Newspapers / Smoke signals. / Oct. 11, 1978, edition 1 / Page 7
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Smoke Signals, Wednesdoy, October 11, 1978 — Poge 7 Colleges More Student Voice EXHIBITING ARTIST — Mrs. Mary Ann Pennington Walker, Pembroke State University art professor, is greeted by Chowan art professors (from left) Stanley Mitchell, Douglas Eubank and David Parker. Pen and ink drawings by Mrs. Walker were on display in the Chowan Art Gallery during September. The artist is the daughter of Col. and Mrs. J. C. Pennington of Mur freesboro. Her mother and brother, James K. Penn ington, are Chowan graduates. Student Organizations Merge As Conservatism Rises to Top By BILLSONN BOLDER, COLO. (CPS) - Every once in a while, time catches up to the National Student Association. NSA, the Washington, D.C.-based organization that calls itself the representative of the American student body, has periodical ly suffered major internal disruptions that reflect issues and attitudes emerg ing on campus. In the mid-sixties, some members tried to move NSA into more anti-war and civil rights activism. In 1971, some wanted it to spend more time lobbying in Congress on those issues. And in those cases, the dissidents lost. Sometimes they left to form their own organizations. Thus were Students for a Democratic Socie ty, the Student Non-violent Coor dinating Committee, Young Americans for Freedom, and the National Student Lobby bom. Something similar happened at the 1978 NSA convenUon in Boulder. Even as NSA and the National Student Lobby voted, in the spirit of unity, to merge in to something called the United States Student Association (USSA), upheaval touched virtually every floor vote. The disruption seemed to reflect not only the emerging power of schools in the Sun Belt states, but the apparently growing conservatism of the American student body. . Specifically the dissidents who “called themselves the RefonrT (!^ucus at the convention — protested that USSA, and NSA and NSL before it, had: emphasised “social issues” like af firmative action, abortion rights, and the J.P. Stevens boycott at the expense of “educational issues” like financial aid and the nature of the proposed U.S. Dept, of Education. Not accurately represented student opinion because the majority of the board of directors was appointed, not elected by the convention. To accurately represent student student opinion because wealthy schools could afford to send more delegates to conventions than some larger, but poorer, schools. The Reform Caucus was soundly defeated on all those points. But the defeats, ceded floor co-chair Chip Berlet, might have had more to do with caucus members inability to master convention procedures than with actual voting strength “How worthile?” The reformers, significantly enough, drew most of their support from Sun Belt States like California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and North Cariolina. True to pattern, they left the convention grumbling about seceding from USSA and starting a new and different organization. Among the moderate reformers was Mike Blackstone, who was eventually elected to the USSA board from the University of Alabama. After the con vention, he told Alabama’s Crimson & White that “right now I just don't know how worthwhile belonging to (USSA) is.” Jeb Hensarling of Texas A&M and Bob Richey of Louisiana State said they were definitely taking their schools out of the organization. The Colorado delegation left even before the final gavel, saying it would not tolerate a proposed USSA investigation into its af firmative action policies. Peter Young, president of Associated Students at Cal State-Sacramento, had been empowered to take all California state schools out of USSA if the organization didn’t approve proxy voting. Proxy voting would, Young figured, give his state system a full con vention floor voice without spending the hundreds of dollars necessary to bring an entire California delegation to a con vention. Young, alone among the reformers, actually won a compromise on the issue. USSA still prohibits proxy voting, but will henceforth give California votes extra weight. Yet Young saw it as a hollow victory. “I’ve still got a lot of problems with” the compromise. California, he said after the convention, might secede anyway. Perhaps with an eye toward forming a new organization, he wrote a post-convention letter to the reformers thanking them for their sup port. Other reformers are moving faster. .Southeastern Conference student body prosidents, for example, will meet in Athens, Ga., on October 14th to discuss what to do about membership in NSA. More of the same Jeb Hensarling of Texas A&M in sisted that “this isn’t an ideological split. It’s about what kind of organiza tion this is going to be.” Yet Hensarl- ing’s own complaints atx)ut USSA’s fiscal management, and the reformers opposition to spending funds in pursuit of “social issues” led many to perceive the reformers as a wholly conservative force. Individually, the reformers didn’t seem ideologically united. Hensarling, for one, describes himself as a “Ford Republican.” LSU’s Richey is a Reaganite, while Peter Young passed out Jerry Brown buttons at the conven tion. Their unity instead was founded on a conservative view of organizational issues. They generally agree that the organization was being distorted by its emphasis on social issues. They also ob jected to the ways the group arrived at positions on social issues. In a typical case, LSU’s Richey recalled he “saw red” when he got an organization position paper on the Bakke case. “Here they were opposing Bakke, and telling congressmen they were speaking for me. Hell, they never even asked me.” The decision to oppose Allan Bakke’s admission to medical school, it turns out, was made by the board. But the board, says Hensarling, isn’t represen tative of USSA members. About 40 per cent are appointed as “at-large 6/PP/E Awards Offered For Second Year The National Student Educational Fund is sponsoring, for the second year, the Better Information Project: Prizes in Education (BIPPIE), a national competition to encourage and recognize orginal student produced in formational materials. $500 awards will be given to each of the 12 best entries. Winners will then give their award money to the student organization or project of their choice. Individual students and student organizations are eligible to enter the competition. All materials may be in any media and must be aimed at im proving the information available to students concerning campus programs, opportunities and experiences, such as orientation handbooks or guides for women reentering college. Materials must have been produced during the 1977-78 or 1978-79 academic years. Each of the 12 winners will win a trip to Washington, D. C. at which time the prize money will be awarded at a Na tional Information Celebration. Application packets are available from the National Student Educational Fund, 2000 P Street, NW, Suite 305, Washington, D.C. 20036. Over 330 students entered the 1977-78 BIPPIE contest. Information from last year’s competition is currently being compiled into a Project Research Report, will be available in late 1978. -e The competition is supported by a grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. To date, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the International Study Travel Center, and the Student Loan Marketing Association have also contributed to the project. The College Entrance Examination Board has donated funds toward the project’s evaluation activities. The competition is sponsored by the National Students Educational Fund, a national non-profit group engaged in research, information services and training activities from a student perspective. members,” usually chosen from head quarters staff. Another 20 percent are also appointed, and represent various special interest groups like the Third World Caucus and the Women’s Caucus. The remaining 40 percent of the board members are elected at the conventions. And that’s the way it will stay for at least another year. Frank Jackslone, formerly executive director of the National Student Lobby, handily defeated Tom Duffy — who had the reformers’ support — for USSA na tional chair. Jackslone plans no major policy changes. In a pre-election interview, he said his election would “pretty much confirm that people approve of the balance we keep between educational and social issues.” The powerful USSA executive board, which directs daily activities at Washington headquarters, was also fill ed with people who, like Jackalone, had previously directed NSA and NSL. Combat Decline (CPS) — Washington, D.C. — Col leges have been running scared since discovering the coming decline in col lege enrollment. But, with predictions of a 20 percent drop in the next decade, they haven’t been sitting around, wr inging their hands. Instead, they’ve been preparing for the slump by luring in an entirely new set of students via ex panded non-credit adult and continuing education programs. And it’s working. The number of pro grams available is soaring, enrollment in the programs is increasing, and adult education’s new image on many cam puses is attracting a wider age group. In the past eight years, the number of schools with continuing education ac tivities has more than doubled, reports the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The