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THE FULL MOON
Jan. 19, 1972
Academic Grades: Why?
Today’s high school student is
confronted with many problems
and responsibilities. If he wishes
to be termed a “success” in
today’s society, he will have to
attend college, and colleges are
requiring higher and higher
entrance standards; therefore, a
student is faced wito many high
pressure situations.
But this is not enough. Every
nine weeks, some students are
confronted with cards telling
them that they are poor students
and that they could do better,
when they are perhaps doing
their best. The truth of the matter
is that grades are given far too
much emphasis in high school.
To be sure, a student needs
some way of evaluating his
learning process, but grades tend
to classify an individual. Too
often, a creative mind is stifled
because a person has made low
grades in the past and now suf
fers because of his previous
errors. Fellow students tend to
look down on the poor soul who
makes below a C on his report
card. He is considered inferior by
his cohorts, and after so long, he
himself begins to feel inferior.
Since he feels below others, he
rationalizes when another low
grade is made. TTiis continual
cycle is ruinous to a learning
process.
Considering the welfare of the
school as a whole, some clubs and
school organizations base
membership requirements upon
grades. How many students who
could have changed a school for
the better through clubs have
been excluded from these clubs
because of their academic
standings?
The C student who perhaps
cares more for his school than the
B+ Student Council represen
tative is handcuffed. He can do
nothing to help his school because
of low grades.
There is a solution to this
problem. Our educational system
is set up today in such a way that
we coiid not eliminate entirely
the grading system as it now
stands. But why not enlist the aid
of the newly formed department
evaluation groups?
We, the editors encourage each
evaluation group to consider the
facts and then act. Propose a
pass-fail system for some of the
academic courses. Try it; you’ll
like it.
Eliminate Semester Exams
The purpose of going to high
school is to learn. We, as
students, are subjected to
everything from circular func
tions to Milton’s Aeropaghetica,
and all of this knowledge is fed to
us for our own good. There is,
however, one thing in today’s
educational system that totally
seems out of place. Why should
students have to take exams?
Exams are a high-tension rope
around the students’ neck. Are
there not enough pressures
already on the average pupil?
Generally, exam time rolls
around about the same time as
most term papers are due, and
when teachers realize that much
more materials must be cram
med in before the semester ends.
For most students, exams and
cramming are synonymous.
When one sits down the night
before he is to be tested and
bombards his mind with hordes
of material, he isn’t learning, but
rather clouding his head with
material that will be forgotten at
the conclusion of exams.
Teachers maintain that the
exam is an evaluation. An
evaluation of what? Cramming
ability? If exams are an
evaluation, then our educational
system should be in for a com
plete change.
It would seem that a student is
taking a course to better himself.
Yet still, the teachers need that
extra grade to average in. Now
that we are on the nine-week
system, why not have quarterly
tests? This would be much easier
on the faculty because there
would be no last minute rush to
grade exams. The pressure is
also off the student, who would
have far less material to rein
state in his mind.
If all the teachers are after is an
evaluation, then they should go
ahead and give the equivalent of
an exam, but that evaluation
should not count on the pupil’s
final grade.
In conclusion, education has
changed and is now in the process
of changing. Why can’t the
elimination of exams become one
of these changes?
The Moody Blues
Have you ever seen someone
who you thought had gone nuts,
was a little off his rocker, or was
v-e-r-y strange? A lot of people
classify me in one or all of those
categories. I have been told more
than once that I was crazy, and
would be better off in a mental
hospital. And I think I am
beginning to agree with them.
The first time I realized I was
cracking up was last summer.
Every day I found I was talking
to myself. Now, I wouldn’t have
thought this was weird if I had
just talked to myself every now
and then and only when I was
alone. But that is not the way it
was. I talked to myself constantly
no matter where I was or who
Hi Folks,
Hope everyone is well and
everything is back to normal
after my rather strange visit
home.
I must apologize about my
behavior, but the gang seemed to
have an image of me built up as a
big-city, mouse-about-town, and I
didn’t want to let them down.
Trouble was the thing I was
trying to avoid when they asked
to see a Playmouse Club key
(that I don’t really have), but
sometimes the best laid schemes
of men and mice don’t work out.
I travelled back to Albemarle
by air. Even though the plane
was crowded, the postal em
ployees handled me with care,
just like it said on the outside of
my box.
The big news here at the high
school is a plan to evaluate the
educational process. I only hope
they evaluate the living con
ditions for creatures like me.
Take care.
Squeaky
Briefly Speaking
Congratulations to David Biles for winning 100 gallons of gasoline
from Service Distributing. Now you can afford to open your own
station, Dave.
* * :i5 :(:
The charm award for this month is given to Mrs. Sybil Brown. She
effectively used her charm to evade a stampeding herd of seven cows.
Congratulations Mrs. Brown, you really distributed your education.
was in the room with me. It was
then too, that the people began
thinking something was terribly
wrong with me.
