Pasadena Chronicle, October 25, 1934

KNOW YOUR COLLEGE VOTE BONDS FRIDAY Vol. XXVI Pasadena, California, October 25, 1934 No. 7 Objectives, Ideals Stated Pasadena junior college is striving, through every agency at its command, to help its students reach the following goals: 1. Attain physical and mental health. 2. Develop a capacity for self-initiated, self-directed study, inde¬ pendent of textbook and teacher. 3. Develop a constructively critical attitude, resulting in the dis¬ covery of problems, accompanied by an adequate training in prob¬ lem-solving. 4. Attain knowledge regarding their interests, capacities, and ap¬ titudes. 5. Develop an ability to make wise use of leisure time through constructive activities. 6. Develop a capacity to feel at home in the world. 7. Attain a knowledge of the worthy objectives of life. 8. Develop a universally social point of view. 9. Develop a spirit of good will, which constitutes the great dy¬ namic of the moral life. Junior College Fills Needed Place In Life, Activity of Community Reasons Advanced For Foundation Of Institution Ably Proved By Ten Years’ Experience As Local, National Reputation Grows By Dr. John W. Harbeson Principal, Pasadena Junior College By causing money to be spent in Pasadena which might have gone to other communities, by bringing higher educa¬ tion within the reach of every person, and by bringing to the community the services of students for an additional two years, are some of the benefits derived from Pasadena junior Student Housing Problem 5,000 Attend Classes In Buildings Not Suited To Classwork By W. L. Blair President, Board of Education Last November the Board of Education submitted two bond is¬ sues designed to make the school buildings of the Pasadena district safe for all the children. The el- ementary district issue was car- ried, and the work of strengthen¬ ing the elementary schools is go¬ ing forward under rigid inspection by qualified men responsible to the Board and to the State architect. The plans, and every modification of the plans, must be approved first by the Board of Education, second by the State Architect’s of¬ fice, and third by the Los Angeles oifice of the Public Works Admini¬ stration. This makes the work slow, but it guarantees the safety and high quality of that work. The high school district bond is¬ sue for $860,000 submitted last No¬ vember lacked a few votes of re¬ ceiving the necessary two-third’s majority. Following the defeat of the bond issue, two events occurred which made the situation much more serious. First, the Attorney General of California rendered an opinion that the lack of funds to construct safe buildings does not relieve the district from le¬ gal liability incurred thru the use of unsafe buildings. Sec¬ ond, the Building Department of the City of Pasadena issued an order that buildings found un¬ safe by the State Architect’s of¬ fice must be vacated at the end of the school year last June. This order covered the three large buildings at the Pasadena junior college and the main building at Washington junior high school. Hence, it is no longer a question of whether you are willing to send your children or your neighbor’s children to school in buildings which will not resist heavy earth¬ quake shock. It is now a question of whether these children and young people shall have buildings of any kind in which to attend school. Inasmuch as the buildings had been condemned and could not, in any circumstances, be used again, the Board of Education was able to save several thous¬ and dollars by taking advantage of the opportunity to use SERA ( Continued on Page Three) Weaknesses Remedied In Orientation New Students Taught To Understand Self And Personality “Know thyself” is the slogan of the Orientation classes of the jun¬ ior college. When they reach the junior college age, hoys and girls must begin to face their problems squarely to seek solutions; they must discover their weaknesses and also the best means of overcoming them. On the other hand, they must also learn their strength and their ability, find the best ways of using that ability and of achieving those goals which they are now beginning to set definitely before them. By means of tests of intelligence, aptitude, personality, reading abil¬ ity and vocabulary, the student is given a rather complete picture of himself. Every .effort is made to help him to build up his vocabu¬ lary, increase his efficiency in read¬ ing, to develop his personality, and to learn to use his ability to the greatest advantage possible. The student who puts into the course careful thought and earnest effort will fihd at the end of the semester that he not only knows his school, but that he has become better ac¬ quainted with himself, that he has more definite aims and ambitions, and is able to think more clearly of his future plans in the light of his present achievement. The text, “College and Life,” by Miss Margaret E. Bennett, super¬ visor of guidance in the Pasadena city schools, makes interesting reading for parents, and the topics of the various chapters are excel¬ lent ones for home discussion. Aims Are Justified By Costs Community, Students Able To Profit By Junior College Here By John A. Anderson Dean of Records Pasadena junior college has jus¬ tified one of its major claims, that of economy, by being one of the lowest per-capita-cost junior col¬ leges in the state, as well as pro¬ viding an education for the stu¬ dents at a cost much lower than other institutions offering the same level of work. Pasadena junior college has the distinction of being the lowest in per capita cost of any district jun¬ ior college in the state, as shown by reports compiled by the state Board of Education. The cost at Pasadena for 1932-33 was $144.96, with Los Angeles ranking second, San Mateo third and ranging on up to Yuba County junior college with a total of $276.72. Five of the 17 district junior college showed a cost per student in excess of $200. Pasadena’s cost figure for 1933- 34 was $156.54, which is apparent¬ ly an increase over the previous year of 7.3%. This increase is on¬ ly apparent since it is due to a change in the method of calculat¬ ing the average daily attendance for all junior colleges adopted by the State Department