Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / March 22, 1968, edition 1 / Page 16
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THE GUILFORDIAN New Frontiers of College Life The student life at the small college absent of the fraternities and the legal possession of alcohol, swims and frats its way across the stage, creating new orga - sm through each movement. Possessing all the technological advanc es, the student today is moving on new frontiers. His knowledge seems to be unlimited. His sources numerable—televis ion, radio, newspapers, books, travel ... But in the particulars of tradition is stuck. In a land traditionally known for its hospitality, it is ironic that campus parties are close to "null"and really so drab that it is useless to try to sponsor anything worthwhile. —How can students contemplate "Stu dent Power?"— Here the student government is still questioning its rather innocuous represen Projection : More Responsibility For The Students Education is a personal affair and as such should concern itself with the in terests and life of the individual stu dent. Such was the main theme of the recent symposium on student activism and dissent, and as such it has sparked many discussions on the rights of stu dents. The main premise for the argument that students do have rights, is that the college exists, or should exist, for the student; not to better the faculty or the administration. Therefore, the system should respond to those demands made on it by the students. Why should an intelligent student be required to sit through a required course which the professor doesn't want to teach and which has nothing of value for the stu dent. If the only thing a course has to recommend it is the fact that it is re quired, it should be dropped. Why should the student who is here supposedly to learn and to broaden his mind be stifled in a totally regulated course where he must read six books, write three reports, and not cut. Surely the only thing gained by such a system of forced boredom is three more hours of sleep per week. However, the fault is not entirely with the faculty and administration. NOTICE - There will be P meeting of interested people supporting EUGENE MCCARTHY Friday, March March 22, In The Courthouse , Greensboro at 7:30 titive power. The idea that the constitut ion of the student government is restrict ive hinders some of its more radical members. But with all the social and academic inhibitions that exist here, students are making some changes; freeing themselves of garbage and really getting into some thing. The student government,in addition to seeking a more effective system of rep resentation, i? providing a more efficient allocation of student funds, arWthe elimin ation of the Appeals Board, and improv ing the amendment procedure. The Guilfordian is hoping to blast at the future with some projects. In the past it has facilitated communication among colleges,particularly in Greensboro, and is working on the idea of a college daily for the five colleges of the city. It is going to sponsor a teacher evalua- Some of the fault for this current mis take in education lies with the student. How many students who are dissatisfied with a course do anything to change it? How many go to the professor and register a complaint? The faculty can't be expected to change a course which everyone seems to be satisfied with. Another solution to this problem is in dependent study. The facilities and pre cedents for independent study already exist at Guilford. Perhaps if such a method of study interests a student he could inquire of his advisor about the possibility of using such a method. The student who wants a role in his own education can have it here if he asks for it. Now this is not true in every case, but is is possible for many. The students here have got to stop accepting whatever is handed out to them, and the faculty and administration have got to stop thinking they know what the student needs. Students, like faculty, are individuals and what works for one may not work for another. In order for the educational system to be effective it must be able to adjust itself to the needs of the individual student. This has been tried in other places such as Antioch College where there tion program and a special issue on elections. The Student Union is also trying to create student interest out of apathy. But,for the most part,students are interes ted in themselves and are constantly sur rounded by the external and internal pressures of day to day college life. And so, for the cool man there is Ham's,which is the immortalized place for drowning one's problems and vision in the "draft". For them it is,as Norman Mailer might say, both "a spiritual and moral activity". We are basically animals, both helped and hindered in college. The student life is as the wind blowing in a variety of directions at once . . . dating, studying, and drinking . . . Stu dents combine these in a number of different ways which Guilford has not totally assimilated. Janet Ghezzi are no grades and where the students determine their own courses and fields of study. And while traditionalists claim that such a system does not educate a student and that it lessens his chances of getting into graduate school, it is a fact that approximately 85% of the graduates of ungraded colleges go on to graduate school and do well. Now, while it is true that in order to evaluate the progress of each student in such an institution requires time and contact between students and faculty, if ed ucation is the goal, then it is worth it. What is needed then is an interest in educating the student. From that viewpoint one can see why the college exists for the student and why its best interests can be served if it allows the student to have a say in what he studies and how he goes about it. Surely if you merely plug students into the ap propriate courses you cannot expect them to come out of the college with any kind of real perspective of relevance to the world in which they live, if they can't take the responsibility for what they learn they can't be expected to come out of the system as mature responsible adults. They could only come out as dependent babies, incapable and somewhat afraid of making their own decisions. PAGE 9
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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March 22, 1968, edition 1
16
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