**Posted by the MIT Alumni Association of behalf of alum Donn W. Barber**

As a 1942 graduate, it seems like a long time since I went to MIT. Even though I try to keep in touch, it is not the same , very simply because the current educational program is so different - much more "hands on" which is good but also because the available tools are so different - and advanced. However, the one thing that stays constant is the flow of of outstanding people who are the professors and teachers of the students whose minds are in the process of exploring and expanding. And people are what will be the most important in the true growth of these young men and women. We should not ignore the personal approach where professors and teachers mix and expound - and exchange ideas with the students. Yes there are many times when some basic principles can be covered in an actual or visual lecture, but I am a firm believer in person-to person contact to develop the full learning experience.