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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