estate." Programs in the St. John's Radio Democracy" are as follows: ~eminar series, "Background of Machiavelli: The Prince. Guest: Thurman Arnold, former prosecutor with the U. S. Department of Justice. April 16 Calvin: Institutes, Book IV, chapter 20 "Of Civil Government." Guest: Rev. A. T. Mollegen of the Episcopal Theological Seminary at Alexandria, Va. April 2 3 Locke: Second Essay on Civil Government. Guest: Frank Pace, Jr., Secretary of the Army. April 30 Rousseau: Social Contract I. Guest: Gov. William Preston Lane, Jr., of Maryland (tentative) . May 7 Rousseau: Social Contract II. Guest: Rep. Edward T. Miller, Republican Congressman from Maryland. May 14 April 9 John Stuart Mill: On Liberty. Guest: Sen. Paul H. Douglas of Illinois. Broadcasts are heard each Sunday at 6: 3 0 p.m. over the following Continental FM Network stations: WMAR-FM in Baltimore, 97.9 me.; WASH-FM in Washington, D. C., 97.1 me.; WMFM-FM in North Adams, Mass., 97.5 me.; WQAN-FM in Scranton, Pa., 92.3 me.; W ACE-FM in Chicopee, Mass., 100.3 me.; WBIB-FM in New Haven, Conn., 100.7 me.; KE2XCC-FM in Alpine, N. Y., 93.l me.; and WBCA-FM in Schenectady, N. Y., 101.1 me. Friends of St. John's College are entitled to a ten percent reduction on the list price of books ordered from the college book store. Book lists are available upon request. �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em> Description An account of the resource The <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em>. Published from 1949 to 1950. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College holds the rights to this publication. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BulletinFriends Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 8 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bulletin Vol II #3 April 1950 Curricular Activities - Mathematics Tutorial Title A name given to the resource Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, April 1950 Description An account of the resource Volume II, Number 3 of the Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College, the Mathematics Tutorial. Published in April 1950. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950-04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/50c139aa9aeeaa82defa2ce083451092.pdf c37ab784d478329db1fcc68f4f8394bd PDF Text Text \\. BULLETIN OF The Friends of St. John's College ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND March, 1949 �FoR the past twelve years St. John's College has held the leader- ship in the field of Liberal Arts education. To continue and expand this program, to secnre a broader support than that of its students, alumni, and local friends, and to enlist the active support of its many friends throughout the country, a society to be known -as "The Friends of St. John's College" has been organized. The Friends can be of material assistance in many ways. They can acquaint others with the College and its significance for American education and invite them to become Friends of St. John's. Where it is feasible, they can organize seminars in their communities for the study of the great books and help create a deeper understanding and appreciation of Liberal Arts education. They can help correct misunderstandings about the College and its program and acquaint potential students with what St. John's has to offer. Those who can afford to do so can give financial ass.stance to the College. Members will receive quarterly publications that will make them more closely informed about the program of the ColleJe. Th:;se publications will include such printed matter as the catalogue, the Pres'clent's annual report, financial statements, and reprints of important lectures and articles about the program and Liberal Arts education. Should any friend or group of friends want to organize seminars for the study of. the great books, the College will be glad to offer advice and furnish pertinent material. Anyone interested in American education m the Liberal Ar~s and in the preservation of the free instituticns cf this country is eligible to become a Friend of St. John's College. The new Liberal Arts program, begun at St. J elm's in 1937, aroused much interest and controversy by repudiating the elective system for a single unified curriculum required of all students. It replaced textbooks with the great classical books of literature, history, mathematics, science, philosophy, and religion - the so-called Hundred Great Books. It turned away from narrow specialization and the informational lecture system and set up small tutorials and seminars in wh'.ch students and faculty, by reading and discussion, learned together from the great teachers, the autho1.