My situation grew worse after
school started. This is when I
started talking to objects, such as
walls, doors, books, watches,
pencils, notebooks, and well, you
name it. I’ve talked to it. I
remember one morning right
after I had gotten out of bed. I had
just started toward the kitchen
when BLAM, right into the wall!
“Excuse me, I didn’t know
anyone was standing there,” I
said, and proceeded toward the
door.
Another time was at school. I
was starting to get the book out of
my desk that I needed for class
and I accidently, pulled out the
wrong one. “Oh, Sam, you’re so
stupid!” I said (actually I was
calling myself stupid). However,
the person behind me had dif
ferent thoughts.
“Hey man, you talking to your
book? Ha, you are! Hey
everybody, she’s talking to her
book!” he yelled.
Now every time I say a word in
that class everyone asks me
“what” I’m talking to.
Talking to things is not my only
problem, I see and hear things
too. Like the time the lion strolled
across my bedroom at three in
the morning and licked me in the
face. Or the time George
Washington and Thomas Jef
ferson visited me while I was
studying my history. (I think I
learned more from them than the
history book.) But, the most
recent incident was just before
Christmas when Leonardo da
Vinci came in and helped me put
my moravian star together. (I
still haven’t figured out what
went wrong with it, though.)
I guess most people can see
now why I am thought of as
“crazy”. Of course, some people
do not have to hear about these
things to know I have cracked.
They just take one look at me and
they know something has got to
be wrong with me.
Man, you know something,
crazy people like me drive me
insane.
w
'
I
m
“Full Moon Forum” is given to provide students with a mode of
communication and an outlet for personal reflections. Students
wishing to share their ideas should pass them along to any staff
member for publication.
Everywhere you look, you’ll find people. Where there are people,
there is some form of government. This school is no exception.
However, the government of this school is not what it is said to be.
All through the years, you were taught democracy, fairness, and
freedom, but if you’ll take a good, close look at school, you might ask
“Where is ‘democracy’?” and “What happened to ‘freedom’?”
Students here are being exploited, but the majority of them fail to
realize it.
Students, could you tell exactly how many times this school’s faculty
have plundered through your lockers?
Somehow, the faculty has the “authority” to pilfer through a
student’s locker without the students even knowing it. “Democracy”?
The lockers have locks on them to keep things in the lockers “safe”,
but locks have been left open after the faculty’s search, leaving the
lockers fair game for all the other vandals and thieves. “Freedom?”
Students, it’s time to stop being so gullible and try to get something
done. All the weight is on your shoulders, so if you suddenly wake up
one morning in 1984, remember: You could have prevented it. If you
want democracy and freedom, you must work for it, not fight for it.
Get something done, for a change!!
Robert C. Efird
What gives the school the right to search a student’s locker without
his permission? I know the school administration has reserved the
right to search a student’s locker and to me this is fine, mainly
because the lockers don’t belong to us to start with. What I am com
plaining al'oat though is the searching by the authorities of a student’s
locker without the student being present. The least the administration
could do would be to have the student present at the scene of the
search. This would provide protection for both parties whether any
illegal material was found in the student’s possessions or not.
I would sincerely hope that the school administration would present
its views in the next issue of the Full Moon. This would help to clarify
the situation which is now occurring in the school.
A CONCERNED STUDENT
David Adams has suggested that the reply to the above letter might
be more suitable now than in the next issue of the Full Moon.
Recent court cases indicate that the school administration does have
the legal right to open a school locker with or without the consent of the
student when school locks are issued to the student with the un
derstanding that a master key would be in the principal’s office to
open all locks. This legal right can be exercized when there is reason to
believe that illegal or stolen merchandise is stored in a school locker.
However, I would agree with the student that whenever possible, the
student should be present when entry is made into a school locker.
The school administration is concerned with the right of the in
dividual, and students of the Albemarle Senior High School can rest
assured that their rights will be protected.
Warren Hawkins, Principal
Igloo: Icicle built for two.
* * * *
Small boy to friend: “It may be unconstitutional, but I always pray
before a test.”
* * *
Most after-dinner speakers are men because women can’t wait that
long.
* * ♦ *
Two hippies grunting — “Where do you bathe man?” “I bathe in the
spring.” “I didn’t say when, I said where.”
* * * *
Bachelor: One who doesn’t care to lead a life that’s all work and no
playmates.
***:):
Two little girls were discussing their families. “Why does your
grandmother read the Bible so much?” asked one.
Replied the other, “I think she’s cramming for her finals.”
* ♦ 51: *
Thanks to jogging, more people are collapsing in perfect health than
ever before.
* * * * (
A hippie was walking down the street with a cigar box under his
arm. He met a second hippie who asked him: “Hey man, what’s
happening? Where are you going with that cigar box?” The first hippie
said, “I’m moving.”
* * ♦ *
Frustration is a bald-headed hippie.
**:!!*
Diplomatic husband to wife: “How do you expect me to remember
your birthday when you never look any older?”