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This fall, well-dressed university men will be wearing double-breasted jackets, single-breasted suits, striped shirts, buck shoes, and Tyrolian hats.
Always a popular fashion staple, the double-breasted jacket has been redesigned to incorporate the British influence. The Duke of Kent long-roll double-breasted version is worn with only the bottom button fastened. The chalk stripe is the design of choice for the Kent jacket, while stripes, checks, and herringbones remain top sellers in the traditional double-breasted suit.
New this season in single-breasted suits is the two-button sleeve model with side vents. Cut wide at the shoulders and narrow at the waist, these suits are also modeled after similar British versions.
Designers are taking more notice of shirts, which now come in narrow, medium, and wide stripes. Wide collars, both button-down and starched, are stylish and comfortable.
Brown buck shoes, a continuing trend, come with a leather or crepe sole. Wing-tip wearers can choose from smooth or Scotch grain textures.
Hats will become a key accessory. The Tyrolian hat, a favorite of college students, has a rough finish and a bright feather. The snap hat with a bound edge, made in brown and black, is also a good choice for young men.
(taken from an editorial)
Although Roger Staehle, our new dean, should be given credit for starting an IT yearbook, students and faculty need to work harder to foster a sense of community. Students do not seem aware of developments in their field of interest, and they rarely speak with each other outside class.
IT needs a weekly newspaper that provides information on upcoming events, recognition of student and faculty achievement, and a forum for expressing opinions. Administrators should also schedule classes to allow one or two free afternoons. Students could use these times to participate in IT activities and events or interact with other students. These times would also facilitate scheduling of general assemblies and speeches.
Students need to come together more than once at the beginning and once at the end of their four years. They should have frequent celebrations--a festival similar to E-Week could take place during fall to commemorate the founding of IT on October 17.
Improving the quality of student life would not only improve education, but would also create a stimulating intellectual environment.
The IT Lower Division Programs Office was established in 1968 to combat the college's low freshman retention rates. In 1963, an assistant dean found, more than 60 percent of freshmen had, by the end of their first year, either dropped out of IT or had a grade point of average of less than 2.0. Administrators formed a task force to determine the source of the problem and possible solutions.
They identified several weak spots: poor instruction quality; unavailability of professors, teaching assistants, and tutors; and pressure to declare a major before entering college. Proposed improvements included focusing on undergraduate teaching, hiring teaching assistants as tutors, and allowing students to enter the University as Ôunclassified.Õ
By offering tutorial services, student advising, and a mentor program, the office has helped boost the retention rate of freshmen to over 80 percent. Tutors logged almost 3,000 hours last year, and 150 Lind Hall, which was previously the engineering library, is now home to the tutorial program.
