Page 2
The Pendulum
April 15,1970
Administrative policies:
Is there justification
for limiting class size?
A policy at Elon which is detrimental to the students in
many instances is that concerning class size. If a class does
not have at least 15 students registered for it, it will be
dropped and the students signed up for it will have to suffer
through something else, not to mention the hassle they will
have to go through to choose and register for another course.
There is no justification for requiring a minimum of 15
students. In many cases, the classes are designed to be
seminar courses which provide a more challenging and
intellectually stimulating atmosphere than normal lecture
classes. Rather than the minimum, 15 should be the
maximum number of students in order to promote an active
interchange of knowledge and ideas through informal
discussion. It is the smaller groups which enhance such
seminar courses.
Given the small size of Elon College and the low number of
majors in several areas, the school should be able to offer
these courses for 10 to 15 people. Students should not be
deprived of the benefit of broader areas of study, but instead
should be offered the advantage of a wider range in course
selection — regardless of how many students sign up for the
course. The interest of the few may be greater than the
interest of the many.
Speaking generally, it is the course with fewer people in
them which tend to be the most rewarding classes for student
and professors alike. This is the root of real and lasting
education. The personal exchange of thoughts allowed in
small classes always seems to be the most beneficial
educational experience.
Courses required for the majors must also be given special
consideration because the number of students in the class
may inevitably be limited due to the small number of people
majoring in a particular area. In the same right, electives
and upper-level courses offered for majors should cover a
range broad enough to allow for the diverse interests of
individual students. This range should not be determined by
economic considerations such as the number of students
enrolled in the course but by the intrinsic value of providing
students with a comprehensive knowledge of their field.
. Another problem that may be caused by designating 15
students as a minimum per class is that many classes may be
cancelled at the last minute. This may prove traumatic to
graduating seniors who had counted on a course which was
required for their graduation. For this reason, courses should
be offered unconditionally; with no catches attached to them.
The list of course offerings looks like it is being intentionally
if classes are made available only on the condition that 15
p>eople sign up for them. This has been known to foul up the
plans and lives of many students. It should not be necessary
to create these problems when the goal of this institution is
education in the fullest sense — a spectrum which should
cover all possibilities for potential growth.
Staff
Page Garriques & Lance Latane
Gary Spitler
Mark Sauer, Ed Adams
Joe Chandler, Robert House
Fraun Talley, Becky Gray
Mike Christie
Cathy Henley
Susan Love
Fred Caudle
Janie McGann
Reporters
Co-editors
Sports editor
Cartoonists
Photography
Typists
Tom Gear
Kay Raskin
Rick Sherlock
Tom Graupmann
Joe Chandler
Adviser, Dr. Mary Ellen Priestley
Published by the Communications Media Board of Elon
College in conjunction with the Student Government
Association. All correspondence and articles: Box 3202, Elon
College.
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Letters
Dear Editors,
I have heard rumors that
President Young, against the
advice of most of the
administration and against the
wishes of the students, is
planning to turn at least one, if
not two of the dorms in the
Hook, Brannock, and Barney
complex into women’s dorms
and to make Sloan into a men's
dorm.
What the hell is going on in
this school? While the idea
itself might not be bad, why
haven't they asked the
students? We are the ones who
are going to be shuffled in
another one of Eton's Crazy
Eights card games. I live in
Barney dorm, and I know no one
has asked me if I wanted to
move or not! I have spoken with
women from Sloan dorm, and
they are also angry about this
since they do not want to be
moved.
Added to this is the fact that I
am not even certain if this is
rumor or truth. Why doesn’t the
school ever let the students in
on how we are going to get
messed up this time? This
college’s administration seems
only to care about its wishes
and not the students. What is
this, a prison?
With this fire in Carolina
dorm, I think that it is about
time this college did something
about the disgusting living
conditions on this campus. If it
were not for the property of the
students in Carolina, I would
have hoped that it had burned
to the ground. This would have
left about 150 students
roomless, but also thousands of
pigeons, mice, and, of course
cockroaches. To put it bluntly,’
Carolina is a dump.
I lived in Smith dorm
(another dump) for two years
tefore I managed to get over to
Barney dorm. Since then, I have
enjoyed living on this campus.
My grades have improved,
because 1 can study without
noise from a hallway. I can now
get to sleep at a decent hour.
Now this school is going to force
me to move back into a similar
situation. What is this college
becoming?
Face it, everyone. We need at
least one if not two new dorms
on this campus. Sure, it will cost
money, but we’re paying out
money to live in hell-holes.
Switching dorms isn’t going to
change the lousy conditions on
this campus. Only some money
put to good use, and an
administration that’s not only
for the students but with them
will make things better and not
just different.
Living in Barney
Dear Editors,
Believe it or not, 1 would like
to commend the administration
on their innovative project to
change the dorms around. Not
only is this a great move toward
a more liberal campus but the
change will provide better
social and living conditions.
Up to this point the students
have been so segmented
according to sex, males on one
side, females on the other. There
was always the fear on the part
of the females that they would
be labeled if found on the male
side, and it will be such a
natural setting having both
sexes walking on both sides of
the campus. It will be fun to be
able to sit out on the steps and
have all sexes being able to talk
openly.
Another valid point is the
protection idea. Having the
guys close to the girls will
provide good protection and
mutual respectful caring on the
part of both sexes.
It will be nice for the girls to
have eight of their friends
together in a suite and the guys
in Sloan will only have to share
a bath with six guys and they
will be close to the cafeteria,
library and Garrison’s.
We talk about this being
against student rights, but we
don’t complain about being in
the dorms we are in now
because they were here and
organized when we entered
college. If we had come with this
already done then it would have
seemed natural and not against
student rights.
Sure there are some problems
and lots of disagreement with
this, but come on, students, we
always plead for changes and
this is one change that can help
us as a school to progress. Think
about the good things and let's
try to show a little foresight in
what could become a great
future.
Dorm resident
Dear Editors,
Many excuses are often given,
much rationalization is done,
compromising of morals and
beliefs often occurs, a battle
with the conscience sometimes
erupts (hopefully), all in an
attempt to somehow legitimize
a practice that has reached
epidemic proportions in the
Elon College classroom —
cheating. Yes, cheating in a
flagrant, willful and often open
manner. The adage, "Everybody
does it” is most often echoed. So
now, two wrongs make a right.
Professors are in a difficult
position. Cheating is very
difficult to document and prove,
especially when only
"scoping" method is used. The
Honor Court can do little when
signing of the Honor pledge is
only a mock gesture. Witness
the fact that only one person
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