of Educa¬ tion last year. Actually Pasadena junior college spent less money last year than it did the year be¬ fore. The above figures deal entirely with the direct cost to the tax¬ payer. There are other aspects of the costs situation, particularly from the standpoint of the patron who has young people to educate. Costs Student Less A survey made in the spring of 1932 shows that the average cost per year to students in residence at the twelve California four-year colleges and universities is $897.76 and the cost to the student who boards at home and goes to the four-year ' colleges averages $631.37, counting the cost of his board at home. About half of the graduates of Pasadena junior col¬ lege board at home while attending other colleges. The cost to each student who attends Pasadena jun¬ ior college was found to average $335 per year, including the esti¬ mated cost of his board and room at home. Patrons thus save $560 for each resident student and $296 for each board-at-home student by reason of their attending Pasadena junior college. Since the number of these students is about .equal, the average saving per student at Pasadena junior college is $428 a year. On the basis of 2000 in the up¬ per division, Pasadena junior col¬ lege thus saves patrons more than $800,000 a year. Not all of these students would go on to other col¬ leges, but the fact remains that this same amount of education bought elsewhere would take $800, 000 yearly out of the communities patronizing Pasadena junior col¬ lege. These figures indicate that the average family with college students to educate saves some $400 a year per student by send¬ ing its young people to the upper division of Pasadena junior col¬ lege. Development of Curricula Is Explained New Study Groups Afford Maximum Growth Of Pupil Talent By George H. Merideth Deputy Superintendent The development of the curricu¬ lum at Pasadena junior college has been planned so that it might be broad enough in scope to take care of the individual needs and inter¬ ests of the many students who en¬ roll each year. The courses of study should give the general cul¬ tural education that everyone needs as an individual and as a citizen, and through this cultural background should orient the stu¬ dent to the world in which he lives. To achieve this end he should un¬ derstand the physical world, the social world, be prepared to appre¬ ciate the best in literature, art and music, and to establish a home suc¬ cessfully. To work out the best pos¬ sible adjustments both in school and in life beyond school, the stu¬ dent should also understand him¬ self. To meet these major life pur¬ poses, orientation or group guid¬ ance is offered in the entering year, and four survey courses are being developed in the fields of physical science, social science (vital problems of American life), humanities (English, mu¬ sic, art, and the languages), and home making. Beyond these are many electives to meet the in¬ dividual needs, courses Which lead to further college or univer¬ sity training, and a terminal group which prepare for various fields of vocational endeavor, such as business education, rec¬ reational training, technology, and many others. The administration of the junior college, in its hope to be of service to the students, has pursued poli¬ cies which have tended to a con¬ tinuous study and revision of the curriculum, employing the best au¬ thoritative information in Amer¬ ica. Due to the fact that the teach¬ ers themselves give many hours to the revision of their courses, much less expense is involved in commit¬ tee work. We are thus combining the scientific information with the practical experiences of those who are meeting the students and help¬ ing them with their problems. Depression Is Reason F or Education Aid Future Citizen Training Cannot Be Curtailed For Progress By Dr. John W. Harbeson Principal, Junior College One’s first reaction in a depres¬ sion might normally be the elimi¬ nation of all possible public ex¬ pense, which would include severe questioning as to the advisability of maintaining public education at such a time. One cannot, however, escape the conclusion that of all periods in the world’s history, the present situation makes the junior college most indispensable as a necessary support of a stable and democratic society. The economic developments which have grown out of the depression and which for years to come will probably prevail throughout the country, require the development of a generation of citizens with a background of general liberal edu¬ cation and a sufficient knowledge of social life and its environment to enable them to cope intelligently with the problems which they must face in a period of reconstruction. Of all periods in the world’s his¬ tory when we can least afford to curtail the educational opportuni¬ ties of our young people, the last should be a period of depression when well trained leadership and followership are essential condi¬ tions for the ushering in of a bet¬ ter day. Among the factors in the pres¬ ent economic situation which make junior college education necessary for the young people are the fol¬ lowing: 1. A general tendency toward a shorter day in industry. 2. In many industries fewer working days in the week. The five-day week bids fair to become a typical situation in industry. 