Alcalá 1968

Introduction

Life in America today is centered on ever expand– ing circles of contact and communication. It involves not only family demands, but those of the community, the nation, and of the world through social and cul– tural pressures. This life of multiplicity leads not to unification, but rather to the fragmentation of man's energies and pursuits. The pages which follow represent a minute mo– ment in time-the student in pursuit of knowledge as prescribed by an institute of higher learning-a uni– versity. At the conclusion of this moment, the multi– plicity of the world will engulf the man with a false sense of values: values weighed in quantity, not qual– ity; in speed, not stillness; in clamor, not quiet; in words, not thoughts; in acquisitiveness, not beauty. How can he remain the whole man in the midst of centrifugal forces? Man needs to achieve a balance of the spiritual, intellectual, and physical life. There must be time for solitude and sharing, space for significance and beauty, closeness to nature to strengthen our under– standing, and faith in the continuity of life-life of the spirit. the creative life, and the life of human relation– ships. In the spontaneity of the here and now so vividly portrayed in this volume, the student at the University of San Diego de Alcala is hopefully approaching this balance which he will need to sustain him tomorrow. Here, in Alcala Park which overlooks the birthplace of Christianity and civilization in California, there is a glowing atmosphere of unity and progress, a renewed spirit of enthusiasm in the University life, for enriched educational opportunities have brought about a flow– ing interchange of ideas and activities among the Colleges. -Ray Brandes, Ph.D.

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