The Pendulum
Page 7
Veterans Corner Proposed ROTC Program Will Be
By J.W. Bennett
and Robin King
Recently the 100 veterans
who attend Elon College got a
break.
This break came when
Congress over-rode President
Ford's veto of the Vietnam Era
Veterans-Readjustment Assis
tance Act or the G.I. Bill.
The main clause of the bill
boosted the financial benefits
given to veterans who are
attending school by 22.7 per
cent. This means that a single
veteran attending school will
receive $270 a month instead of
$220 a month. A married
veteran attending will now
receive $321 a month: the old
figure was $261 a month. The
veteran who is married and has
a child will now get $366 a
month: the old amount was
$298 a month.
According to the G.I. Bill, the
veteran now has 45 months to
complete his undergraduate
degree. This is a nine-month
addition but does not cover
graduate school.
What these new benefits
mean to the veterans here at
Elon is hard to judge. Because
of the cost of tuition, as in most
other private schools, the
benefits will not cover the full
cost of going to school. This is
oi^e reason that so few veterans
attend Elon. The vc^teran
population here at F^lon ranges
from ages 21 to 45. Most of the
veterans who attend Elon are
commuters. About half of the
vets are part-time students.
Only five months remain for
several million Vietnam-era
veterans to apply for a new
program of low-cost govern
ment term life insurance.
Certain veterans were made
retroactively eligible for the
insurance when Congress
passed the law last year.
Veterans discharged since then
have been receiving automatic
notices of eligibility and forms
which must be filed within 120
days of separation.
The deadline for veterans
who were separated between
April 2, 1970 and July 31, 1974,
who are applying for' Veterans
Group Life Insurance (VGLl), is
August 1, 1975. The program
provides a maximum of $20,000
coverage for up to five years.
♦»*
If you’re a veteran with a yen
to travel or establish residence
overseas, you’d better check
with the Veterans Administra
tion.
Offered to Students Next Fall
By Lance Latane
According to Col. William B.
\eal, the ROTC which will be
included in Elon’s curriculum
next fall can "reinforce a
college education."
During assembly on .March 4,
the professor of military science
at A&T University presented a
film to explain his statement
about the Reserve Office
Training Program. The movie
depicted a "newsman ” seeking
an objective look at the ROTC
on an early 1960’s college
campus. His findings were
clear; cadets and former ROTC
stressed the values of self
assurance, responsibility and
leadership which the program
instilled in its members. Others
emphasized the security and
positions of an Army career as
an officer and the advantage
that the experience holds for
those who later decide to
compete for civilian jobs.
These aspects do have
appeal. John Pelosky, a former
Spec. 4 in the Army and
Vietnam veteran who "knows
the Army’s good points and bad
points,” is a student here
The Elon Sports Review
by Gary F. Spider
Sports Clipboard
MARCH
17 Golf vs. High Point-
Away
18 Baseball vs. Mars
Hill-Away-1:00 p.m.. Tennis
vs. Catawba-Away, Golf vs.
H ampden-Sydney-Away;
20 Baseball vs. N.C. A&T at
Elon-3;00 p.m., Tennis vs.
Lenoir Rhyne at Elon;
21 Golf at Camp Lejeune
Tournament
22 Tennis vs. High Point-
Away, Golf at Camp Lejeune
Tournament;
23 Golf at Camp Lejeune
Tournament;
24 Golf vs. Lenoir Rhyne-
Away;
25 Baseball vs. Mansfield
Slate at Elon-2:30 p.m.. Golf
vs. Pfeiffer. Atlantic Christian,
Univ. of Baltimore at Elon,
Tennis vs. NCC at Elon-2:00
p.m.:
26 Tennis vs. Guilford-
Away:
27 Baseball vs. Guilford-
Away-3;00 p.m.
28 Baseball vs. W'. Va.
Wesleyan at Elon-l:00 p.m.
28-30 Golf at Kitty Hawk
Tournament-Away;
29 Baseball vs. W. Va.
Wesleyan at Elon-l:00 p.m.
Football Notice
The spring edition of the
Elon College Fighting Christian
football team will play an
intra-squad football game on
the Elon College practice field
on the campus March 31 at 3:00
p.m. All students, faculty,
staff, fans, and supporters are
urged to attend.
Thomas Moore, the 6-5 junior forward from Elon College, N.C.
reaches low to grasp onto the ball. All players played well in the
CC Battle. [Photo by Joe Chandler]
considering the ROTC. He said
"personal ambition” and job
security were factors which
interested him about the
program. "It's not the money.”
he said, explaining that he was
receiving G.I. Bill benefits,
"I'm looking forward to a
career. "
Anticipating the program he
said, "1 think it will be good.