-s of the classic books. Its subject matter was the basic ideas of Western thought and their interrelation, through the study of which a student might earn his intellectual her:tage from Homer to the present and learn to be a free and responsible person. With this study of the Great Books the program stressed the fundamental importance of thorough training in the twin symbolisms of language and mathematics as the basis of all truly human activity. The twelve years since the inauguration. of the new program have been difficult years of reorganization and financing, difficult years during the war, difficult years of post-war adjustment; and still the new program continues at St. John's without compromise and without serious modification. No longer can it be called "experimental." Despite the difficult years that the College has experienced, it has shown steady progress; its faculty and student body have grown; its studen'.s have made good records in graduate schools throughout the country; and it has won friends in the United States and Europe. Perhaps even more :mpressive evidence of the soundness of the program is the fact that in more recent years other American colleges and universities have changed their curricula in the direction pointed ant by St. John's. Many of these facts about the St. John's program have become widely known. It is not equally well known that the program places as much emphasis upon mathemat:cs and science as it does upon language, litera'.ure, history, philosophy, and religion. Besides requiring the systematic study of the Greek, French, and German languages (two years of Greek and one each of French and German) and hold'ng twice weekly for all four years the well-known seminars devoted to the great books, the Colle.se also requires four years of mathematics and four years of scientific laboratory work. The language tutorial and the mathematics tutorial each meet five days a week; the science laboratory requires two three-hour periods each �week. The College requires more work in mathematics and science than any other liberal arts <;ollege in the country. Neither is it widely known that it is the policy of the College to select its students so as to have a representative group of young men, ranging from those with average to those with superior academic records and coming from all parts of the country. This policy comes from the conviction that a Liberal Arts education is the best type of education for anyone who is to assume responsibility in a democratic society. The economic background of the students is similarly varied; three-fourths of the present student body are dependent for their education on their own earnings, G. I. funds, or scholarships. While the administration and faculty take pride in what the College has already accomplished, they are acutely aware of the need for extending the influence of the College. It is not enough, important as that task is, to transmit the liberal trad:tion to students on the campus and to adults in seminars in small communities and cities in the East. The College would like to encourage such adult seminars in other parts of the country. It also wishes to continue to be, and on a larger scale, a laboratory for liberal education where the faculty may engage in both teaching and research and have the opportunity to make creative contributions to education, literature, science, and philosophy in the spirit of the l"beral tradifrJn rather than in the spirit of modern specialized research. Through such an expansion of its work the college will continue to be one of ihe determining forces in American education during th· s ti111e of world cns1s. This 1s why it has been decided to establish "The Friends of St. John's." By such a society of interested perscns scattered throughout the country, this larger purpose of the College will be realized. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em> Description An account of the resource The <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em>. Published from 1949 to 1950. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College holds the rights to this publication. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BulletinFriends Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 4 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bulletin, March 1949 Title A name given to the resource Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, March 1949 Description An account of the resource [Volume I, Number 2] of the Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College. Published in March 1949. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1949-03 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/68e90b7dd4aa631b36238ee488323243.pdf 359e8624880f3958d84d7fa40aced313 PDF Text Text BULLETIN o/ The Friends of St. John's College ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND �THE FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE Sponsors WALTER S. BAIRD REV. DR. C. EDWARD BERGER RICHARD F. CLEVELAND MRS. CHARLES S. DEWEY ARCHIBALD EDWARDS JOHN ERSKINE CLIFTON F ADIMAN Gov. WILLIAM P. LANE, JR. MEYER KESTNBAUM FRANCIS PICKENS MILLER WILLIAM LENTZ MORRIS DR. THOMAS PARRAN MRS. MRS. H. M. ROBERT, JR. REV. DR. H.P. VANDEUSEN MARK VAN DOREN EDWARD F. LATHROP H. L. RADOFF R. SLACK, JR. Executive Secretary This is the fourth issue of the Bulletin devoted to presenting the curricular activities of the College. In the December issue the seminar was described, in March the Language Tutorial, and in April the Mathematics Tutorial. The current number is devoted to the Laboratory and the Formal Lecture. Succeeding articles will deal with music and extra-curricular activities. The activities described in this series represent a single, unified course of study in the liberal arts, organized around the literary and scientific tradition of Western Civilization as contained in a representative list of great or important books. These Bulletins will seek to present not only the ideal toward which the College aspires in this program, but