University of Southern California at Los Angeles, (ca 1940)

[Music] it is early autumn in Southern California a little university town called Westwood begins to stir a summer recess is over and it is time for the university to open its doors for the new academic year the school which Westwood serves is the University of California at Los Angeles known as UCLA it's a very young institution compared with other American universities such as Harvard which was founded in the time of Galileo despite its relative view UCLA has grown fast to meet the needs of a growing population today it is one of America's largest universities and it is still expanding is matter of fact there is hardly room in its many buildings to accommodate the 15,000 students who come to enroll the people of California owned the university their taxes support and operated so its doors are open to all who can qualify rich or poor there are boys and girls from the large cities and small towns from coastal villages from the mountains and from the valley farmlands each brings his dreams his hopes and his ambitions for example take this young man Jill Brooke he is a farmer's son and he has come a long way to attend the University he has looked forward to this day for a long time and now that it is here he is confident that he will do well this young lady whose name is Susan Randall is not quite so sure of herself she has lived all of her life in a quiet little upstate community when nothing exciting ever happened where she knew everyone and where everything was familiar from childhood now she is in a strange place surrounded by strange people and she wonders if a small-town girl can keep up with a busy complex world of the University she hopes no one will detect her shyness no everyone is kind and helpful many of the students raised in large cities tend to be more sophisticated for them the university is not so great an adventure such a girl is Marion Williams [Music] Jill Brooke finds a place to live in a cooperative dormitory near the campus he knew he had to share the room with another student and naturally he wondered what his roommate would be like he hopes it will be someone with interests like his own Peter Walker is his name comes from a big city in Northern California he seems like a nice enough fella friendly happy-go-lucky but it's hard to tell much at first glance you really have to live together for a while before you find out for sure josè only worry is that a fun-loving roommate might interfere with study he hopes Peter will be serious about schoolwork and oh no well the room does need a little brightening University life is as diversified as the interests of the students themselves every facet of student activity is provided for Marian Williams finds her way very quickly to one of the many social clubs and is initiated as a member she makes herself at home immediately the young woman's Christian Association maintains a dormitory at UCLA for women students here Susan Randall had arranged for a room the girls go out of their way to make the new member feel at home for the time being Susan would rather sit alone and watch gee she thanks chief they're swell Susan had never shared a room with a stranger before but she has taken a liking to a roommate Lupita Gonzalez and she knows that they will become good friends still home seems very far away classes will start in a few days but first the new students familiarize themselves with the campus Joe Brooke finds his way to the horticulture grounds anticipating the work you will do here he has come to the University to study agriculture in its most modern and scientific development and he must learn all that he can to make the family farm more fruitful citrus fruit is the crop produced at home and UCLA is famous for its experimental work in citrus Joe can hardly wait for classes to begin in gay spirits members of marion williams social club introduce her to the campus explaining the history and traditions of the various buildings marion has eyes only for the auditorium where student plays are produced in her mind this theater is the University and all her dreams revolve around it for she has come to study Dramatic Arts she's gonna be an actress a great actress and these walls will enclose the scenes of her first triumph from here word of her fame will spread from this stage she will accept the acclaim of an enthusiastic audience it is still only a dream and must wait two people filled all students enrolled in the university are members of a self-governing Union with headquarters in the Student Union Building which is operated not by the university but by the students themselves Susan as a new member of the Union has read the Constitution framed by the students to govern their little world she's anxious to see its provisions in action [Music] a bookstore offering for sale all kinds of school supplies the store is owned by the Union and operated for the benefit of all Susan will come here time and again in the next four years by her studies a trophy room for the memorials of victories won in sports competitions with other universities symbols of the opportunity offered every student to participate and excel in his favorite sport officers for the President and members of the council elected each year to direct the affairs of the Union Susan will have a vote in these elections officers for the committee's which manage concerts theatricals athletic programs and the many other activities established by the Constitution secretly Susan hopes that she will someday be elected to serve on one of the committee's surely among all these functions