PAGE 2, THE DECREE, FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1986
Opinions and Eilitorials
AIA Poses Real Threat
To Academic Freedom
“Accuracy in Academia” was
founded this fall by fieed Irvine,
llie goal of this organization is
to force college professors to
conform to one particular idea
in their teaching. “Accuracy in
Academia” claims that they are
“combating the dissemination
of misinformation” in college
classrooms.
ITie people behind this organ
ization have seemingly forgot
ten what education is. They are
trying to tell professors what to
teach their students, while the
whole idea of education is to get
students to hear and think'
about the different views that
are available to them. “Accu
racy in Academia” would like to.
force any professor who down
grades our national heritage to
change his views so that they
give a better image of our coun
try. In doing this academic free
dom is severely discouraged and
the students are not allowed to
think for themselves, lliis me
thod of teaching would seem to
border on both censorship and
communism. If this organiza
tion becomes prominent then
we are putting our education
system back in time twenty
years.
It was twenty years ago that
the University of North (Jaroli-
na was facing academic censure
and the possible loss of accredi
tation because of the state’s an
ti-communist speaker ban law.
This law limited the free speech
of students, faculty members,
and adimistrative speakers.
It seems that “Accuracy in
Academia” should realize that
everyone has a right to express
their beliefs. The same right is
given to the people who are lis
tening. They do not have to
agree with what is said; in fact,
they should be encouraged to
express their own views. Here
“Accuracy in Academia” has its
only valid point. Are there pro
fessors who force their own be
liefs onto students? Even this
supposition seems pretty shaky.
We have never met a professor
or anyone in the academic field
who forced information on stu
dents and did not allow the stu
dents to give their own views.
Maybe there are some profes
sors who teach this way but
their scarcity and their students
ability to recognize them as rad
ical brainwashers would negate
any influence they would have.
In the end it would be the stu
dents who would be hurt the
most by “Accuracy in Acade
mia.” If processors were forced
to follow guidelines then stu
dents would be deprived of some
interesting views. They would
also be fearful of expressing
.their own opinions, feeling their
grade may suffer if they did not
accept the professor’s teaching.
This lack of academic freedom
can do nothing except hurt our
1‘ducation system.
ACROSS
1 Simian
4 Saint; abbr.
6 Analyze, as
sentence
11 Cylindrical
13 Beast
15 Symbol for
tantalum
16 South American
mammal
18 Peel
19 Rubber tree
21 Rockfish
22 Spanish article
23 Is present
26 Cover
29 Destiny
31 Scorch
33 Roman 1001
34 Hebrew month
35 River island
38 Music: as
written
39 Forenoon
40 Negative prefix
41 Walk
43 Contest
45 Crimson
47 Struck
50 Spanish article
52 Unit of Italian
currency
53 Click beetle
56 Egyptian
singing
bird
58 Muse of poetry
60 Concerning
61 Earlier
63 Center
65 Projecting teeth
66 Therefore
67 Lamprey
DOWN
1 Aleutian island
2 Toll
3 Teutonic deity
4 Begin
5 Indian tent
6 Commemora
tive marches
Crossword
Puzzle
See .4 n.sivers
On Page 3
7 Article
6 Mature
9 Little
10 Organ of
hearing
1
2
3
11
i5
6
7
6
9
■
13
14
18
22
12 Latin
coniunction
14 French article
17 Hostelries
20 Dine
24 Pekoe: pi.
25 Posed for
portrait
27 Mohammedan
priest
28 Coin
29 Beautiful
30 Competent
32 Rant
36 Possessive
pronoun
37 Bank employees
42 Couple
44 Sum up
46 Skilled person
48 English baby
carriages
49 Courtyard
51 River in Siberia
54 Heraldic
bearing
55 Walk unsteadily
56 Equally
57 Spanish plural
article
59 Hypothetical
force
62 For example:
abbr.
64 Prefix: down
Coweoe Press Service
® 1984 United Feature Syndicate
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Sports Include
Intellectual Role
Dear Editor:
Our class would like to re
spond to Dr. Navangul’s letter
in the Nov. 22 Decree.
We consider the question to be
whether or not sport has an in
tellectual component. We are
defining “intellectual” as hav
ing the capacity to think ra
tionally based on acquired
knowlege.
Out of a class of 15,87 percent
take the majority position that
sportrfoes have an intellectual
component. In order to support
this position, we offer the follow
ing thoughts;
1. Sport requires the use of
deductive reasoning in order to
make quick decisions on the
playing field.
2. Mental discipline is also
required (beyond hand-eye cor-
dination).
3. In team efforts, players
must integrate their position
with others in the process of
making the parts into a whole.
4. Last, repetition is required
to refine skills into acquired
knowledge.
5. When comparing these
points to experience in music,
art, literature and science, we
find the same holds true.
Our minority position is that
sport does not have an intellec
tual component because:
1. It doesn’t take a great deal
of intelligence to acquire the
knowledge required to play
sport.
2. Any deductive reasoning
that occurs is performed by the
one in the role of educator/-
coach.
3. When comparing the intel
lectual component of sport to
music, etc., we find no parrell:
the knowlege which must be ac
quired in high culture is exten-
sive'and time-consuming. The
knowlege which must be ac
quired in sport is limited and
quickly gained.
Sociology of Sport & Leisure
Raleigh Extension Class
Sports
Require
Thought
Dear Editor:
Our class \yould like to re
spond to Dr. Navangul’s article
“Are Sports Intellectual?” in the
Nov. 22 Decree.
We view the question from
several perspectives: we un
animously agree that sport is an
intellectual activity so long as
process is emphasized rather
than outcome. We also see a dis
tinction between sport for the
spectator and for the partici
pant.
In support of our position that
sport is an intellectual activity
when process (play) is emphas
ized, we make the following
points:
1. Knowlege of skills and rules
are required for proper play and
appreciation of the game for
both spectator and participant.
2. Sport is structured activity,
which evidences cognition.
(Some would say sport is a so
cial institution.)
When outcome (winning) is
emphasized rather than pro
cess, sport is precluded from be
ing an intellectual activity in
the following way:
Outcome is the end result of
the play or process of the game.
However, there are those who
emphasize outcome without re
gard to process. When this oc
curs - direct effect on sport as an
intellectual activity. Those spec
tators who view the outcome
only are more likely to demand
violence by participants in order
to be entertained. TTiis precludes
attention on the playing field to
rules and skills which are the
intellectual aspects of sport.
It is also popularly believed
that sport serves to drain off
violent feelings in the spectator.
Research we have studied sug
gests the opposite — that view
ing violent sports increased vio
lent feelings and actions. This,
too, precludes sport being an
intellectual activity.
Sociology of Sport & Leisure
Rocky Mount Campus Class
tctte
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