also certain problems and difficulties which arise in the actual operation of the program. Volume II AUGUST, 1950 Published Quarterly Number 4 THE LABORATORY From the very beginning the St. John's Program faced a difficulty of the first magnitude. Intent as it was to convey to the students the idea of the fundamental unity of all knowledge, it ran into the almost insoluble problem of reconciling the two main traditions which determine our contemporary life: the tradition of Greek thought extended into, and modified by, Christianity and the tradition of relentless inquiry into natural phenomena guided primarily by the rigor of mathematical thinking. This latter tradition, which arrogated to itself the name of Science, is profoundly dependent, to be sure, on the intellectual effort of the ancients but it is also opposed to it in a radical way. That is to say that the understanding of scientific laboratory methods is not helped by connecting them loosely with the classical tradition as explored in our seminars and our language tutorials. These methods are the consequence of the vast project of study conceived by the great thinkers of the seventeenth century. They are based on a mathematical interpretation of the universe, which transforms the universe into a great book written in mathematical characters. In the laboratory the inquiring mind must discover the fundamental assumptions made in the actual experimentation, must follow carefully the transposition of those assumptions as well as of the findings into suitable mathematical symbols, and must finally transcribe natural phenomena into a symbolic network of equations. Not to be carried away by this procedure, not to take it as a matter of course, - is the prequisite for a liberal understanding of scientific methods. Neither the factual data uncovered by science nor the general hypotheses and theories that constitute its body are of primary concern to liberal learning. It is rather concerned with the artifices of the human mind and the human hand that help us to transcend the factual by reducing it to universal principles. The student has to face the problems of the laboratory as they are faced in any genuine laboratory work. He has, at the same time, to learn not to succumb to the temptation of the merely factual. St. John's has not yet succeeded in overcoming this temptation. On a minute scale, the College is struggling with a problem that today confronts the entire world. The Organization Of The Laboratory Work The laboratory exercises take place twice a week, in the afternoons. Each session lasts three hours for the upperclassmen, while the freshmen have weekly one three-hour session and one one-hour meeting devoted to a preliminary exploration of the particular topic to be studied. The constituency of each group attending the laboratory exercises is, in �general, the same as that of the seminar. It numbers from fifteen to twenty-five students. The same group of students, then, learn how to display their dialectical skill in the cooperative effort of the seminar and how to attack a laboratory problem both individually and as a working unit. The students work under the guidance of a tutor. Student assistants take care of the equipment and necessary arrangements. Other tutors often attend the laboratory exercises as students. Before coming to the laboratory, each student has acquainted himself with the content of a laboratory sheet which describes the forthcoming exercise and its theoretical assumptions. In the case of upperclassmen the first half hour-or full hour, if the circumstances require it-is devoted to additional explanations on the part of the tutor and to the answering of questions that the students may have. The students then proceed to work on the actual exercise, which may require from them the setting up and working out of an experiment or a sequence of experiments, or the making of a series of observations, or the performing of prescribed dissections. In the case of the freshmen the preliminary discussion of the exercises fills the one- hour meeting. A report containing the answers to questions put to the students and summarizing the work done by them, is handed to the tutor at the beginning of the next exercise. The compilation of such a report takes, on the average, one hour. The tutor returns these reports to the students with remarks bearing on their accuracy and theoretical validity. Its Content The immediate concern of the laboratory exercises is with elementary and fundamental problems of physics, biology, and-to a lesser extent-chemistry. These exercises have been, and still are, subject to continuous revision. What follows is the work schedule for the year 1950-51. 