there must be a place for her the Constitution also provides for a newspaper on the campus a paper edited and published by the students for the students containing news of the world and news of the campus positions as reporters writers and editors are open to all who are interested and company students complete for the honor of working on the paper and those who attained positions are fully responsible for efficiency wholesome meals are served at low cost in the cafeteria the Student Union Susan and her roommate Lupita form the customer having their lunch every day in this popular gathering place with the opening of the classes the students gravitate to the campus and heavy streams those who have to use of automobiles share rides with their fellows some make use of the convenient public transportation those who live in clubs and dormitories are within walking distance the life of the university quickens as they throng the campus in their full numbers of 15,000 new students now enter the lower division in which they will spend two years mastering the broad principles of their individual studies Joe Brooke begins his study of Agriculture with the fundamentals of plant life in structure his searching mind is keen for answers he learns the scientific names of things long familiar to him in nature the familiar subject of geography is reexamined the study its effects on the history of Nations and people's this is part of Susan's major subject sociology beginning students in chemistry face up formidable science but one which offers a vast field for future opportunity Jo's roommate Peter Walker has chosen chemistry as his special field before leading his students into serious work the professor treats them to some surprising lecture demonstrations at once amusing and instructive students in Dramatic Arts are generally impatient to display their acting talents but first they must study the stage itself from the earliest models to the present thus they begin to absorb the history of their art college education is free at UCLA to legal residents of California they pay only a small registration fee but students have personal expenses to meet so a great many apply for work of the university employment office about half of all students hold some kind of job while attending school earning all or part of the money they need Joe for example cannot expect any financial help from his parents and must be entirely self-supporting he applies for a night job to leave his days free for study placed in a service station near the campus he quickly learns the routine of his new duties but with his studies his classes and his work he very soon finds that there are not enough hours in the day or night to do all that he wants to do Peter gets a job as a waiter in one of the clubs he is new to the work but he soon catches on to the knack of handling dishes the assistant cook is not really a cook but a student of philosophy naturally he gets into discussions far from the reality of cookery he better hope that the head cook can be philosophical too Susan gets a job as a clerical worker in the Student Union she is with a Welfare Board is there a student who can't find a room to rent another who needs daily transportation Susan will help them physical education goes hand-in-hand with intellectual education at the University for the mind works best in a healthy body these classes are compulsory for all able-bodied students during their first two years there is a wide variety of sports from which to choose they receive instruction in the fine points per game and then are set loose to put their knowledge into practice archery wants a deadly odd is now a sport attractive particularly to women students [Music] the girls take their scores very seriously fencing like archery originated in a combative art now it is a lesson in grace and poise [Music] the hills and dales on the university grounds provide an excellent course for cross-country running at UCLA is at many state universities in America two years of military instruction are compulsory for all male students these young men may someday have to fight as hard to keep their Liberty as their ancestors fought to gain it they therefore attend classes in military strategy tactics and drew with a heartfelt hope that they will never have cause to use this knowledge naval training is offered to those students who can satisfy its special requirements courses of study include navigation tactics ordnance and naval engineering the roof the gymnasium becomes the deck of a ship of practice on the signal hoist absorbed in a multitude of practical as well as theoretical academic tasks the students hardly noticed the passage of time month blends with month a term ends a second term begins with new courses new studies show advances to his first simple experimentation with plants Marian is still engaged in her many courses required of her before she can do actual stage work because of the great importance of weather observing during the war the university expanded its classes in meteorology the students make their own observations by obtaining from the upper air measurements of pressure temperature and atmospheric moisture content this data is entered on charts which then offer forecasts of future weather certain courses in mathematics are necessary to Peters study of chemistry the instructors had a lot of experience in making up difficult problems Peter sometimes thinks the object of the problem is to keep him puzzled maybe the instructor will be helpful why is it he always asks you a question and return well in the end you always have to find your own answer