The clarion Feb. 26, 1990 Page 9
BC's high academic standards come from tOUgh tOdcherS
by Harper Haworth
Clarion Reporter
"Tough teachers make tough pupils"
Old Saying
Some students here at Brevard must
enounter certain teachers in order to
complete the graduation checklist. The
BC graduation requirements call for two
science classes, four over-100 level
English courses and two over-100 level
math courses plus one religion course.
BC graduation requirements call for
a set number of hours in certain specific
areas. Maybe everybody on campus
wouldn't agree with this, but many BC
students, if they had to name three o*'
BC Freshman Eric Schmit at the Brevard Rescue Squad. "I enjoy bein^g a
part of the community," says the future EMT. (Clarion photo by T.na
Wiegerink)
Schmit serves bs EMT volunteer
by Marc Carr
Clarion Features Editor
When it comes to helping our
fellow friend, we all say would go out
on a limb for that person. Some of us
more than others, probably, but we
would. As for saving lives, people like
Brevard College freshman Eric Schmit
of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., see it be more
than helping people.
Eric is a volunteer rescue woricer fw
the Brevard Volunteer Rescue Squad. He
says, "I enjoy helping a part of the
community, and knowing you can help
somone makes it all worthwhile."
Eric is a part of a squad that uses
eight vehicles including two crash
trucks for auto accidents, two ambulan
ces, three mountain trucks for search and
rescue and one supply van. Eric
emphasizes that he and the squad all
work as a team; no one does one job or
does mwe than someone else.
The squad does not handle fire
fighting, but they are qualified for high-
level mountain rescue. Eric is in the
process of getting his complete
certification to be an emergency medical
technician (EMT) so he can do more
than he already does.
Already, he has been on numerous
emergency calls and has witnessed life-
and-death situations. "There are
definitely emergency situations, but
with a team effort like we have, it
always turns out ok," he says.
Eric attends squad meetings every
Tuesday night and practices at least three
Umes a week. He participates on his
own personal time in the hopes that his
volunteer wwk will lead to a career.
At first, Eric thought he might like
to work with the FBI. But now, he says
he might continue his work as a
professional EMT. The more he
becomes involved in the work, he says,
the more he sees how important it is.
"I enjoy the work and like to help
people, " says Eric, "and taking the
chance that you can save someone
always makes you feel beuer knowmg
you're helping.
the toughest teachers (of courses
commonly taken), these would be their
choices; Preston Woodruff, Sue Horn
and Bob Glesener.
Woodruff, an associate professor of
religion who earned his master's degree
in divinity, has been teaching at Brevard
for 17 years. He has been titled one of
the most amiable and approachable
professors with whom students come
into contact.
As Woodruff reclined and propped
his feet on his desk, he expressed how
much he loves the Bible, and the
students with whom he teaches it to.
"The majority of my first-time
students don't know the front cover of
the Bible from the back, and that's OK,"
Woodruff said. He explained in some
detail that if someone doesn’t know
much about the Bible, then he or she
should not be afraid.
Woodruff said that in an Old or New
Testament course, he starts from the
bottom and works his way up, thus
coming at the course from a beginner's
level. He urges students, "Give the
course a chance."
Woodruff agrees with the BC rule
that religion be required. However, he
said, "This is not a Sunday School."
Although Brevard is a church-related
college and it's natural that religion be
required here. Woodruff feels that
religion should be taught to everyone.
As to Woodruffs style of grading,
students repeatedly say that his grading
scale is stiff However, Woodruff said,
"Although it is hard to fail my course,
much work is required for a student to
make an A, but it's easy to make an
average grade."
Most BC students have to take a
math course before graduation. Sue
Horn, one of several math teachers at
BC, claims math is "logical."
Horn, an associate professor of
mathematics who has been leaching at
Brevard for 13 years, also taught at the
high school level for a couple of years.
She earned her master's degree in math
from Louisiana Tech. Horn explained
that to her, math is "building blocks.
In her time here at BC, she has
taught math levels all the way from 99
10 204. "I am not a patient person," she
says, explaining that class time should
be spent for math only, and that she
likes to stay after class to help students
with math problems and to carry on
conversations that might have been
brought up in class.
Horn wanted to get across that in
many of her courses "We have only a
semester to teach an entire book that
was meant for a year, and we have no
lime to fool around."
Math 99 and 100 which do not
transfer to most four-year schools do not
satisfy BC math requirements for
graduation. Horn added that any math
class above 100 does. She said that for
students to earn their A.A. degree from
BC, they need to lake two math courses
above 100 level, or a 200 level foreign
language subject, plus a 101 or above
math course.
As to her style of teaching, Horn
said, "1 give off a dry sense of humor,
and most students hate that." Horn
expects certain things from her students,
no matter what level of math she is
teaching. "Attendance, good behavior
and completing homework assignments
are very crucial for students to succecd
in math."
Horn tells her students of the math
lab that BC offers Monday through
Thursday, 5:30-8 p.m. "Students should
have a good background before going to
the next higher math course," she said.
Horn realizes that she is regarded as
a demanding teacher. "1 would rather be
named as one of the harder math teachers
than one of the easiest." she said.
Some students find science to be a
mind-twister. But Associate Professor of
Biology Bob Glesener thinks "anyone
can 'do biology.'"
Glesener, who has been teaching at
BC for 11 years, said that the emphasis
in his classes is on "understanding
concepts rather than memorizing facts."
He realizes "for some, this presents
problems in note uking as well as
preparing for exams."
Glesener said this means that
students placed in preparatory courses
should not be in a hurry to fill their
science requirement. Even though there
are no prerequisites, a semester or more
of college experience will probably
increase their success and enjoyment of
Biology 101. Glesener said students can
go to Biology 102 with a D received in
101 (unlike Math in which a student
must earn at least a C in order to
advance to the next higher course).
All science courses at BC meet six
hours per week and represent twice the
lime commitment in and probably out
of class of a typical three-hour credit
course. Thus, the one additional credit
hour earned in science classes can be
deceptive. Glesener feels students who
are recommended to carry reduced loads
should keep this in mind
when scheduling their science classes.
Glesener also stated that "biology is
somewhat more abstract in comparison
to physics and chemistry. While the
latter require more math, they are also
more analytical and, therefore, the
material is more straight-forward or
matter-of-fact." Glesener thinks that
students who meet the math re
quirements should consider these alter
natives if they have 'science anxiety.'
Glesener concluded with a word of
encouragement: "I honestly believe that
with a little motivation and per
severance. almost anyone can achieve
whatever grade they are willing to work
toward, remembering that higher grades
do require more woric."