1st Term I 2nd Term I 3rd Term 1st Year Biology Physics 2nd Year Chemistry Physics 3rd Year Biology Physics -- 4th Year Physics Physical Chemistry Thesis writing period Physical Chemistry Physics In the first year the students learn how to make the simplest measurements, and become aware of the theoretical assumptions underlying these measurements. They learn how to assess the role of errors, how to average their findings, and how to distinguish between significant and negligible figures. They verify the fundamental laws of statics and hydrostatics, and acquaint themselves with the elementary principles of thermodynamics. They learn to develop their drawing skills in applying themselves to problems of orthographic and perspective projection, which tie in with their work on conic sections in the mathematics tutorial. They also experiment with sonometers and construct musical scales related to their seminar reading and to the music tutorials. In the second year the students deal mainly with optics; they study the structure and the use of microscopes and telescopes and the wave theory of light. Newton's and Huygen' s classical texts are given to them as background for these studies. They also construct star charts, which tie in with the work on astronomy in the mathematics tutorial. The third year laboratory exercises form throughout a direct extension of the mathematics tutorial, since they deal mainly with Newtonian mechanics. They also lead the students to the law of the conservation of energy. In the fourth year the main emphasis is on electromagnetism. The students study electrostatics, the laws of direct current and alternating current circuits. The phenomena of electrolysis are dealt with. The methods of calculus up to differential equations, learned in the mathematics tutorial, come into direct play in the laboratory work of the seniors. Biology In the first year the students study the anatomy and physiology of vertebrates. Their work is partly based on Harvey's Disquisition on the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals. A variety of animal types are presented them for observation. They have the opportunity to compare the external and internal structures and are introduced to the problems of classification. In all this the Aristotelian and Galenic interpretation of living phenomena is taken into consideration, although modern methods of investigation are used in the actual laboratory work. Special emphasis is given to the technique of dissection. In the third year the problems of classification are taken up again. The students are then introduced to the fields of histology, embryology, and genetics. The theory of evolution is taken into consideration throughout. The reading of Darwin and Bernard in the fourth-year seminar draws heavily on the work done in the laboratory. �Chemistry The study of chemistry is confined to the sophomore year. The students are first confronted with the gas laws and are then made to see and to understand the phenomena and the arguments that lead to the development of the atomic theory. Lavoisier's conception of the role of oxygen in chemical reactions, the laws of Proust and Dalton on the weight-combining proportions of elements and compounds, and GayLussac' s law of the volume-combining proportions of gases, are referred to in the original texts; and the laboratory work duplicates many of the original experiments used to verify these laws. Here the student is introduced to the technique of gravimetric and volumetric analysis; he learns how a theory may stand or fall with precision or lack of precision in the performance of weighing and titration. The principle of Avogadro is then introduced, and its role in the determination of a consistent set of atomic weights is carefully analyzed. Finally, the periodic chart of the elements is presented as the culmination of the process of atomic weight determination. The senior course in physical chemistry centers around the kineticmolecular theory of gases. Various concepts and consequences of this theory, such as the laws of specific heat and the velocity of sound in gases, are studied experimentally; here again the students make use of differential equations in the description of natural processes. Emphasis is placed on the concept of energy, in the variety of its aspects in the domains of electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and mechanics, and on its underlying identity. THE FORMAL LECTURE Most of the teaching going on at St. John's takes the form of a discussion: the dialectical methods of the seminar are carried over into the tutorials, although the tutorial work itself consists basically of exercises in recitation of paradigms, translation and interpretation of texts, demonstration of theorems, and solution of problems. As much as possible, the actual instruction in all classes and laboratories is made dependent on the activity and initiative of the students. The tutor functions, except for occasional lectures required in a given situation, as a guide, more intent to listen to the students than to impose upon them his own train of thought. On Friday nights, however, the pattern of instruction is a different one. The Formal Lecture is the occasion upon which the students are required to listen steadily and attentively. These lectures are given either by a member of the faculty or by a guest speaker; the latter might be a a scholar or a poet or a man of public affairs whose work, although not directly connected with the activities at St. John's, ties in with them. The Formal Lecture may last an hour and a half. It is followed by an extensive discussion period that very often takes the form of a seminar. Here the content of the lecture is subject to a prolonged and intensive scrutiny on the part of the students. The faculty has a share in the discussion. Thus, the Formal Lecture serves two purposes: it inculates in the students the habit of listening and following the condensed exposition of a subject possibly unfamiliar to them and it