PAGE 2 — Smoke Signals, Wednesday, April 6. 1977
Joe
A Short Story
By CTRICHARD
After the game had ended the locker
room became a center of excitement.
TTie door opened and a mob of reporters
and college coaches rushed in.
Reporters asked questions of anyone
who would stop long enough to listen.
Coaches had more promises than a
yanky politician. However, most of the
coaches had gathered around one
player’s locker.
Eddie Mann, a tall, well built young
man with han^ome features, had just
led his high school football team to a
state championship. Many regarded
Ekldie as the best high school quar
terback in the south.
Eddie had been offered a scholarship
to almost every major university in the
country. Eventually, the mob began to
thin out until everyone was gone. Eddie
lingered as if he hated to leave the
familiar surroundings. He slowly un
dressed and took his shower. When he
had toweled off, he put his clothes on
and reached into his pocket for two
pills. Taking his time, he walked over to
the water fountain for a cup of water.
As he drew the water from the
fountain, he detected a noise behind
him. Turning quickly, he saw that it
was the school jamtor standing there
watching him. Edaie was relieved to
know it wasn’t one of the college
coaches. If it had been, he would have
lost all of his scholarships and the
chance of one day playing professional
football which was his dream.
Eddie usually spoke to the janitor
whenever they met in school but he
knew little about him.
Eddie sighed, “Oh! It’s just you.”
“Veah, just me.” replied the janitor.
“Sit down a minute Eddie. Let me tell
you about another great player that
went to school here a few years back.”
Eddie hesitated a moment before he
sat down.
The janitor began. “I’ve seen a lot of
players — gifted players in my twenty-
two years of working here. You know,
you’re better than any of them. That is,
all except this one kid, Joe. He had it
made. He was a big strong kid, the best
runningback these parts had ever seen.
All-state four years in a row. He had
more scholarships offered to him than I
can shake this broom at. And what’s
more, he had the sweetest and most
beautiful girlfriend you’ve ever seen.
Joe was a good student and after
football season he worked in a local
store to help support his family. You
see, his father died when he was very
young. His mother had to work to
support him and his two sisters. Joe had
dreams of going to college and studying
architecture and getting his family out
from under the rock pile that held him
down for so long. He practiced hard and
made himself into the best runningback
in the country. Boy, could he run. The
newspaper men even gave him a
nickname his sophomore year. They
asked an opposing player about Joe
after one of his usually great games and
he said Joe was harder to grip onto than
a wet eel. Well, the name stuck and Joe
was known as Eel.”
“Well, ole Joe the night of his last
game his senior year decided on the
college he wanted to attend. He called
the coach and they set it up for him to
sign in his own home the next morning.
Joe then went out and had one of his
best games of his career.”
“Some of Joe’s friends wanted to
celebrate his signing that night after
the game. Joe was on top of the world.
He took his girlfriend to the party after
the game. People were dancing,
drinking, and having a good ole time.
Joe sat down beside his girlfriend and
fumbled the words around in his mouth
until he had asked her to marry him.
She didn’t even give him a chance to
finish before she said yes. Everybody
drank a toast to Joe and his financee.
Then another, and another, and
another.”
“Finally they left. The next day Joe
woke up in a hospital bed with only one
leg. What happened that night after the
party no one knows for sure. All that
was known was that Joe’s car was
rapped around two pine trees when the
rescue squad arrived. All of Joe’s
dreams died that night.”
“Joe never completely got over the
death of his girlfriend or the loss of his
leg. He learned to walk with an ar
tificial leg but he still has a noticeable
limp. After that Ole Joe just fell into
obscurity. He now lives in the same
house he lived in when he went to
school. His mother has since passed
away and his two sisters have married
and moved away. Joe never married.
He goes home to an empty house every
night after work and fights loneliness
for his sanity.”
Eddie looked up at the janitor, stood
up, and started to walk out the door. As
he opened the door he turned back and
said to the janitor “That’s a nice story
old man, but now I’ve got more im
portant things to do.”
With that Eddie popped two more pills
into his mouth and then left. Standing at
the door with broom in hand, the janitor
waited a moment, then wiped a tear
from his eye as he limped out the door.
Literary Musings
By PROF. ROBERT G. MULDER
SOME THOUGHTS AT RANDOM ON TEACHING
Dr, Owens Speaks
To English Classes
North Carolina’s Guy Owen - poet,
novelist, and scholar - visited Chowan
on Wednesday, March 23. He read and
discussed his art of poetry. The English
Department sponsored the reading so
that Chowan College and the area high
school students could have the ex
perience of meeting and hearing one of
the most important creators and
sponsors of poetry in North Carolina.
Dr. Owen is the prize-winning author
of The White Stallion, and A Journey for
Joedel, a novel nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize in 1970. He has published
five works of fiction, (one of which is
The Flim-Flam Man), over two dozen
short stories, and three volumes of
poetry in addition to works uncollected.
One of his major contributions to
literature is his editing of a variety of
periodicals, which include Southern
Poetry Review and North Carolina
Folklore.
