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VOL. LXXV, No. 1 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1964 SECTION 4

AWAY FROM ANONYMITY

Extra-Curricular

Lift

By MARY LOU BUTCHER

THE UNIVERSITY'S enrollment
is nearing 30,000. At times,
the thought of being "one in 30,-
000" can be overwhelming. The
imagination lends credence to fears
of anonymity and isolation; visions
of crowded lecture halls and haras-
sed, can't-be-bothered professors
loom large.
What's worse, often the fears
and visions come true.
Yet there is an "out" for the
student who finds himself compet-
ing with 30,000 others - unknown
competitors at that-foi- recogni-
tion and a sense of purpose. When
he begins to differentiate between
isolation and individuality, he is
better able to guide the course of
his education.
Academically, this conscious
planning manifests itself in the de-
gree of initiative the student dis-
plays-in the classroom, in outside
readings, in frequent consultations
with instructors.
But no less important to his in-
dividual development is the direc-
tion he pursues outside the purely

academic confines of the Univer-
sity. The opportunities afforded by
the University community are
scarcely restricted to the lecture-
study-research pattern. They en-
compass moments of sharing and of
giving on the part of the student
-whether they be in the excite-,
ment of University tradition or in
the turmoil of daily tasks.
HIS SENSE of community
among the diverse segments of'
the campus-so often lacking in the
classroom-is keenly felt by the
student who chooses to participate
in the melee of Homecoming or
Michigras, who works backstage for
Soph Show or attends the per-
formance of Musket, who joins the
crowds at football or basketball
games. For in taking part in Uni-
versity traditions, he helps to pre-
serve them and to promote a defi-
nite campus unity and a shared.
pride.

vital role in filling the. needs of
all students: providing services, set-
ting up communications links be-
tween living units, organizing cam-
pus activities, working with the
administration.
Often, the character of these or-"
ganizations and the services they
provide demand a time and energy
commitment which equals or, ex-
ceeds that of the academic; in this
sense, they are scarcely "extra-cur-
ricular activities." The day-to-day
responsibilities are often dull and
unrewarding; frequently, they are
frustrating. Ample recognition is'
uncommon.
W HAT, THEN, draws a stu-
dent into these organizations
and warrants his deep involvement?
Initially, the attraction may stem
from' a desire to "belong," or a
search for an outlet for academic
pressure. Those whose interest re-
mains -superficial, usually abandon
their efforts after a brief period
or merely linger on halfheartedly.
Those who can see beyond the
frustrations and routine realize they
are contributing both to the Uni-
versity community and strengthen-

ing their particular orgt aization.
They see their continued partici-
pation is as crucial to their educa-
tion and individual growth as is
their class schedule.
Whether novice or leader, they
are called upon to give - their
time, imagination, enthusiasm-to
the campus; through this giving,
they may discover a new capacity
in themselves to work with and for
others. And they come to accept
responsibility as essential to their
roles as students.
THE "EDUCATION" each stu-
dent carries away from the Uni-
versity will necessarily differ-ac-
cording to academic interests, class
curricula, faculty contacts. None-
theless, virtually the same intellec-
tual opportunities are available to
everyone for the asking.
But the student who becomes
commoitted to a particular campus
organization adds a new dimension
to his "education." He learns to
give as well as td take; thereby
expanding the peripheries of lec-
ture halls and textbooks into the
horizons of personal responsibility
and individual self-fulfillment.

Far subtler is the pride and sense;
of community of the student who
chooses to devote himself to the
furtherance of campus organiza-
tions. These organizations play a

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