3. Millions of people are at pres¬ ent out of work and probably will not be able to secure employment for months and even years to come. 4. The crowded conditions of the labor market which result in the application of scores of individuals for every possible vacancy. It is appalling to contemplate what would happen in Pasadena if the four thousand students at Pasa¬ dena junior college were thrust on (Continued on Page Two) Tuition Fees For Pasadena District Actually Makes Profit By Accepting Non-Districters By John A. Anderson Dean of Records Instead of losing money, Pasa¬ dena actually makes money by edu¬ cating the youth from high school and junior college districts outside the Pasadena district! The nine hundred students enrolled in Pasa¬ dena junior college from outside the district do not make an extra burden upon the local tax-payer, but ease his tax bill by paying a “rental” fee to the local business office. State, county and city funds are paid to the local junior college on the basis of the average daily at¬ tendance of the pupil, each district sharing the costs of the students from its district. Insofar as the fee paid to another district is set by law, the district actually teach¬ ing the student can make a mone¬ tary gain if the costs are below the fee paid. This is the case in Pasadena ! Practically all students in the eleventh and twelfth grades live within the boundaries of the Pasa¬ dena City School district, which RAIN CAUSES LOSS On the first day of last week’s storm the pupil-class absences mounted to 2273, while the maxi¬ mum last year for any day was 1730. This 30% increase in ab¬ sences meant that parents would not permit their children to at¬ tend school under circumstances where the health of the child was jeopardized. This 30% in¬ crease in absences mean that the moneys derived from state funds on the basis of average daily attendance were decreased ma¬ terially. Every day that incle¬ ment weather decreases the at¬ tendance because of present im¬ proper housings, the junior col¬ lege district must make up the difference by increased taxes! — Editor. includes Pasadena, Altadena, Si¬ erra Madre, Flintridge and South Santa Anita. Students in the thir¬ teenth and fourteenth years come from a larger area. In the fall of 1933, 36.4% of the upper division enrollment came from outside the Pasadena district as follows: 362 from Alhambra, 223 from South Pasadena and San Marino, 130 from Monrovia, and 148 from fourteen other high school districts in Los Angeles county; 10 from San Diego county, 9 from Tulare, 6 from Ventura, 5 from San Ber¬ nardino, and 19 from thirteen other counties in California. In 1933-34 there were 912 of these individuals; their total av¬ erage daily attendance was 707 and the amount due from the districts to the Pasadena Dis¬ trict was $68,639. The Pasadena Junior College District was thus enabled to “rent” its buildings to other districts and realize $45,948 on the transaction. The cost of educating these stu¬ dents at Pasadena junior college is paid entirely by their own dis¬ tricts and by the state apportion¬ ment. Pasadena actually gains financially by educating these stu¬ dents, since, in addition to current costs under the provisions of the state law, the Pasadena junior col¬ lege district receives $65.00 from the home district for each outside student in average daily attend¬ ance for the use of buildings and grounds. college. These reasons were advanced for the building of the junior college in 1924 and were so reasonable that the vote was carried by a ma¬ jority of approximately ten to one. The college has more than fulfilled its expectations, as can be seen from the following points: 1. The junior college has devel¬ oped into an upper secondary school of reasonable size of stu¬ dent body and length of curricu¬ lum. 2. It has made possible through the uniting of the upper four years of the secondary school span into one institution the saving of much time for the more capable students. Students of strong ability can fin¬ ish this four-year unit in a period of three and one-half years. 3. The junior college in Pasa¬ dena has made available a general liberal education to students who could never have afforded to leave home to attend college. Adult Education 4. It has given to the young peo¬ ple of the town profitable educa¬ tional careers at a time when they could not have secured employ¬ ment. 6. It has trained the youth of Pasadena to a more worthy use of leisure time, which a machine age is steadily increasing and forcing upon them. 7. It has brought opportunities for vocational education on a level above the high school. Community Benefits 8. It has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars to be spent in Pasadena, which, if we had no jun¬ ior college, would be spent in other college communities. 9. It has retained within our community the young people for two additional years above high school. The services which these young people make to our churches and civic bodies is of tremendous value to the civic life of the com¬ munity. Organized Ten Years Ago Pasadena junior college was or¬ ganized ten years ago in Septem¬ ber with an enrollment of 260 stu¬ dents as a two-year unit superim¬ posed upon the high school. To-day it has become an organic unit with the upper two years of high school m which 4000 students are enrolled, 2300 of who are in the upper two classes. From the very beginning the junior college maintained a close relationship with the high school and since 1928 has been a unit with the upper two high school years as a single institution. This new four-year unit consti¬ tutes one of the most significant educational experiments now being conducted in America. It is widely known and is being carefully ob¬ served by educational leaders throughout the nation. In fact, it may almost be stated that on ac¬ count of the demonstrated success of its graduates in the colleges and universities to which they have been transferred, and in the indus¬ trial and _ professional life of the communities to which they have gone on the completion of their education, the institution has passed the experimental stage and has demonstrated the soundness of the organization. ThiG high repu¬ tation of the junior college has served as . an influence to draw many families to Pasadena for a permanent residence. No Guessing On Precincts Voters who are mystified as to the proper place for them to cast their ballots in the School Bond vote Friday, October 26, should consult the map of the school districts, reprinted on page four of this issue. Polling places are listed below the map. If any reader is not sure about the number of the dis¬ trict in which he lives, the prop¬ er answer will be given if the inquirer will telephone to the Chamber of Commerce, Colo¬ rado 6136, or the Board of Edu- eation, TErrace 5111. * , , <j, v* ■ View of Horace Mann building as SERA workers clear away walls for recon¬ struction of much-needed junior college buildings. This is one of the three major buildings on the campus from which stu¬ dents were evicted — to carry on their work in tents and make-shift par¬ titioned rooms on gym- gymnasia floors.