chemistry is important to Joe study of plants and he sometimes finds himself in the same class with Peter Peter's experiments do not always proceed as described in the textbook well there are many mysteries in a chemistry laboratory no matter how long you're there something new is bound to come up at times like this it requires the instructors knowledge to explain what has happened and for this very purpose an instructor is always available and I yes it always seems so simple after the explanation now that Marion is in her second year she gets a chance to play a part in a student production this is the time she has waited for and looked forward to for so long now she'll show what she can do her dreams are coming close to fulfillment she will be on the very stage where so many great artists have performed before university audiences famous actors singers and musicians have been here [Music] maybe someday Marian herself will return as a celebrated actress she has been coached very carefully to discipline her performance to the mood of the play the teacher has been very patient but Marian is too sure of herself to listen to coaching the teacher explains again that her performance is out of pace for the others Marian cannot or will not take instruction she refuses to listen she demands her own way but she goes too far to teach her a lesson she is removed from the cast for the first time in her life Marian has failed to get what she wanted she appeals to her fellow students for justification appeals for support against the teacher she is surprised and hurt that they don't agree with it suddenly it seems she has no friends very well she is not understood she will leave the University and go where her talent will be recognized but Marian does have friends a fellow members of the club worried by her rash decision to leave UCLA appeal to the drama teacher to reason with Marian if he will talk to her perhaps now he agrees to try he explains to marry him the meaning of cooperation that only through working with other people there's one grow as a person and thereby as an artist problems remain to be overcome so she must stay and go on with minor roles it's a bitter pill but she takes it with each new term the facilities of the University Library become more and more important as studies demand more and more of the students time and concentration conditions for research and study are ideal in the great reading rooms librarians many of them student workers are on duty at all times to assist in locating study materials thousands of books go in and out of the library every day keeping track of them is a complex painstaking job a request for any book or periodical is sent down into the fireproof vaults of which there are seven levels housing more than 500 thousand volumes among this collection of half a million titles can be found books covering every field of study in the arts trades and sciences ancient or modern descriptive or analytical all day and far into the night the books come and go from the vaults to the study tables under the lamps studies grow harder but the training of the bodies still goes side by side with the training of the mind football team against team school against school students and their supporters cheering on the blue and goal of UCLA and many a memorable exploit to be preserved in the annals of the University baseball a typically American game is traditionally popular like football it demands the utmost effort of the individual player speed stamina and the fineness of timing the graceful and difficult art of gymnastics as a small but loyal following the oldest of sports are those of track and field running throwing and jumping a classic competitions athletes from UCLA every presented the United States and these events at the Olympic Games the temperate climate of Southern California makes outdoor swimming possible all the year Rob the divers are never satisfied in their pursuit of perfection and speaking of doing things well Peter takes great pride in being an efficient and obliging waiter [Music] in a second year of college he continues with his job at the social club he's already looking forward to graduation when come a well-paid chemist but meanwhile he's a waiter so he might as well be a good one [Music] his happy personality wins him many friends Peter never lacks for invitations for Social Affairs and is often in a hurry to be through with his work his friends were always willing to let him off a little earlier he's in particular haste on the evenings when there is a dance right there at the social club peter has an invitation of course and it only takes a minute for the transformation from the jacket of a waiter to that of a guest a moment to adjust the suit straighten the tie up the hair and then it is only a few steps from the back door to the front door [Music] Peter as usual doesn't lose any time and enjoying himself booths appear for the election of student body officers the tradition of free elections is a treasured one but there are always some who do not appreciate its importance Joe is one who has no time for such things no time for voting and no time for fun or relaxation Joe has come to live in a very narrow world its confines our study by day and work by night even at the station when business is slow he buries himself in his books loses all sense of time and place he must even be reminded of the closing hour only at the end of a long long day as he realized how tired he is but he doesn't care examinations are coming he will make a perfect record it will be the reward for all his hard work he's the last to go to bed at