A Magnitude of Truth
By STEW HICKMAN
The number-one problem
facing the citizens of the Chowan
College Community is a distinct
lack of actual communication
and cooperation between the
teachers and the students in their
classes. This problem might be
overcome by talks between the
teachers and the individual
students. These discussions need
not be held in the teachers’
private office; in fact, it may be
more beneficial to both parties if
they take place in a place like
Squirrel Park or the snack bar. In
holding a talk in some place other
than the office the student will be
more at ease. There is also no
reason that the conversation be
about the class; why not talk
about hobbies? This would
jrovide the student and the
teacher with an opportunity to
make a new friend. It sure
couldn’t hurt to try. If a student
were to do something wrong, his
professor should retrain from
embarrassing him in front of the
other students. Often a man-to-
man leisurely talk will work
wonders when a fit of rage during
class just might turn the student
against the teacher. Every
student I have talked to would
like to feel that his or her
professors care about their
students as individuals. So, when
a student is doing poorly in a
class, the teacher should request
or suggest that the student take
time to come in for extra help and
maybe get things straightened
out.
One reason for the student
having troubles in a cleiss might
be that the professor simply fails
to recognize that the college
freshman has a very limited
background. Most professors
tend to forget or overlook that the
average college freshman knows
very little and is actually
freightened when he enters a new
environment such as college.
Professors often start courses off
with too much work and with too
little explanation; what they do
explain comes in some sort of a
code or something comprised of
every big word Webster ever
heard. After having blasted the
once virgin ears of the
uneducated and totally confused
freshman, the professor usually
makes no effort to clarify what he
has just said. They should treat
the freshman as an adult but
should also realize that his
educational experience is
limited. In all of the talks that the
professor gives he should include
telling his students just exactly
what is expected of them.
Professors often leave their
students in the dark concerning
the ground rules of their courses.
As strange as it may seem,
students will sometimes get the
impression that their teacher
doesn’t really care whether they
ever come to his class. These
poor, unaware students are
suddenly shot straight in the back
with reality as they are dropped
from the teachers’ roll for ex
cessive absences. Another view
to be taken of the lack of com
munication in question here is the
problem of late work and no
work. It seems that many
teachers will refuse to accept late
work without having said
anything about it, many times
with the student not realizing that
it is late when he attempts to turn
it in. Sometimes a student is
failed for not doing a piece of
work when in reality the student
did not understand the assign
ment.
Teachers should provide
sufficient time for such make-up
work to be completed and turned
in. In most cases I would consider
two class sessions a sufficient
time period considering the
student has a legitimate excuse
for not having turned the paper in
on time. The validity of the ex
cuse should be left entirely up to
the professors’ judgement.
One way in which to clear up
the problem of late papers due to
a lack of understan^ng or a lack
of attendance might be to put
more grading stress on the
degree of class participation on
the part of the in^vidual student.
Another method which may
help out in the problem of a lack
of understanding in class might
be to review all important
material and give frequent
quizzes in order that the students
might keep track of how well they
are doing. Some college
professors will take it for granted
that a student will automatically
remember everything that he
hears or reads, when actually
most students need a lot of
repetition. Students like to know
how well they are doing at all
times and don’t like a grade
based on a final exam only. So,
frequent quizzes should be given,
and these quizzes should be
returned to the students in plenty
of time to be used in studying for
the final exam. The questions on
these quizzes should be of the
same basic type used on the final
examination, just for the sake of
fairness.
In order that the students’
questions and problems be kept
to a bare minimum the teacher
should try to maintain a little self
control when lecturing. The
teacher shouldn’t lecture, fast
and endlessly so that the student
is writing constantly, struggling
to catch all of the high points, and
is still rapidly falling behind. It is
possible that a student write
down only the high points and still
be forced to write constantly.
While trying to take these notes,
he is probably missing other
important filler material which
he should also know. It is or
should be, more important to the
teacher that he get the point
across to the students rather than
race madly along to stay with a
predetermined schedule. Then, to
top it all off, the teacher gets
upset when the students fail tests
on their lecture notes. It seems
almost like a never ending battle.
But, there doesn’t have to be
any battle at all. Wherever
possible the teacher should make
special efforts to get together
with the students. They shouldn’t
hesitate to delegate additional
responsibility to those students
displaying an ability and a desire
to work for and attain a higher
position than just average. There
are students here in the Chowan
College Community capable of
helping out in the many facets of
the teachers’ hectic work day.