.More people than you think are
interested in it. With time,” he
said, "people will become more
serious about it. "
His ideas reflect the
comments of the Dean of the
College Dr. Theo Strum. Dean
Strum said that the college
considered adding the program
in 1967, but the campus
climate, as in all campuses at
that time, discouraged it. Now
she says people are more
" practical” in view of economic
conditions and see in the ROTC
program a career opportunity.
The dean said, "Some 50 or 60
students have indicated, should
we set up this program, they
would be interested to
participate.” She expects
interest to increase with time.
Dean Strum said that
because some students were
interested last year, the college
contacted the Army to establish
an ROTC here. They were
referred to A&T’s Col. Neal,
"Because to establish a
program on your own is
difficult, ” Dean Strum said,
"Elon's ROTC would be a
satelite'^ of A&T's program.”
Col. .Meal has designated one of
his staff to head Elon’s
department. "We have confi
dence in the personnel they
have,” Dean Strum said.
Eight courses will be offered
for both freshman and junior
cadets in the fall. Status and
qualification for junior course
means be a veteran or
completion of one of the basic
camps this summer. They are
held at Ft. Knox, Ky. on May
30 to July 10, June 20, to July
31 and July 18 to Aug. 28.
ROTC "fact sheets” were
distributed after Neal’s film
which stipulate enlistment
conditions. Here are some
important facts:
1. ROTC cadets (freshman
and sophomore coursesi are
under no obligation for active
duty. They may withdraw at
any time, but receive no pay.
2. Cadets during junior and
senior years receive $100 per
month for 10 months of the
year.
3. For attending six weeks of
advanced camp between junior
and senior years, cadets receive
$450.00 plus room, board and
travel expenses.
4. All who successfully
complete the program are
obligated to serve in active duty
and are commissioned as
Second Lieutentants. Periods of
obligation vary from a
minimum of 90 days to a
maximum of four years in the
army reserves.
5. Program offered to men
and women.
6. Credit, up to 12 semester
hours.
To get a better idea and
understanding of the program,
literature is available in Dr.
Moncure’s office and the
Student Affairs office.
Mancini Says SGA Is
Administration Puppet
Brad Ballou, the 6-10 junior center from Halifax, Va., carries the
ball past Pfeiffer Falcon players. Elon won the contest 69-67. This
year’s CC Tournament turned out to be rather a surprise with
Pfeiffer claiming the title after all the other colleges were
defeated before the finals.
By Debbie Cochran
"‘The SGA at Elon College is
a puppet. The students have no
real voice. The administration
does not listen to the needs of
the students but is in the
position to call all of the shots,”
said Mark Mancini during an
interview last week.
Two weeks ago the Board of
Trustees was approached with
recommendations for student
drinking in one's own room and
an SGA student fee increase of
$2.50. Both were refused. "We
received no explanation as to
why the drinking resolution was
put down. As far as the fee is
concerned, they claimed they
did not see enough students
willing to pay the extra $2.50,”
Mancini explained.
According to Mark, equal
visitation in dorms, that is, for
the women to be allowed in the
men’s dorms from 2:00 until
5:00 Sundays, was defeated
earlier by the trustees and
again with no explanation. "I
received a letter pertaining to
this, asking to delay on this
matter until a further date,” he
said.
Making the fraternity houses
social areas went through the
student senate but was rejected
by the administration. “It
seems quite hypocritical that
students, faculty, administra
tion and the trustees know
there are parties in the frat
houses, know there is drinking
in dormitories, yet try to paint a
prim picture of Elon."
One thing that has been
passed was the abolishing of
strict campus. Strict campus is
when a person is punished by
being confined to his room
except for meals and classes. ‘ ‘I
might add this was done solely
by the honor court with no
support from the administra
tion.
' ‘Sometimes I feel that I have
wasted two years working with
the SGA. I started out
preparing for my presidential
responsibilites a month before
the 1974 semester. At that time
I was optimistic; all the
administration seemed to be
backing me. I should have
realized that when it really gets,
down to the basic facts,
administration doesn't really
care,” Mancini stated. “It’s
not so much the trustees as the
administration that I’m down
on. If the administration would
back the students, the vote of
the trustees would be much
more favorable to the students.
The administration’s major
concern is the recruitment of
new students, and they don't
bother to evaluate the happi
ness of the students already
here at Elon,” Mark retorted.