al rP
S iri~iouatn
Ua4iit
VOL. LXXV, No. 1 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1964 SECTION 4
I
I,
AWAY FROM ANONYMITY
N
Extra- urricula r-
Lie
{.
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-for 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.
THIS 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 sharedt
pride.
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
vital role in filling the needs of
all students: providing services, set:-
ting up communications links be-
tween living units, organizing cam-
pus activities, worki'g 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 ate
frustrating. Ample recognition is
uncommon.
WHAT, 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
frustrationsand routine realize they
are contributing both to the Uni-
versity community and strengthen-
ing their particular orgt aization.
They see their continued partict-
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
committed to a particular campus
organization adds a new dimension
to his "education." He learns to
give as well as to take, thereby
expanding, the peripheries of lec-
ture halls and textbooks into the
horizons of personal responsibility
and individual self-fulfillment.
s
i
m