Home

A Successful Experiment by Sheila Tones March 13, 1970

Lasso Archive Index

EFFE was a great success for most of those people who decided to use the opportunities it gave them. Most of the courses ( as far as I've heard and I didn't see even nearly all of them in action) were interesting and gave students a good insight into the subject-giving them enough information to perhaps continue study on their own. The two hours given to exploring the nature of love were not nearly enough but it was enough time to stimulate real thought on why man loves and what love is-thought which will continue after EFFE is long over. Dr. Taylor gave students a list of books on black history and the black man in America which they can study on their own. The modern dance class was able to get an idea of what it is to be a dancer and to choreograph a dance.

There was an atmosphere during EFFE, which prevailed especially on Wednesday, of relaxation and a unity among the people involved. I felt it in the classes I attended-I was at the jam session for a few minutes and sensed a feeling among the people there of enjoying the same thing together. People had the time to read on their own in a spare room. There was also time for talking with instructors after the formal class was over This seems to show that the purpose of a freer schedule succeeded. I think that a sense of having the time to pursue a subject and find out about other people is important.

Not all aspects of EFFE turned out to well. There were too many people in the halls. Here I'm not knocking the people using their free time to relax, talk, or to think. I mean those people who were there almost all of the time. Too many people cut classes-we had some hairy experiences with teachers left with almost no students, in one class no one showed up. However, except for the embarrassment it caused the EFFE committee and the cut-down it gave to those who are perhaps too idealistic, those people weren't themselves. They were actually supporting the "system" they say they hate so much by showing the need for it in themselves.

As for the logistics of running EFFE, most things went smoothly. Wednesday started off very quietly and with almost no confusion. We made several bad mistakes in scheduling speakers which res ulted at worst in cancelled courses and at best in a lot of confusion but generally the technical aspects went surprisingly well.

EFFE is a very hard thing to give one final evaluation to because there are so many dimensions to it. I believe we did plan a curriculum which was stimulating and educational, providing students with insights into a great variety of topics. I think we also created an atmosphere of freedom for three days which most people handled well-giving themselves great experience in learning because they as individuals chose to do so. Because EFFE was an experiment, even where there were failures we learned something. From the people who could not handle the freedom of choice we learned that great ideals do not pertain to everyone, and from there comes an unanswered question--why not? We did show that it can work for those people who can place themselves in a free situation and use it, and more importantly, that they should be given the opportunity more often.