They can, and will help with lab
demonstrations, proctoring tests,
grading tests, tutoring, and many
other things. For almost any job
that needs to be done there is a
student here on this campus
ready, willing, and able to help
out. Besides, it just might be
what it takes to overcome the
fears with which the freshmen
arrived here at Chowan College.
They realize that being average
puts them just as close to the
bottom as to the top.
There is a problem, and at the
moment it may seem like a never
ending battle but with a little
cooperation and communication
we might all become comrades
and fight this battle from the
same side. Why not wipe out
ignorance, bor^om, and bad
grade averages together. I feel
strongly that if all of the advice in
this manuscript is followed by
each and every faculty member
on this campus, the student and
teacher morales will both pick
up; who knows, maybe the
average grade level will pick up
too.
Smoke Signols, Wednesday, December 12, 1973—PAGE 3
Braves Win In Season's Debut
ByPHILROYCE
Chowan College made its 1973-
74 season debut and that of new
head coach Dan Surface a happy
one shocking the host school, 93-
92, in the opening game of the
Frederick Military Academy
Tournament Thursday night,
November 29.
Surface played all but two of
his IS players and had many stars
as Chowan produced a superb
team effort. Take sophomore
guard Tim Lyons, for example.
He scorched the nets with 10 field
goals to score all of his team-high
20 points in the second half as the
Braves wiped out a six-point
halftime disadvantage.
Trailing 4fr40 at intermission,
Lyons, a reserve last year, began
to hit from every angle and every
distance including his patented
two-hand jumper from outside
the key. He received scoring help
from two former teammates at
Smithfield-Selma High School,
center James Soard, who scored
17 points before fouling out late in
the game, and forward Keith
McLearn, who added 19. The
three contributed 56 of Chowan’s
93 points.
Chowan’s other starting for
ward, Greg Wilson, found the
range for 16 points, while his
replacement, freshman Barry
Poole, wearing No. 13, was
anything but unlucky. When
Wilson also was sent to the bench
on fouls, Poole played with poise
and made two crucial baskets.
Another “hero” (since in winning
the Braves had no goats) was
guard Lue Ward who scored eight
points and was effective as the
playmaker. Reserve freshmen
guards Rickey Weires of
Beaufort and Barry Parker of
Creedmoor also showed promise
with their floor play. The small
but particularly quick and
aggressive Parker sparked
several fast breaks and played
well on defense.
But the player who got the
back-slapping at the end was
Soard’s replacement, sophomore
center John Byrd, who saw little
action last year. With Chowan
trailing 92-91, Byrd sank a 15-foot
jumper from the side with 20
seconds left to provide the win
ning margin. Before Byrd’s final
shot for the Braves, the lead had
changed with almost every shot
during the final six minutes. And
even Byrd’s shot didn’t relieve
the pressure on Surface and his
Braves. With 20 seconds left,
Frederick had more than enough
time for the winning basket. As it
turned out, they missed the shot
and in the scuffle for the rebound
a jump ball was called. Chowan
won the tip and Ward dribbled the
clock down to zero to preserve
the win.
Any more heros? How about
forward Connie Tripp, split end
on the football team. As one fan
remarked after the game, but for
his lone point on a free throw the
Braves would still be playing, the
score knotted at 92.
For that lone point. Surface,
who avoided a heart attack, a
real feat in his coaching debut, is
very grateful.
Returnees, Freshmen Bolster Cage Squad
Chowan College’s basketball
team, which opened its season
with an appearance in the
Frederick Military Academy
Tournament Nov. 29-30, is
bolstered by the return of three
top players and addition of four
talented freshmen.
Heading the list of returnees
are 6-5 center James Soard of
Smithfield, and two 6-2 forwards,
Greg Wilson of Philipsburg, Pa.
and Keith McLearn of Selma.
Two other sophomores, forward-
guard Tim Lyons of Smithfield
and guard Lue Ward of Port
smouth, Va., saw considerable
action last year. Also back is 6-5
center John Byrd of Durham,
used sparingly.
Soard, Wilson and McLearn all
averaged close to 10 points per
game last year. Soard was the
leading rebounder with a 10.1
average ' while McLearn ‘
averaged seven rebounds.