night and the first to rise in the morning [Music] sometimes he hardly got any sleep at all even on examination day he is up early to make a last-minute review before facing his first oral examination then comes the written tests the summary of a year's work to go down on paper some approach the trial with dread others with anticipation and a pleasurable sense of competition they must now match wits with the professor and seek their hidden meaning of questions and then the trial by examination is over Joe received the report of his grades happily he hurries to tell Peter the news he has made a perfect record but the price of perfection is high after all the body is only a mechanism it can stand a great deal of wear but it can run down or wear off [Music] the university physician has seen many other cases like Jill Brooke many of them students who ask more of body and nerves than they have to give students who drain their physical strength and do nothing to replenish it as a typical case too much study too much work no time for relaxation no interest in other people Joe understands his books and nothing else the doctor explains that the body and mind need rest especially when ambition is the spur to overwork but Joe well Joe doesn't understand the idea of relaxation he wants to go on with his work and as something will have to be done about it the physician goes out of his way to help Joe arrange and easier schedule he finds a job for him at the desk in the health center here Joel will be under observation the case has not yet closed another year another registration time a Joe and Peter Susan and Marian the third year of the University lies ahead their work will now become more specialized more detailed more difficult last year's textbooks are taken down from the shelf to be turned in at the student bookstore it's like saying goodbye to old friends Joe wonders what knowledge his new books will contain he is as eager as ever for classes to start his new job at the help center gives him more time for himself the doctor intended him to use the time for recreation characteristically he uses it to conduct some experiments he makes soil tests to try out his original ideas again instead of relaxation work and more work Susan goes on with her study of sociology tracing the progress of human society Marian moves into a deeper study of the characters in classic drama figures from Shakespeare's plays the tragic Hamlet and the ill-fated Lady Macbeth a professor of psychology guides the probing into their underlying motivations as the students delve deeper into their subjects rare books and manuscripts become treasure troves of information the volumes themselves are too valuable for circulation but they are made available for study through the technique of microfilming the cactus garden of the University with his typical California desert plants is a favorite spot where art student studies sketch and paint besides the Fine Arts there is commercial art the designing of wearing apparel to prepare students for positions in the textile industry Industrial art traditional and modern side-by-side poster design the very special art of advertising competition among advertisers has led to higher standards of commercial art and finally ceramics the designing of beautiful dishes in pottery [Music] Susan's roommate Lupita majoring in music has shown promises a pianist out of the bitter disappointment of the previous year Maryann has learned a lesson she has not given up her ambition to be an actress but she knows now that she will have to work hard to attain it she finds a new satisfaction in a job well done [Music] Peter's new program takes him into the subject of atomic energy through a Geiger counter they peer across the threshold of the known into the realm of the effort but Joe hasn't changed a bit as before whenever he isn't working he study he still takes no interest in outside activities or in the people around him the doctor decides to try an experiment not with scientific instruments and with America's most popular game basketball the UCLA team is playing a traditional rival tonight [Music] tension runs high it is more than just another game this one is for the championship Joe begins to feel the excitement in spirit he joins the players in the game all the opposition ties the score come on fellas we're rooting for you you've gotta win you can't lose the winning goal a triumph for UCLA that doctors experiment is a success the next day Joe meets the star of the game in the cafeteria and finds himself congratulating the player he is doing something he has never done before become interested in other people from his position behind the reception desk in the health center Joe has an opportunity to observe some of the little-known aspects of student life his newly aroused interest in his fellows has opened Joe's eyes to their problems for example Lupita has not been well for some time she has been under examination and today she has to hear the doctor's report it is an anxious time for Susan to well she has become very fond of her roommate the diagnosis is a shock to Lupita a nerve disease has affected her arm and without immediate specialized treatment they are may be permanently damaged she will have to set her studies aside for at least a year a whole year a whole year away from her studies in a piano and where would the money for treatment come from Joe could not help overhearing money is a familiar problem to him it is a short step from an interest in people to an interest in helping them surely something can be done something must be done Joe and Susan joined forces