Having a young son doesn't make
me an expert on being a father,
neither does having spent fifteen
years In the classroom make me an
authority on good teaching. While
the former does put me one-up on
the man with no son and the latter
Indicates some association with the
educational system, I propose to
share some personal opinions
about teaching In the follovi/Ing
paragraphs. Since the opinions are
my own, I claim full credit for
them, as over-simplified as they
may appear. Also they are not
geared to any particular level of
classroom instruction.
In the first place, a good teacher
must know his subject matter and
be able to relate this to his
students. No teacher can know ail
things about everything, therefore,
he must constantly strive to im
prove himself in his given area. By
reading, study, and association, he
may improve himself by borrowing
from the knowledge and ex
perience of others. Relating or
teaching subject matter consists of
more than reading a series of
material from a text or personal
notetjook. Any robot or teaching
machine can sit before a cap
tivated audience and read. One of
the worst courses I ever had
consisted of the professor's coming
into the classroom when the bell
rang, opening his ragged loose-leaf
notebook, and reading for the next
fifty minutes rarely If ever looking
at his students. We tried un
successfully to steal the notebook,
for we knew that school would be
out if he ever lost that trusty
crutch. A teacher who does not
know the subject matter has very
little to offer in today's classroom.
In every teacher's chosen field
there are substitutes for methods
but none for knowledge.
Yet, no matter how much a
teacher knows, his effectiveness in
the classroom is of little
significance unless he can transfer
this knowledge to his students at
least to a partial degree. This does
not mean coming down to their
level of thinking, but It does mean
relating on such a level that un
derstanding and learning may take
place. Following a certain faculty
meeting, one teacher entered her
classroom, spread her coat on the
floor, and took her seat In Tailor-
fashlon. She told her students why:
"We were told that we had to get
down on your level, so here goes for
a starter." This hyperbole is
ridiculous but the teacher who
ignores the precept is also
ridiculous. Little teaching is done
by the exalted master who prides
himself in being so much atwve his
students' heads.
Secondly, a good teacher must
know his students and respect
them as such. Each class is filled
with an assortment of individuals
from many backgrounds with as
many reasons for being there in the
first place. All of them obviously
can not be reached educationally
but the conscientious teacher will
try. He will try because he knows
that this is his responsibility. When
motivation comes, it does so in
various degrees. A keenly aware
teacher will channel this
motivation to encourage the in
dividual student. Limitations in
every classroom situation must be
acknowledged and dealt with, but I
have never personally known a
situation where the final picture
showed more weaknesses than
strengths. Properly instructed and
rightly understood, every student
is capable of being led to greater
knowledge and deeper un
derstanding of the world around
College
Calendar Published
Special History Class Offered
The 1977-78 college calendar is
published in this issue for the con
venience of returning students. Fresh
men are encouraged to keep the
calendar and make their summer, fall
and spring plans for 1977-78 ac
cordingly.
The 1977-78 calendar includes a
change which permits classes to begin
College Calendar
Fall Semester, 1977
August 18-20, Thursday-Saturday
Faculty Workshop
August 21. Sunday
Freshman and Transfer Students
Arrive Dormitones Open at 2:00 p m
Meet in College Stadium at 7.30 p m
Meet with Advisers at 8 30 p m
August 22. Monday
Freshman and Transfer Students (i^eet
with Advisers at 8:30 a m. Returning
Students Arnve Dunng Morning Hours
Returning Students Meet with Advisers
at 2 30 p m
August 23. Tuesday
Registration for Fall Semester Classes
August 24. Wednesday
Fall Semester Classes Begin
August 26. Friday
Fall Convocation
September 1, Thursday
Last Day Classes May Be Added
October 7. Friday
Last Day Classes May Be Dropped
Without Academic Penalty
October 10. Monday
Founder s Day
October 14, Friday
Mid Term Grading Period
October , Saturday
Homecoming
October 26, Wednesday
Mid Term Break Begins at Close of
Classes
October 31, Monday
Classes Resume at 8 00 a m
a day earlier than in former years.
“The change, said Dean Lewis, “will
benefit all students, especially new
students who need to stay busy and
become involved academically before
they have exhausted themselves with
planned and unplanned activities.” The
change, however, will be more
exhausting for faculty advisors.
October 31-November 4, Monday-
Friday
■ Campus Evangelism Week
November 23, Wednesday
Thanksgiving Holidays Begin at 4:00
p m
November 28, Monday
Classes Resume at 8:00 a.m.
December 10-16, Saturday-Friday
Fall Semester Examinations
December 16, Friday
Christmas Holidays Begin at Conclu
sion of Examination Schedule
1977
» 29 30 31
30 31
29 30 31
History Ml - 3 Semester Hoursr
A survey of history from ancient
times to 1600. Major emphasis is given
to civilizations of the Near East,
Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, the
Renaissance, and the Reformation.
Beginning and Ending Dates
The class will meet from 9:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m. Sundqy, May 22, 1977. The
course ends with the examination
Friday, June 10, 1977.
Hours for Class Meetings
The class will meet from 9:00 a.m.
until 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday
and from 2:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Visual aids
will t)e shown at night as announced.