also provides them an opportunity, in the discussion period, to exercise their dialectical skills in a setting very different from that of their class work. It is here that they can themselves test the degree of their understanding and the applicability of their training. The lectures, given over a period of four years, range through a large variety of subjects. Some of the lectures have immediate repercussions in the seminars and tutorials. Others may have a lasting effect on the direction that a student's work takes within the frame of the program. The student is confronted with opposing views on a given subject, since many Lectures, of necessity, bear on the same theme. About four times a year the Friday night lectures are replaced by concerts, and twice a year the Formal Lectures bear on a musical subject. These concerts and lectures are part of the musical program at St. John's which will be described in the next bulletin. COLLEGE CALENDAR, Annual Examinations Registration Convocation First Term begins 9 A.M. Thanksgiving Recess First Term ends 5 P.M. Second Term begins 9 A.M. Second Term ends 5 P.M. Third Term begins 9 A.M. Third Term ends 5 P.M. Baccalaureate Sermon Commencement 1950~51 September 18- 2 3 September 21- 2 3 . September 24 September 25 November 23-26 December 15 January 2 March 16 . . April 2 June 8 June 10 June 11 �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em> Description An account of the resource The <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em>. Published from 1949 to 1950. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College holds the rights to this publication. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BulletinFriends Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 8 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bulletin-August 1950-The Curricular Activities at the College-The laboratory and Formal Lectures-Vol. II No. 4 Title A name given to the resource Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, August 1950 Description An account of the resource Volume II, Number 4 of the Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, the Laboratory. Published in August 1950. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950-08 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/1770e3c0d96f7e9a83edf481cf89faaf.pdf c2f72d21137a640bb28dd1a1592ef580 PDF Text Text BULLETIN OF The Friends of St. John's College ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND December} 1949 �THE FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE THE SEMINAR Sponsors HERVEY ALLEN, Chairman WALTER s. BAIRD c. EDWARD BERGER CHARLES s. DEWEY REV. DR. RICHARD F. CLEVELAND MRS. ARCHIBALD EDWARDS JOHN ERSKINE CLIFTON F ADIMAN Gov. WILLIAM P. LANE WILLIAM LENTZ FRANCIS PICKENS MILLER DR. THOMAS p ARRAN MORRIS L. RADOFF MRS. H. M. ROBERT, JR. l\lfRs. H. R. SLACK, JR. MARK VAN DOREN REV. DR. H. p. v AN DEUSEN Executive Secretary EDWARD F. LATHROP, St. John's College, Annapolis, Md. In this and the following issues of the Bulletin we shall endeavor to present the picture of the curricular activities of the College that take place in our seminars, language tutorials, mathematics tutorials, laboratories, and formal lectures. These activities, taken together, represent a single, unified course of study in the liberal arts, organized around the literary and scientific tradition of Western Civilization as contained in a representative list of great or important books. The Bulletin will aim to present not only the ideal toward which the College aspires in this program, but also certain problems and difficulties which arise in the actual operation of the program. Volume II DECEMBER, 1949 Published Quarterly Number 1 The seminar on the Great Books is the heart of the St. John's program, and we shall discuss it from the standpoint of its organization, its functioning, and its purpose. ITS ORGANIZATION A seminar consists of from fifteen to twenty-five students, with two or three faculty members as leaders, all sitting around a large table. It meets twice a week, on Monday and Thursday evenings, from eight to ten. The session can continue well beyond ten, if the topic under discussion has aroused a sustained and lively argument. The books are read in a sequence which is roughly chronological: the Greek books in the first year; the Roman, ·Mediaeval and Renaissance books in the second year; the seventeenth and eighteenth century books in the third year; and the nineteenth and twentieth century books in the fourth year. However, the fourth year also includes a small number of first-year books; the repetition having the effect of completing a circle, and confronting the student with his starting point. The preparation for each seminar meeting amounts, on the average, to one hundred pages of reading. The reading assignment may be very short if the text is a very difficult one. It may be lengthy if the text lends itself to an easy perusal. HOW IT FUNCTIONS The functioning of the seminar differs essentially from either polite conversation or the method of formal lecture or recitation. A number of persons, for the most part young, of varied backgrounds, and faced with a text which may present ideas largely foreign to their experience, attempt to talk rationally with one another. Such communication presupposes a certain community of feeling, despite