""'St VOLUME 45 NO. 4 ALBEMARLE SENIOR HIGH NEWSPAPER JANUARY 31,1980 Parts reprinted with permission from '^Student Advocate" November 1979 by Geraldine I. May Sit down . . . relax and take a Test! The PSAT scores have return ed. The boy’s average in both the niath and verbal sections is higher than that of the girls. The boy’s average score for the math section was 42.9 whereas the girl’s average score for the boys in the verbal section was 40.6 the girl’s average was 37. The na tional average for the verbal sec tion was 34 and the math section was 39. But being above national averages is not good enough for everyone. Many students need to raise their scores if they are to be accepted at the college of their choice. If you find yourself in this position, here are some pointers that may help. Taking a college entrance ex am can be nerve-racking. But you can ease the tension, if you are prepared. Consult your guidance counselor and teachers. Find out what is covered on the test, and ask for assistance to ready you for the test date. Many students are tempted to enroll in a coaching course when faced with a standarized test; however, students should know what these courses offer, before they enroll. What is Coaching? Attempting to increase test scores is the primary purpose of a coaching course, rather than to increase skills in the measured areas. Coaching schools are like ly to emphasize drill on the types of questions used in specific tests. The courses usually last for several weeks, but seldom in volve as many hours as a regular high school course. The main em phasis is on making students “testwise,” by giving sample questions, advice on how to ap proach them, and related in formation such as how to manage time during the test. Be Test-Wise Becoming test-wise can make a difference. It not only makes stu dents feel more confident and relaxed but also helps save time during the test itself. In fact, if at all possible, students should be so familiar with the test format they should need only to read quickly through the directions and the ex amples. Students should not have to take the time to study the directions in order to figure out how to approach the questions. Most coaching courses can help students to become test-wise, but a word of caution: coaching schools often advertise that they will give you tests “exactly like” the admissions test, and that they will teach you all the “tricks” used by the people who write the tests. This advice can sometimes be misleading, as it can cause students to waste valuable test ing time by searching for hidden clues or grammatical incon sistencies in answer choices. Stu dents are sometimes advised to look out for tricky questions. For example, a synonym included among the options on an antonym question might catch the unwary. Reputable tests consist of ques tions that are well-written and easily understood. Before ques tions are ever used on tests like -MOONBEAMS- “To Be Or Not To Be ” The Drama Club will be performing four scenes from the play “The Good Doctor,” by Neil Simon on February 14 and 15. Kings Of the Road The Albemarle Lions Club recognized Jerry Russell as the Student Lion for the month of January. The Student Rotarian of January is Doug Connell. Civitan of the Month The Junior Civitan Club recognized Kelly Farlow as “Jr. Civitan of the month” for February. The Full Moon, Jr. This issue of The Full Moon is a junior issue. The positions are as follows: Lori Thomas, editor-in-chief; Tammy Dwight, news editor; Kenneth Russell, feature editor; Lydia Williams, sports editor; Dave Moose, assistant sports editor, and Shari Robertson, Business Manager. Relief Exams were taken on January 21-23. Class rank will be given out to students after first semester grades have been averaged. Senior Superlatives Best All-Around David Rush Linda Neel Best Lookin’ Connie Murrell Bryan Shumate Most Intellectual Shannon Bowers David Alexander Most Likely to Succeed Pam Cox Jeff Creech Best Personality Karen Souther David Russell Best Dressed Sonya Mabe Ricky Burleson Wittiest Beth Mabry Pat Parker Friendliest Rosemary Morton Doug Connell Most Talented Aza Mabry Larry Phillips Most Athletic Kim Montgomery Lacester Crump the Scholastic Admissions Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT), they are tried out ex perimentally in a section of the test that does not count towards your score. The results are analyzed to identify questions that are too difficult or confusing. Only the questions that survive this careful check are ever in cluded in the actual test. On the other hand, coaching schools do not gather statistical information on the appropriateness of the questions they write, and they may not accurately represent the difficulty or content of tests such as the SAT or the ACT. Where Should You Go? Before you invest a lot of time and money in a coaching course, you should know there are other, less expensive, ways to prepare for admissions tests. Most test publishers provide candidates with a complete description of the test, including examples of all the types of ques tions used in the test. For in stance the College Board (which sponsors the SAT) provides can didates with a booklet. Taking the SAT. This booklet contains a complete practice SAT, and stu dents can score themselves. In addition, the booklet describes each of the kinds of questions used in the test and gives advice on how to approach them. Since the booklet is written by the peo- Abortion: An Alternative? One of the most controversial issues of our time is