Class Attendance
Attendance will be checked at each
session. Students may be absent only
two sessions during the course.
Spring Semester, 1978
January 6. Friday
Faculty Workshop
January 8, Sunday
Students Return.
Dormitories Open at 2:00 p.m.
January 9, Monday
Sophomores Meet With Advisers at
8:30 a.m. Freshmen Meet With Advi
sers at 1:30 p.m.
"••J5E.csrp.l-
Walter Wallbank, Taylor and Bailkey,
Scott Roresman and Company, 7th
Edition, Volume I, 1976. Copies of the
textbook may be purchased in the Book
Store. Used copies may be purchased
from students. If you purchase a text
book from a student make sure it is
Volume I, Seventh Edition.
hall while taking this course. Rooms
will be assigned from 4:00 p.m. until
5:00 p.m. Sunday, May 22, 1977.
Additional Information
For addtional information, contact
Dean Lewis.
him under the tutorial of a good
teacher.
Third and probably the most
Important, a good teacher must
know himself and to this knowledge
he must k)e true. One individual
should no more stumble aimlessly
into the teaching profession than
another should wander Incidentally
into the field of medicine. The
classroom Is no place to play off
psychological neuroses. If a
Napolean must lord his powers for
self-gratification, let him do It on
the battlefield or in the streets. If
he must boast his Intellect and
strut his acquired knowledge, let
him find a quiz show not a
classroom. If he must have an
audience to project his theatrical
abilities, let him find a stage. The
classroom is no place for the
psychological misfit, the would-be
emperor, or the feebleminded. Any
teacher who feels that his
professional status Is elevated by
falling fifty percent of his students
is in the wrong profession. Any
teacher who feels that kindness
and understanding, tolerance and
goodwill are for the birds should
himself fly away to another
profession.
Teachers have the greatest
responsibility in the world.
Ministers who seek manipulation
of men's souls may disagree, but It
is the mind of man that will
preserve our lives for years to
come, and our teachers mold our
nation's future through the
cultivated growth of these minds.
It Is they who will preserve us or
blow us to Kingdom Come.
Therefore, the profession of
teaching should never be taken
lightly. The full worth of a good
teacher can never be measured;
however, the carelessness and
indifference of a poor teacher may
be passed very quickly and
noticeably to those under his
guidance. If our nation is to survive
in the future, it will not be because
the great men of old have left us a
world guaranteed to stand the test
of time. It will be because our great
minds and men have been molded
in the classrooms of today by men
and women dedicated to the
mighty task of teaching.
Cost
Tution
Room
$120.00
45.00
$165.00
Students Vote
To Combine Councils
Housing
The same Housing Regulations which
apply during the regular year apply
during the time this course is being
taught. Thus, if you are required to live
in a residence ball during the year, you
will be required to live in a residence
January 10, Tuesday
Registration for Spring Semester
Classes
January 11, Wednesday
Spring Semester Classes Begin
On February 28,1977 members of the
Chowan College Student Body voted to
combine the Men’s Council and the
Women’s Council. Of the 176 students
who participated in the referendum,
163 voted for the merger and 13 voted
against it.
In a regular meeting Tuesday, March
8, 1977, members of the Student
Legislature approved of a Constitution
for the Student Judical Council. The
Student Judicial Council shall serve in
an advisory capacity to Residence Hall
Counsils and work in cooperation with
the Student Government Association
and the College Asministration.
The CouncU has original jurisdiction
over major rule infractions which are
not delegated to the Residence Hall
Councils or the Faculty Judicial
Committee.
The Student Judicial Council is
composed of 7 members and 7 alter
nates. There will be one member and
one alternate from each residence hall
and one member and one alternate
from the Day Student Organization.
Members and Alternates for the 1977-
78 Council will be elected respectively
by members of the Day Student
Organization and the residents of the 6
residence halls. Elections will be
coordinated by the Elections Com
mittee of the SGA, the Associate Dean
of Students, Head Residents, and Mrs.
Batchelor, Faculty Sponsor of the Day
Student Organization.
1978
Nancy Sullivan — Editor
Mike Bamhardt — Associate Editor
JANUARY
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January 13, Friday
Spring Convocation
January 19, Thursday
Last Day Classes May Be Added
February 24, Friday
Last Day Classes May Be Dropped
Without Academic Penalty
March 3, Friday
Mid Term Holiday Begins at Close of
Classes
Marc^ 7. Tuesday
Classes Resume at 8:00 a m
March 20—24, Monday-Friday
Religious Emphasis Week
March 24, Friday
Easter Holidays Begin at Close of
Classes
April 3, Monday
Classes Resume at 8:00 a m
April 22, Saturday
Spring Festival
April 28, Friday
Honors Day
May 5-12, Friday-Friday
Spring Semester Examinations
May 14, Sunday
Baccalaureate Service
May 14, Sunday
Graduation Exercises
Lyric soprano Faye Robinson will present a concert In McDowell Columns
Mditorium at Chowan College Wednesday, April 6 at 8:15 p.m. Admission
for Chowan students is by ID card. A review In the New York Times called
tier talent "extraordinary."