differences in vocabulary; more immediately, the seminar presupposes the willingness on the part of its members to submit their opinions to a critical scrutiny. The demands of the individual and those of the group are in continual interplay; and, within the limits thus set, the discussion moves with the utmost possible freedom. The only rules are: (1) politeness towards each other so that everybody's opinion can be heard and explored, however sharp the clash of opinions may be; (2) the supporting of every opinion by argument-an unsupported opinion doesn't count. WHAT IT DISCUSSES The discussion begins with a question asked by one of the leaders. Once underway, it may take any one of many forms. It may concern itself primarily with what the author says, with trying to establish the course or structure of his argument; or it may concern itself with the �interpretation of a difficult passage in the text, the definition of a term; or with prior or more general questions that insist on being considered first; or with a comparison with similar or opposed views discussed in earlier sessions of the seminar. It may range from the most particular to the most general. It may stay entirely with the book or leave it altogether. In a freshman seminar the students tend to express their opinions with little regard for their relevance or relation to the opinion of others. Only gradually, under pressure of the group, does the student learn to proceed analytically, sticking to the topic and trying to uncover the meanings of the terms which he uses. Such progress in method may be crowned by sudden, if rare, insights and illuminations on the part of individuals, or-an even rarer occurrence-by teamwork in which the seminar, as a whole, explores the interconnection of ideas. "FOLLOWING THE ARGUMENT" The course of the discussion can not be fixed in advance; it is determined rather by the necessity of "following the argument," of facing the crucial issues, or of seeking foundations upon which a train of reasoning can be pursued. The argument does not necessarily lead to the solution of a problem. More often than not, the problem remains unsettled with certain alternatives clearly outlined. The progress of the seminar is not particularly smooth; the discussion sometimes tends to branch off and to entangle itself with irrelevant difficulties. Only gradually can the logical rigor of an argument emerge within the sequence of analogies and other imaginative devices by which the discussion is kept alive. A seminar may also degenerate into rather empty talk or into dull and shallow meandering, without being able for a long time to extricate itself from such a course. Or it may climb to heights accessible only to a few of its members. ROLE OF THE LEADER Under these circumstances the role of the leaders is not to give information, not to correct errors, not to produce the right opinion or interpretation. It is to guide the discussion, to keep it moving, to raise objections, to help the students in every way possible to understand the author, themselves, and each other. The most useful instrument for this purpose is the asking of questions; perhaps the most useful device of all is the one question: "Why?" But a leader may also take a definite and positive stand and enter directly into an argument. If he does so, however, he can expect no special consideration. Reason is the only recognized authority; all opinions must be rationally defended and any single opinion can prevail only by general consent. The aim is always to develop the student's powers of reason and understanding and to help him to arrive at intelligent opinions of his own. BACKGROUND: THE CONTEMPORARY SCENE It is apparent that a free discussion of this kind can not be carried on in a so-called academic or scholarly vein. The students approach the problems raised by the books with assumptions taken from their own experience and determined by the contemporary scene familiar to them. Wars, national politics, movie stars, and big league baseball may all crop up in a seminar. In continuing the discussion of a particular problem through the four years, the students gradually acquire a sense of historical perspective which allows them both to recognize the sameness of a problem and the historical variety of its aspects. The so-called historical background of a book-the knowledge of which is ultimately founded on the reading and interpretation of the testimony contained in the Great Books themselves-is never given to the students as a basis for the discussi~n. It is, of course, inevitable that some information on difficult points related to some specific historical situation is obtained by the students through collateral reading or from the seminar leaders who might have some special knowledge of the subject. In the main, the problems are not discussed with a view to ascertaining how things were, but how things are; of ascertaining the position which the student might decide to take on rational grounds in the conduct of his own lif~. That does entail, occasionally, a complete disregard of historically pertinent facts. THE AIMS The free discussion which we have outlined, continuing over a period of four years and dealing with persistently recurring questions, problems, and ideas, in the varied and changing context of the Great Books, is the core of the St. John's program. The