to seek help they've worked out a plan when they call on the editor of the college paper it's a simple plan why not raise money full of Peter by having a big dance in entertainment will the paper help with publicity of course it will volunteers appear to help Joe and Susan tickets for the dance l quickly [Music] when it was over they had their award the work had been successful far beyond their greatest hopes $500 was a good start to what paying with Peters expenses and Joe has made another pin during the last year of college life a touch of sadness often intrudes on a students thoughts he will soon be leaving the university Peter feels a strange sense of loss as of something missed and gone by he doesn't quite know what it is the more he thinks about it the more Peter realizes how much of value he is received in his university life from his friends his work and a study now the graduation is coming he is that sure he wants to leave the campus perhaps there is even more to be had than he has had he considers the Graduate division which offers advanced courses with emphasis on research leading to higher degrees experimentation is the keynote of Graduate Studies for example how long and how far does sound travel underwater special mechanism measures the rate at which sound dies away what is the origin of differences between species differences in color pattern for example a study of genetics seeks the answer by observing the hereditary behavior of many generations of tropical fish as a possible basis for dietary studies and human beings the growth of the rat is carefully rechecked in the light of modern knowledge of vitamins and proteins including a measurement of the amount of exercise the animal will take voluntarily on various diets the Department of Psychology is concerned with a rat - trying to establish reasons for his behavior and to check theories of human behavior here for instance the animal is presented with two alternate paths - food a short one and a long one at first the rat does not perceive the difference and goes around the long way but he soon learns that the other path is shorter the prospect of a quick reward has stimulated him to learn fast but when the food reward is placed at a greater distance the animal does not learn to choose so well obviously an immediate reward produces better learning than a remote reward this observation is also applicable to humans the fight against the dreaded disease of cancer is carried forward on another front at UCLA the growth and effects of malignant tumors are studied in laboratory experiments with animals as subjects progress is being made the study of prosthetics for the creation of artificial limbs to help main men become agile again through the use of motion pictures the exact movements of hands and arms can be recorded on film and then carefully studied theories of design are tested on a mechanical model of a human limb research into disease bacteria goes on continually with a tireless search for better Germa sides to kill bacteria in one procedure hot tissues are taken from a chick embryo and used to evaluate various germicide it is not sufficient merely to test the effect of the germ aside and bacteria its effect on living tissues must also be determined for it must be made certain that the germ aside under consideration can kill bacteria without harmful effects on living cells permanent records of all experiments are made on film for future study and reference thinking of the Graduate Division brings Peter to a realization of the deepest significance of research the benefited achieves for mankind he wonders if his efforts might not add something even a little to the whole yes he will return after graduation and enter graduate studies at last commencement day [Music] it is both an end and a beginning for most of the students the end of formal guided education and the beginning of a new life hence it is called commencement they proudly to be witnessed by friends and relatives from far and near it is with mixed emotions that the students approach this most solemn of academic ceremonies they are leaving behind the familiar well-loved scenes of the campus it will become separated from friends and acquaintances as they pursue different paths into the future in sending another class out of the world dr. Sproul the president of the university speaks out of the richness of his own experience commending to them their duty to carry on the spirit of good citizenship which the university has instilled in them [Music] and words of kindly wisdom from the Provo doctor Dykstra reminding the graduates of what the university has tried to give them a view of the past present and future of their world insight and the ability to analyze if the University has succeeded in this they will always have a guide toward a course of action as the cherished diplomas are bestowed the graduates move the tassels of their caps from the left side to the right side the traditional symbol of having received the bachelor degree [Music] higher degrees are conferred upon candidates from the Graduate Division Master of Arts Master of Sciences Doctor of Philosophy by Ellis ceremonies are over there's a sense of completion in our young friends the hard work a heartaches fun and all the warm companionships the past four years are suddenly a thing of the past how it remains only to say goodbye wish one another well and promise to keep in touch oh they mean to keep their promises not to lose track of each other but well who knows when they will meet again they must go their separate ways a new and greater adventure of life itself is waiting