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SERVING THE CAUSE disadvantages, in 1980 the faculty abandoned the idea of introducing four core courses.165 Instead, beginning in 1983 it did require all entering students to participate in a course called the Freshman Colloquy, intended, in catalogue terms, to "strengthen reason, writing, and speaking skills" by means of "intensive writing and class discussion." In 1984, after having added three courses to the distribution requirements since the 4-1-4 system was introduced, the faculty eliminated several others, reducing the total once more to about one-third of the number of courses required for graduation.188 On several occasions after 1974, the faculty reaffirmed its commitment to the 4-1-4 calendar. Enough doubts about its wisdom for the future remained, however, to warrant the academic policy and program committee's introducing a motion in the spring of 1984 to return to the two-semester calendar, while retaining the requirement of thirty-five courses for graduation. The issue at this time was not nearly as clear-cut as the one before the faculty seventeen years earlier, when the sentiment for change, for some promising change, was nearly unanimous. In 1984 the defenders of the 4-1-4 calendar argued that educational opportunities which the January term (or possible May term) offered students were one of the strongest and most useful features of the Gettysburg program. Correct weaknesses and add to strength, they argued, but do not abandon the system. Opponents noted that many schools had already dropped the January term and questioned whether there remained sufficient faculty faith in its educational advantages for it to be the quality program which the College needed. In December, by a 60 to 42 vote, the faculty decided to adopt a two-semester calendar, under which students would normally take four courses during four terms and five courses during the remaining four. The 4-1-4 calendar came to an end at the close of the 1984-1985 year. After 1945 faculty were, if anything, more convinced than their predecessors had been of the need to supplement formal instruction by inviting many lecturers and performers to the campus. In 1953 President Langsam established a lecture and concert committee, through which College funds could be used more effectively for that purpose. A revised faculty committee rule in 1965 divided the increasingly large task between two committees: one on lectures and the other on performing arts. The lecturers invited to the campus reflected the changing concerns of the times; Arnold J. Toynbee, Ralph Nader, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Bradley, John Dean, and Ben- 185These courses would have been quite different from the C.C. and Lit. Found, courses. 188The three added were the English proficiency requirement, the colloquy, and a Non-Western course which became effective in 1981. The faculty introduced an optional minor field of study in 1980. 88