abortion. Abortion, which is the removal of the fertilized egg from the walls of the uterus, where it has been implanted, is not a new problem; it has been around for centuries. In recent years it has become a bigger question because of the in crease in teenage pregnancies. Each year more than one mil lion 15 to 19 year olds, as well as some 30,000 girls younger than 15, become pregnant. These girls have a big decision to make. Should they continue their preg nancy or should they abort it? Before the girls can make a choice, they must take several matters into consideration, such as their marital and financial status. If they decide to bear the baby, the girls must then decide whether to keep or put the child up for adoption. If the girls choose to terminate their preg nancy, then they must consider the legal, medical and personal aspects. Abortion, one of the alterna tives, is not usually chosen by the pregnant girl. One of the reasons for this fact is that many girls do not fully understand the proce dure. For example, abortion is le gal in North Carolina for all girls up to their 20th week of preg nancy. In other states, such as Georgia, 24 weeks is the length of the legal period. According to North Carolina laws a girl of any age can acquire an abortion with no justification or parental con sent. Clinics have the right to set their own requirements, thus many request a certain age and parental permission, before they will perform the operation. A pregnant girl who wants an E = mc^. What? Kevin Skidmore studies diligently, hoping his hard work will pay off not only with exams but also with SAT scores. pie who make up the tests, the in formation in it is accurate. This booklet is provided free to candi dates. Review of Mathematics The mathematics preparation expected for most college admis sions tests includes some algebra and geometry. Students who have continued to study math up until the time they take the exam will have little need for math review. However, students who have not been enrolled in a math course for a year or more may benefit from a review of math concepts. A coaching course in math con cepts can refresh your memory and increase your skills in deal ing with some of the questions on the math aptitude tests. If you have not had basic math courses, however, do not expect a quick review course to take the place of the regular math courses. They cannot teach you in a few weeks the same material that it takes your high school teacher a year or two to cover. Verbal Aptitude Tests Verbal aptitude tests are more independent of specific course work than the math aptitude tests. Numerous research studies indicate that coaching does not significantly increase verbal scores. It appears that the skills tested in the verbal sections develop over a long period of time. Before you take the test, you should know the format of the questions and how to deal with them; in short, you should be test-wise. You can do this by reading the materials from the test publishers tery carefully. If you are not enrolled in a math course at the time you take the test, you should review math con cepts on your own, with a teacher, your parents, or in a coaching course. Remember that score on ad missions tests reflect only a por tion of your abilities. Colleges realize this and your scores on standardized tests are only one of the many factors toJse considered in the admissions process, (Geraldine May is an examiner for the Education Testing Service in Princeton, N.J.) 0 t February Events February 1 — North Stanly Basketball Game 5 — South Rowan Basketball Game 6 — FBLA District 6 Competitive Events 7-9 — State Wrestling Sectionals 8 — West Stanly Basketball Game 10-16-FBLA Week 11-15 — S.P.C. Basketball Tournament 13 — History Club Meeting 14-15 — State Wrestling Regionals 19 — DECA District Contest 21-22 — State Wrestling Finals 27 — History Club Meeting 29 — Winter Vacation abortion must consider the legal and medical aspects. There are primarily two methods used to end a pregnancy, depending on the fetal stage. The fetus’ development is divided into the 1st trimester (day 1 - 12th week) and the 2nd trimester (13th week - 20th week). Termination during the 1st tri mester is done by dilation and evacuation. This procedure can also be used during the 13th to the 16th week. D & E is the removal of the womb’s contents by gently scraping the inner lining with a sharp instrument or by a newer method which uses a suction device (D & C). These two proce dures only last 10 minutes, and after 4-5 hours of counseling and observation the girl may go home. A 1st trimester abortion costs from $185-$200. Second trimester abortions are more involved. The Crist Clinic in Jacksonville is the only place in North Carolina that will perform one. The price generally runs from $640 on up. Saline abortions are used during the 15th until the 20th week of pregnancy. By in ducing a liquid such as a salt or sugar solution or formaldehyde into the amniotic fluid, which sur rounds the embryo, the uterus will undergo a miniature labor causing a miscarriage. Some times it is necessary to scrape the inner surface of the uterus to in sure complete removal of the pregnancy. Saline abortions usually require the patient to stay in the hospital 2 nights and 3 days. There are many decisions a pregnant girl must face. Each al ternative has pros and cons. But it has been stated by Judy Tor- rington, a counselor at UNC-C, that, “With improved medical facilities and advancing medic knowledge, abortion is now sa than childbirth. ” J