aims, which it sets itself, have perhaps become clear in our description of the way in which it functions, but an attempt will be made to summarize them here. The members of the seminar learn to examine their opinions rationally, to put them to the test of argument, and to defend them in free discus.sion. They likewise acquire a familiarity with the great problems and ideas of Western thought. They gain a better understanding of the terms in which these problems and ideas are expressed, of their ambiguity, and of their deeper meaning. And this in itself is one of the great goals of a liberal education. It is the ultimate aim of the seminar that the process of thought and discussi~n, thus commenced by the student at St. John's, should continue with him throughout life. �COLLEGE NEWS On September 17, 1949, the Board of Visitors and Governors elected Richard D. Weigle as the eighteenth president of St. John's College. Mr. Weigle has been a teacher and executive secretary of Yale-in-China, an instructor at Carleton College, and an army officer in India and China. He comes to St. John's from four years in the Department of State. LECTURES AND CONCERTS OCTOBER 14 NOVEMBER 2 NOVEMBER 18 DECEMBER 9 JANUARY JANUARY 9 27 FEBRUARY 3 FEBRUARY 17 MARCH 3 11 20 NOVEMBER JANUARY MARCH 10 Mark Van Doren: Goethe Edgar Wind, Professor of Philosophy and the History of Art at Smith College: Raphael's School of Athens Leo Strauss, Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Chicago: Natural Right and History Edward Stevens, Professor of Classics at Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania: On Pity Robert Lowell: Reading of Poems Howard P. Vincent, Chairman of Language, Literature and Philosophy Department at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago; On Moby Dick ]. Alister Cameron, Professor of Classics at the University of Cincinnati: On Oedipus Richard Courant, Professor of Mathematics at New York University: Principles of Maxima and Minima zn Mathematics and Physics Dino Bigongiari, Professor of Romance Languages at Columbia University: Dante and Natural Law The Juilliard String Quartet Doda Conrad, Bass Simon Goldberg, Violin Recital One of the entering freshmen this fall is a DP student of Lithuanian descent, sponsored by the student body on its own initiative, and brought to the United States through the office of the World Student Service Fund. The Board of Visitors and Governors voted him a tuition scholarship, while the students 'are providing for all other expenses. Only $1,000.00 is still to be raised for the four years. Anyone desiring to share in this project may address The Student DP Committee, St. John's College. The following two graduates of St. John's have received Fulbright scholarships: Irwin Robert Tucker, '44 (for France) John N. L. Opie, '47 (for Italy) William Warfield Ross, '47, has been awarded a scholarship sponsored jointly by the Yale Law School Association and the Yale Law School itself. �---~ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em> Description An account of the resource The <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em>. Published from 1949 to 1950. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College holds the rights to this publication. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BulletinFriends Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 8 pages Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context December 1949 Curricular Activities Seminar Vol. 11 No. 1 Title A name given to the resource Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, December 1949 Description An account of the resource Volume II, Number 1 of the Bulletin of The Friends of St. John's College, The Seminar. Published in December 1949. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1949-12 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/9112ae44fff1ac9e846477328d4bbb98.pdf 683869d21214c59cae11cfc798273921 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em> Description An account of the resource The <em>Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College</em>. Published from 1949 to 1950. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, Md. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College holds the rights to this publication. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BulletinFriends Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource St. John's College Greenfield Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data paper Page numeration Number of pages in the original item. 8 pages Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 1949 Title A name given to the resource Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College, July 1949 Description An account of the resource Volume I, No. 3 of the Bulletin of the Friends of St. John's College. Published in July 1949. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource St. John's College Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available St. John's College Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Annapolis, MD Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1949-07 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. John's College owns the rights to this publication. Type The nature or genre of the resource text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English