THE VOICE OF WILKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
VOLUME 5, No. 3
WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
DECEMBER 19, 1975
WCC FLOAT WINS 1st PLACE IN ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE
Thousands of people were on
hand in the Wilkesboros to view the
annual Christmas parade on Sat
urday afternoon, December 6.
Comprised of 77 units, the parade
was described as the largest ever held
in Wilkes County.
Perfect weather prevailed, mostly
sunshine, warm, with a slight breeze.
It was a county-wide project with
involvement of schools, community
business organizations and industry.
The Winning Float, made by the
Division of Learning Resources,
Wilkes Community College, honored
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WATCHFUL SANTA
Each family has its own tradi
tions at Yuletide and as Christmas
draws near, the children in my
house get more and more excited.
When the Christmas tree is put in
the living room and decorated, the
excitement of the children is unsur
passable. But the warning that Santa
is watching makes them watchful,
too. They know that now the tree
is up, Santa can tell there are chil
dren to be watched (to see which
ones are good, you know), and sure
enough each evening before bed
time, Santa comes, accompanied
with jingle bells, checks on the
children, and leaves a tiny candy
cane for each child. Oh, yes indeed,
at my house the spirit of Santa is
very much alive and very, very
watchful.
—Eileen Lowe
James Larkin Pearson, Poet Laureate
of North Carolina, and had a log
cabin symbolic of Mr. Pearson’s
humble mountain beginning and a
slogan recognizing him as “Printer &
Poet.” Mr. Pearson was taken to the
National Guard Armory Friday
afternoon December 5 to see the
float after it was completed.
Leading the parade were a Boy
Scout Color Guard; Dr. Howard
Thompson, President of WCC, Grand
Marshal for the Parade; and Mayors
of the Wilkesboros.
STUDENT INFORMATION
BULLETIN
Monday, January 5, 1976 — Regis
tration for Curriculum Day Students
will be from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00
p.m.
Tuesday, January 6, 1976 — Regis
tration for Curriculum Night Stud
ents will be from 2:00 p.m. until
8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7, 1976 — First
Day of Classes. Registration for
Continuing Education Students.
Saturday, January 10, 1975 — Late
Registration ends at 12 Noon.
THE “REALITY” EDUCATION
by Vickie Reins
I used to get mad at my school
The teachers who taught me weren’t
cool
You’re holding me down, turning
me round
Filling me up with your rules, . . .
Contrary to the rest of the
Lennon/McCartney song, education
does not seem to be getting better
all the time. In fact, I believe in
some schools it is rapidly getting
worse. Our educational system to
day is outdated with the exception
of a minority of lucky students who
have found schools suited to their
needs. I have found that many stu
dents believe that what they are
being taught is not truly important,
is relevant. Many of us feel that
some schools today are geared to
ward turning out brainwashed super
consumers. We must keep the status
quo. We must be accepted. We must
ensure that our standard of living
will never change, and above all, we
must not rock the proverbial sacred
boat!
It is with this in mind that I pro
pose that we finally get around to
actually implementing nation wide,
the “reality” education we have
been talking about for so long. How
you live, where you live and with
whom you live — this is what
“reality ” education is all about.
How much of what you have
been taught in school is truly equip
ping you to survive in, to deal with,
to understand the outside world,
the one you live in now, the one
you will live in once you are out of
school?
I can only think of a few text
books that even approach some
facet of reality education. Schools
are supposedly set up for the stu
dents, to serve their needs, to satisfy
their wants in terms of learning and
education. Yet a common outlook
that some school administrators
have is “They’re_ only here three or
four years. By the time they finish
complaining and trying to rearrange
all this, they’ll be out of here any
way,” and it is true. Many times
the battles last so long, and the re
sults are so watered down and in
significant, that the students do
leave not caring, not excited about
what they have learned. They come
out silent, frustrated, stifled, simply
glad to get out of a place! Is this the
true purpose of education?
TO VICKIE! ! !
Our co-editor, Vickie Reins, is
leaving us at the end of this quarter.
The COUGAR’S CRYing; so are we!
Thank you, Vickie,
for your newswriting,
your features,
your editorials,
your clever, creative
illustrations,
for delivering copy to the printer—
In short, thank you for sharing
with us your best, with exuberance
and versatility.
Though you will be missed here,
those of us who know you predict
^^PPy days ahead as you complete
your work at WCC and apply your
talents to the study of fashion de
sign at the Merchandise Mart in
Charlotte.
Much love and best wishes, Vickie!
-THE STAFF