biggest in crease, not surprisingly, comes from private two-year colleges, these col leges are thinking in terms of survival, as each year the number of such col leges decreases. Now, 147 private two- year college have continuing education programs, up 141 precent from 1967. Public two-year schools showed an in crease of 134 percent. Enrollment in those classes is up. NCES recorded a 56 percent jump in registration, with public two-year col lege registering the greatest increase. Continuing education holds “the great future enrollment growths for col leges and universities,” concludes NCES. Colleges like New York Univer sity, whose continuing education pro gram is phenomenally successful, are coming to the same conclusion. Ann Marcus, dean of the NYU program observes “an almost unlimited poten tial for growth in terms of student de mand." A survey conducted at NYU’s Management Institute, with 2,500 enrollees, showed 25-34 year-olds ac counted for ahnost half the enrollment, the Institute offers “career” classes like public relations, marketing, and financial management. Encouraged by SGA By SUSAN PATE The Student Government Association is composed of three branches; Legislature, Executive Board, and Judicial Council. the Legislature is made up of one representative from each residence hall on campus and three day students. The Executive Board includes a presi dent, vice president, secretary, treasurer, social co-chairman, social co-chairwoman, and historian. The Judicial Council is composed of one representative and one alternate from each residence hall. In the past the Student Legislature has not been very strong and most of the activities on campus have been decided by the SGA Executive Board, which is composed of only a handful of students. It is hoped that the Student Legislature will be more active this year, giving more students, with a greater range of backgrounds, a voice in the Student Government, Vice Presi dent Scott Brumley said. Each residence hall has a Student Legislature representative who is the students’ link with the Student Govern ment. If a student wishes a matter to be discussed by the Legislature, he should first discuss it with his representative who will in turn take it up at the next meeting. Students can familiarize themselves with the SGA Constitution which is found on pages 95-108 in the Student Handbook. The Student Legislature held its first meeting on Monday, September fourth. At this time six committees were chosen. The committees are as follows: Regulatory Committee: Dan Fuchs, chairman; Mike Britt and Jane Bridgforth. This committee will deal with the Dean of the College and the Dean of Students concerning academic averages and conduct records of all ap pointed or elected officers and commit tee members. It will also examine financial records of all College- sponsored organizations and report to the Legislature at the end of each semester. Speakers Committee: Scott White, chairman; Robert Lumpkins and Susan Jolly. This group will sponsor lectures by speakers which have been approved by the Legislature and the President of the college. Popular Entertainment Committee: Robin Beacham, chairman; Melanie Pattisall, Janet Herzing, Ricky Thar- ington, and Sammy Chinnes. “Pop” concerts, coffee house programs, and dances will be sponsored by this comit- tee with approval from the Legislature. Movies Committee; Bemie Miller, chairman, Rick Dye, Jerry Leach, Kevin Wilson, Mike Bosch and Randy Pope. Movies which are shown by the SGA, are sponsored by this committee after they have met the approval of the Legislature. Special Events Committee: Nancy Log, chairman, Sandra Perry, Linda Klink, Francais Morrison and Jim Clark. This committee plans Homecoming (including the parade, dance, entertainment and crowning of the Queen), Football Day for Parents, Spring Festival, and the SGA Award Banquet. College Boosters: Charles Williams, Joey Bunce, Robert Lumpkins, and Tandy Dunn. This group promotes stu dent interest in athletic events and sponsors trips to away games. The members of the Executive Board are Bryan Swartz, president; Brumley, vice president; Jennifer Watts, secretary; Johnny Hawthorn, treasurer; Pam Hall, social co chairwoman; Bob Trout, social co- chairman; and Ron Majors, historian. LAST DROP DAY Friday October 13,1978 Store Hours Friday Monday SPBCIMSL 9:00- 12:00 1:00-4:00 First Quality Athletic SHIRTS Regular Price Get SHORTS to match Close Out Specials TENNIS RACKETS - 7 One Group TANK TOPS SWEAT PANTS- 3 All Purpose Luggage Many Other Bargains This Week at. . . Near Post Office and Snack Bar Chowan Bookstore
Oct. 11, 1978, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75