Friday, May 8, I964

SCARLET AND BLACK

 

Jones Emphasizes Need for 'Play'.
Sequeira: Praciicaliiy of lib. Arts

By Susan Taylor

“This college might well in
this age when knowledge is
power and learning is work,
seek to retain something at the

liberating effect of play," Alan
Jones thst.) told a student and,
flicuity audience last Friday
ntorning in his chapel lecture
piesentation,

Jones and Leforne Sequeira,
Director of Placement and Stu-
dent Aid, were presented by
the Board of Religion as a part:
of a series of speakers on the
topic “The Ends and Means of
a Liberal Arts Education." Se-
qt eira took a different approach
to the subject in his address,
ailserting that “a liberal arts
education is perhaps the most
p-actical of all experience”

Jones, defining “play” as
“noneserious activity, volun-
tary free activity,‘ traced the
origins of the university back
to the Middle Ages Tradition-
ally on a university campus, he
said, one found the mood “of
Excitement and enjoyment”
with few material worries, the
“gift of an interlude" to the
young man, a ”community
where one can be free.”

Asserting that Grinnell had
its origins in this tradition, as
well as in the American Prat;
'estant tradition which poses a
challenge to it by stressing
moral action, Jones considered
the American Liberal Arts Col
lege in the twentieth century:
“The twentieth century with all
its terrible seriousness poses a
serious challenge to liberal arts
education defined as intellec»
tual play. Few colleges have
been able to resist this chal-
lenge. Grinnell has not.”

in a “world of power and
profit and professionalism," he
said, work, not play seems the
dominant note on the liberal
arts college campus. College
experience is seen as having, of
necessity, a link to the out-
side world. Students strive for
academic excellence—with an
emphasis on action and seri—
ousness of their “work”—-rath-
er than for intellectual excel-
lence and learning, in an enjoy-

Dream up
a

Hall Picnic

with

Ice Cream

from

 

able and carefree context. for
its own sake

“Much of this is inevitable
and much is good,” Jones said.
But “The emphasis on work
must, be combatted with re~
lief'réd emphasis on play."

"‘1 would plead for more hu-
mor and less seriousness" on
our college campus,“ he con»
cluded, "not because the world
is not serious, but because it
is.”

Sequeira, relating the liberal
arts education to post-graduate
activities, whether in business
or graduate school, said that
because of the vagueness of
its tradition, the benefits of a
liberal arts education are long
in coming He called this edu-
cation “something that’s much
bigger than the sum of the
parts.”

He said that in living in a
changing world, the education—
al experience which produces
a packaged skill is not as val-
uable as the liberal arts exper»
ience.

Referring to its practicality,
Sequeira said “The liberal tins
education is simply living and
learning. It becomes an explor—
ation of the world of ideas. You
get excited about wanting to
learn. The product or the end
turns out to he that kind of
man who can simply use his
head.” .

Speaking of the pressure
which always leads the student
toward the idea of success, he
questioned, “Is a Grinnell stu-
dent getting what’s necessary
to develop the capacity to fail,
and the resilience to bounce
back?”

“People who are uninformed
about their own potential as
people have missed something
of the liberal arts education,”
he said “Businesses are hir-
ing whole people with an ability
to grow and expand.”

The play necessary in this
education is that which enables
the student to relate learning to
the social context, to make
judgments and decisions, to
run the risk of making mis-
takes, he said.

“The ends and the means

’are exactly the same,” Seque-

Oificinls Announce
Housing Regulation
For Commencement

Those making housing plans
for commencement would like
to call special student attention
to the following statement from
the college catalogs:

“The college remains in ses
sion throughout the period of
Commencement and Alumni
programs During this time, col-
lege social regulations remain
in effect. All underclassmen,
except those with special per—
mission, are required to vacate
college and town residence
rooms and to leave the town of
Grinnell by the morning follow-
ing their last examination."

To permit the Housekeeping
Depaitment to prepare rooms
for guests by Thursday, June
4, students classified in the
statement above must vacate
their rooms and leave Grinnell
before noon, on the day follow-
ing their last examination.

Mary G. Jones, Alumni Sem
retary, asks all underciassmen
who are not staying throughout
Commencement day on some
special assignment to cooper-
ate promptly with this ruling
"With the size of the present
senior class. we are expecting
more parents and guests than
in other years," said Miss
Jones. “it is my hope that we
can find rooms for them as
well as for the many alumni
who return for reunions. But
unless the departing under-
classmen vacate their rooms as
quickly as possible, we shall be
hard»pressed to make our guests
comfortable.“

The last meal in the dining
room for underclassmen stu-
dents will be breakfast, Tues-
day, June 2. Badges will be
needed for entrance into the
dining room for lunch Tuesday
and throughout the remainder
of Commencement week These
badges may be picked up in the
Alumni Office on June 1 and Z

Seniors are reminded that
they may make housing reser-
vations for their guests begin-
ning on Monday, May 18, in
the Alumni Office.

ira concluded. “They constitute
living and they constitute

 

growing”

 

Yes, it's getting hot!
so . . .

Cool off

with ice

cold beverages

from

VARSITY

also . . a pipes, tobacco,
books, magazines, and
records

 

Page Nina

Fellow Students!

The lime has come
for all intellectuals to
slay up all night"!

I.Term Papers

2. Finals (coming)

Eat Out Late

at

no White Spot

The Early Bird
Gets the Worm

or
so they say

But . . .
Spring is not just
for the Birds
You loo can cash in. if

you bring your money
to

Grinnell Federal
Savings and Loan Associati n

"where you nave does make a difference”

 

