The Zest for Life

Just what he means by "the uncommon woman," Gettell explained at this year's Convocation, September 28. "This term ... which is, hopefully, the definition of the Mount Holyoke type, is susceptible to misinterpretation."

"She is not the deviant for sake of deviation, nor the person who likes to be different, solely to attract attention.

"The uncommon woman is the person who is different from most in that she rises above mediocrity, leads rather than goes along with the crowd, forms her own opinions rather than accepts others' uncritically, but has her opinions well-grounded on information and thought, not on hasty judgment or prejudice. Who is superior intellectually and morally, but doesn't rub it in in the presence of others. She is a person who has a zest for life, a drive to accomplish great things, and a sense of responsibility to others. Who is never satisfied with the shoddy, and who is always striving for improvement. She is the person who knows how to think and enjoys doing so, whose curiosity is never-ending and whose horizons are without limit, whatever her future life, whether as a custodian of our highest culture, a molder of the next generation, or an active participant in the busy world's affairs."

Gettell admits, however, that "no one is an uncommon woman as a freshman, nor fully so as a senior. It takes a lifetime of accomplishment to deserve the title. But Mount Holyoke, if it performs its highest function, can start students on their way."

But it cannot be forgotten that many other women's colleges, and many co-educational institutions as well, are preparing girls for the same kind of future in much the same way. And the girls themselves are the first to agree with this, at the same time appearing somewhat leery of the President's hopes for their future.

"We all like him very much," said one. Another added, "He's on our side, but his views have to change a little." Commenting on their roles as uncommon women, which, many complained, was the focal point of every Gettell speech, one girl admitted "We're average girls over here." "We're sort of a stereotype," a fourth commented.

Stiff Academic Requirements

One senior was afraid that "when we graduate, we're not prepared for anything," but another felt that "the aim is accomplished. We're ready to do anything we want to do." And agree that the student body is indeed varied, in fact that Mount Holyoke is a "college of non-conformists."

The most basic way that a college molds its students is through its academic program. President Gettell feels that the standards at Mount Holyoke are "without question" as high as those at any man's college, and while most of the girls will not go quite so far in their praise, they generally feel that their academic program is excellent.

Just as at any college, "Some people put the emphasis on the work, but a lot of people don't," as one sophomore commented. Other thoughts on the academic situation included "There really is an excellent faculty," "We have an awful lot of homework," "I miss the boys in classes," "I was amazed at the lab facilities," and "I don't think Mount Holyoke is a very inspiring place to be."

For the first two years of study, the student's program consists mainly of courses in General Education. According to Academic Dean Meribeth Elliott Cameron, seven or eight of the ten courses in the freshman and sophomore years are taken to fulfill the Mount Holyoke General Education requirement, which is considerably stiffer than Harvard's.

Nevertheless, within the requirement, there is a great deal of opportunity for choice. Along with freshman English and one year of a foreign language, each girl must take personal hygiene and speech (exemptions from these two are possible); one course in history, philosophy, or religion; one in economics, sociology, psychology, or political science; one in two of the following: English literature, foreign literatures, art or music; and one in two of the following groups: mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, geography, geology, or physics; and physiology, plant science, or zoology. Exceptions are possible through advanced placement, or by qualifying for a foreign literature course by demonstrating enough proficiency in the language to skip a more basic course.

Small Honor Program

In her last two years, each girl must choose a field of concentration from one of 23 departments. Dean Cameron stated that several interdepartmental majors are also available, the most popular one being American culture.