Humanities Course Hurt?

Editor, TfíeÑew ' 7 ' ' ' We are two among 280 concerned students who are very dismayed about the cutback in salaries and the subsequent layoff of department heads of Ann Arbor high schools. One major outcome of this departmental layoff is the possible non-existence of the Humanities course in the fall of 1972. Humanities is a course dealing with the development of man in Western Civilization in the areas of philosophy, literature , music and art. The course deals with the above areas in a combination of lectures and seminars taking up two periods of the school day. The course entails not only the skill of taking highly organized notes in lecture, verbal exchange of ideas through seminars, but encourages the student to reason with himself, as well as others, and to respecrfhe ideas, moráis, and opinions of his fellow man, be they different. We realize how the importance and beneficence of this course, but as Humanities alumni return from a year at college, they relate to us the magnitude of this course and howit greatly assisted them in their studies in college and in everyday life. We wish to see Humanities continue next f all so that the students who wish to contribute and benefit from the course may do so. Scheduling shows that some 320 students have signed up for Humanities next f all. However without the existence of a department chairman, despite the tmity and greatness of the 15member team, it will be impossible to organize, continue and maintain the Humanities program at its high academie level.