Chowan is under a new coach,
Dan Surface. He is depending on
four freshmen, 6-1 guard Ricky
Weires of Beaufort, who
possesses an “excellent jump
shot,” according to Surface; 6-5
center-forward Ralph Stewart of
Hampton, Va., termed “a good
Christmas Dance
By JAMES MOORE
Chowan students are expected to really get
into the Christmas spirit on Thursday,
Etecember 13 when the Student Government
Association sponsors a Christmas Dance in
Thomas Cafeteria. The House of Commons, a
band from Lynchburg, Va., will provide the
music. Beginning at 8:30, the dance will last until
midnight. Girls’ curfew will be extended until
12:15 for that night only. Dress is to be informal.
Admission will be seventy-five cents and by the
Blue Sky policy.
all-around ball player” by Sur
face; 5-7 guard Barry Parker of
Creedmoor, described by his
coach as a “good team leader,
ball handler, shot and
playmaker;” and 6-1 forward
Barry Poole of Ettrick, Va.,
• whom Surface says Is a “good
jumper and quick.”
Chowan loses center Mike
Oliver, who averaged nine points,
forward Ray Rawls, with an
eight-point average, and forward
Chet Neals, who averaged six
points.
The Braves finished with a 5-19
mark last year. Improvement
will depend on more consistent
play from the sophomores and
the contribution of the untested
freshmen. It was Soard and
McLearn, former teammates
with Lyons at Smithfield-Selma
Want Ads
FOR SALE: Tapes. $1 and $2,
good shape and play well; most
are nam^ brands, such as Alice
Cooper, Rare Earth, and Three
Dog Night. See West 109.
LOST—One English literature
book and notes for English 201.
These are desparately needed for
exam study. Anyone finding
these items please return them to
Jeff Moser in West 109 or to
Columns switchboard.
High School, who led Chowan to
the championship in the Wesley
College Invitational Tournament
in January with their shooting
and all-around floor play. Soard,
named the tournament’s out
standing player, scored 47 points
and made 30 rebounds in the two-
games. But they and their mates
could not continue the pace.
Chowan has 22 regularly-
scheduled games and will play in
two tournaments, the Cavaher-
Tarheel Tipoff Conference at
Ferrum, Jan. 3-5, in addition to
Frederick. The Braves’ first
conference game was Dec. 3 at
Mount Olive. They opened at
home Dec. 6 against the Old
Dominion junior varsity.
1/ie OidioTrL&i
“The lip you leave for a
ne-al iolji^ woul^l have
bought it a few years ago/’
Martha Rock
Head Resident
By BOBBIE ROTHENBERG
Mrs. Martha Rock is Head
Resident of Belk Hall. She has
been with Chowan College for
four years.
She resides in Boykins, Va.,
and has one son, Jim, who was
married this year. He is
presently attending the
University of Richmond, and also
working as the operations
manager for R. C. Transfer
Lines.
Before coming to Chowan, Mrs.
Rock was eniployed by Longwood
College as a counselor. She also
attended Longwood College and
received her two year teacher's
certificate in English.
Some of her hobbies and in
terests are traveling, needle
point, knitting and playing
bridge. She enjoys her job and
likes young people. She’s never
had a dull moment in Belk Hall
controlling all 183 girls.
BRAVE LEADER—Sophomore center James Soard of
Smithfield (shown shooting), the team’s leading
rebounder last season, returns to man the center
position. He averaged 10 points as a freshman and led
the Braves to the Wesley College Invitational Tour
nament championship.
STAYED TOGETHER—These three
former Smithfield-Selma High School
teammates paced Chowan College to its
93-92 opening season win over Frederick
Military Academy Nov. 29 by scoring a
total of 56 points. From left, forward
Keith McLeam scored 19, center James
Soard, 17, and guard Tim Lyons, 29.
Roy Johnson
Book Publisher
By RONALD WOOD
To the ordinary student,
Murfreesboro may be a quiet
little town, but there is one place
where business is booming.
It is a small book store run by
Mr. Roy Johnson. He publishes
books of history on the town and
the southeast.
His shop is not big, but large
enough to accomodate one
person. The business is stocked
with machines and books waiting
to be published or bound.
Mr. Johnson managed a
newspaper for 26 years before he
began publishing. He had a staff
under him then.
He owns manuscripts on so
many historical subjects, he
could write a book on any subject.
He gathered his material from
interviewing people that his
books deal with. He has also
written down folklore. There are
also tapes used to record the
stories which can be listened to
by the general public.
Well liked by his neighbors, he
had to invent a ghost to keep
children out of his working area.
He is an exceedingly interesting
person and is open to talk to any
interested person.
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