The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-08-13
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsid'r'ts


Two hundred years ago, and just % years be-
fore the signing of Declaration of Independence,
New York This was Kings College later to be
known as Columbia University. The first name on
its register of pupils that of De Witt Clinton,
the Webster-like gentleman who looks at you sterny,
and unheeded, every time you break open pack
of cigarettes and tas by law requred) tear the blue
revenue stamp
And thus Columbia is celebrating its bieenten-
nia in this year of grace 1854 To show all the world
that it is still Columbia the Gem of the Notion, 1t
has ately-among many academic and antic activl-
ties.-conducted canvass of schools and colleges
TO find six Worthless upon whom scrolls of honor
and distinction might be conferred First Of the
six is a first grade teacher from the State of Wash
ington Her citation declares her the perfect primary
teacher VINO hrst unlocks Tor our Eouhgest cilHehs
the treasure chests OF DOCKS ana pictures ana
IDEAS
THIS FIRST Worthy IS IN tact, Just an oidfsSh-
loned country scnooi teacher VINO IN early oays Ia
bored by hand as wen AS py mead ana heaft 70 make
her schooHoom DflRhl ana sttIaeuVe. FeIhaPs Lhe
ltra-progfeSSVe Ooluhpa Iouhu reasoh Vt ,he "'ioS
IN the report that tns teacher REGARDS sdJustmeht
as important as SUBJECT matter ana thinks mat
"a child should not be forced TO study unhi ne ls
ready Inc latter sentiment SOUNDS progressive
enough, that Is, vague, and na2y ana elusive IN
meaning. For now can you Ioree cnlla ,1a TO slloy
he is ready, If he is ever ready?
Worthy Number Two teaches third and tourtn
grades. She believes IN learning by dong her pu-
pills begin the day by exchanging ideas ana tell
ing each other stories This sort OF pasme secures
academic status by being labeled report pefioo'
After the talkfest the pupils 20 INTO aellon ana
sweep through "a bewllderlng array oi prolecls
to teach them Science '-Asuch as WIRING the class
room bell building weather station. MeanWnhe
thew have "a good deal of fun. They learn history
by reading and trips around the community They
learn the power Of words by utterlne spontaneous
poems Thus does education advance IN lne thru
and fourth grades up IN Manhasset ny scroll
for teacher or maybe plaque!
**t
Third Worthy is music teacher in Atlanta
high school Latinlst of note, who wrote masters
thesis on the letters Of Pny the Younger. She be-
lieves that teacher must study as well as teach
Nothing Columbiesuue or progressive in this unless
be that Pliny the Younger is good equipment for
music teacher. Worthy Number four teaches
citizenship and problems of democracy" out IN
oktahorna uhere the uind eameS Whigtlinq DER the
the plain She has ''the very model of what the
society.centered classroom should be" Her classes
scorn history as a mere narrative Of events; they
20 in for conservation, land reclamation, and they
are perfect little whzes al campaigning for a new
public library (in which interested citizens can
read history as a narrative of events).
The Fifth Worthy is middle aged man, de-
scribed as debonair. and university professor. He
believes that traditional subjects are less import
AMI than service TO society" Now, how can man
apv ther than sIave-Service 10 society unless
he possesses the intellectual tools supplied only by
the traditional subjects? This is like saying that
knowledge of the sks of carpentry is less i'm
portant than working TO build the house we'll. Yet
the dehonair professor gets the call from Columbia.
He sounds just progressive enough to be silly.
***
Last of the Worthless fs professor Of philosophy
al Yale "courtly scholar" and eloquent de-
fender Of liberal education at its best" Here is
piece OF his courtly scholarship and eloquent de-
fence Of liberal education "The objective reality of
and its impact on human life, of God and His rela
ton 10 man is the major premise Of the human
disciplines Deny this premise and you make
thoughtful reflective study of the arts and liter
atures of morality and religion meaningless and inn
possible" This Is good stuff surely. although the
phrase. God and His relation to man" is unfortun
ate il should be God and mans relation TO Him"