OPINION
PAGE 3
Ubi Sunt?
The Great Role Models of
Yesteryear
By Dr. Lee Dubs
Associate Professor of Spanish
The one profession that I never
expected to enter was education, so
when I started to teach college, I re
ally had no knowledge of how to do it.
Oh, sure, I knew my field well, as my
graduate degrees indicated; but to be
a teacher I had to start from ground
level. Ordering textbooks, writing
course syllabi, relating to students
• both in and out of the classroom - all
- these were new challenges to me more
than two decades ago.
I learned, I came to realize, by
emulating some of my own mentors -
my role models - from undergraduate
and graduate schools. Unconsciously,
I thought of the best people that I had
observed and known as a student, and
I copied. I wonder if they ever knew
that they were showing me what to do
and how to be, especially how to be?
From my role models I learned much
more than just how to teach.
A sociology professor showed me
that a teacher can care about students
as developing humans, and that the
profs home can be a warm, happy
place for students to visit. One time I
learned that if fifteen of them arrive at
the door unannounced one evening, a
marriage can survive.
A coach taught me that Christian
values are far more important than
winning games. Through him I even
gained the self-confidence that I
needed to win the blue ribbon once in
awhile at track meets. I remember
well his constancy and love of God
and of people. When he died recently,
flags were flown at half staff.
From a Spanish teacher I found a
talent of which I was completely
unaware. With time and plenty of her
patience, I discovered that I could
actually communicate in another
language. In spite of having work to
do, she let me hang around her office
to talk endlessly about career goals. '
Her warmth and her concern for the
person who was developing within
me continue to remind me to listen
carefully to any student who comes
by my office, no matter how much of
my own work is piling up.
I had student role models, too,
though none of us knew it then. As a
freshman, I looked to upperclassmen
for guidance with campus values.
Even though they were not sensitive
to my needs, they unwittingly helped
me set my standards of conduct,
nonetheless. Fortunately for me, most
of them were pretty neat role models.
If my sociology professor had tried
too hard to be "one of us," if he had
needed us to stroke his own ego by
treating us as his chicks who should
trust only the mother hen, I would
have learned suspicion, not admira
tion.
If my coach had encouraged me to
use illegal drugs, whether for body or
mind expansion, or because he was
on some personal crusade, I would
have learned disillusionment, not love.
If my Spanish teacher had led a
careless lifestyle that was the source
of scurrilous college and community
gossip, I would have learned betrayal,
not appreciation.
If the upperclassmen at my school
had modeled vandalism and egocen
tric drug and alcohol - induced stu
pors as the standards of normal con
duct, I would have felt sadness, not
enjoyment.
I was a pretty lucky fellow, though,
because most of my professors and
fellow students seemed to care enough
about others to set high moral and
ethical standards. I thank God for
those who truly cared about me. And
I try to be to my students what each of
those persons was for me - a good role
model. We may not always succeed,
but we can sure try, can't we?
Mass Coiiim. Lacks
By Louie Wemett
I commend Jennifer Woodward
and her staff on the new and improved
Lance. St. Andrews now has a news
paper it can be proud of.
While the Communications pro
gram at St. Andrews has improved in
this area, there is more to a legitimate
Communications program that the
written median.
I am currently finishing up my
stay at St. Andrews and will have a
degree in Communications come
February. I have a pretty clear under
standing of the program, and while
the written area of the program ex
cels, the area of television and radio is
almost non-existent.
The St. Andrews Communications
program is still very young. It is time,
however, that the program take some
steps which make it equal to other
schools. Major ingredients to a Mass
Communications program include the
areas of radio and television.
I had the good fortune of having
O.E. Smith help me get the experi
ence I needed through independent
study programs, however, it is time
the Communications program at St.
Andrews offer students more in the
area of radio and television. These
improvements should include: l)an
instructor who specializes in tnat area,
2) radio and television studios, and 3)
new equipment for the radio station,
which has been in a state of limbo the
last three years.
I realize the major problem is fi
nances. However, there are plenty of
students who are majoring in Com
munications with same question - Isn ’ t
it time that St. Andrews offers a
Communications program that is
equal to other schools?
In my opinion, radio and televi
sion are the backbone of a good Mass
Communications program and we
need to improve in these areas as we
have in others.
As Arsenio Hall would say, “Let’s
get busy.”
Tennis Court
By Eric Digons
As a member of the tennis team
and the St. Andrews community, I
feel that the sad condition of the ten
nis courts should be improved. These
problems are very serious in nature,
and I believe that they need to be
addressed promptly by the admini
stration.
I have been a member of the var
sity tennis team for three years. Dur
ing my freshman year, and even be
fore I entered St. Andrews, I was told
that the courts would be re-surfaced
by the end of my sophomore year.
Obviously this has been neglected,
due to the fact that I am now a junior.
The biggest concern with the ten
nis courts is the hazardous condi
tions. The cracks have become so
large that anyone could easily injure
themselves while playing. A lawsuit
could be in the making, and this could
pose as a serious problem for the St.
Andrews administration. Many may
say that a person would get what they
deserved if they were willing to play
under such hazardous conditions, but
what about the tennis members them
selves? Each afternoon both the men
and women’s tennis team members
are expected to practice to the b^st of
their ability despite the unsafe sur
face. All we’re doing is waiting for an
accident to happen!
This not only hinders the tennis
team’s ability during practice, but it
also hurts us when it comes to match
time. Yes, we have home matches.
Home matches are at the Scotland
Tennis Center in downtown Lau-
rinburg. Unlike't'he many other teams
that we compete against, we don’t
even have the home court advantage.
Each time we compete on Tennis
Center courts we must adapt to new
ness of our surroundings just like our
opponent. Any athlete could see the
unfairness with this situation. St.
Andrews is always striving to be the
best, but how can we be the best when
we lack the advantages of a home
court and proper practicing condi
tions?
Another, case in point that needs
to be made, is the lack of availability
to the courts at the Scotland Tennis
Center. St. Andrews does not have
first shot at the courts. We must sched
ule all of our matches around the
practices and matches of the Scotland
High Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Turmoil
Teams. This can be very hectic when
it comes to scheduling purposes. It
can also become a serious problem
when the lines of communication are
not met. Recently, the St. Andrews
Women’s Tennis Team played host
to a visiting college. When they ar
rived at the Scotland Tennis Center
both teams discovered the fact that
Scotland High was already there.
Imagine the embarassment of our team
when the match had to be played on
the St Andrews campus tennis courts!
It was a complete disgrace to the St.
Andrews’ community to play under
these conditions, not only did it hurt
the level of competition but, once
again their was the serious factor of a
player becoming injured.
On a more personal level, I must
note that I have never had the chance
to compete on the St. Andrews cam
pus courts. Granted we do have home
matches, but they are in downtown
Laurinburg and not in our own
backyard.Many people do not con
sider this a “home” match since it is
not easily accessible and are recluc-
tant to travel by car or bicycle to the
match. This takes away much of the
support we could receive from the
students who live on the campus.
Obviously this hurts the team emo
tionally. If the matches were held on
campus we could draw larger support
and provide exciting tennis for the St.
Andrews fans.
All in all, I feel that the argument
1 have rtfide is ]^er£ectty Jvisti'fied.^Thc
probleiTii'With the courts’ coiidWbns
must be rectified soon. Not only does
this hurt us at the present moment but,
it can also hurt us in regard to re-
cuiting. As a tennis player, I arfi
embarassed to be a part of a team th^t
does not even have their own Courts.
I did choose to attend St. Andrews
under the assumption that the courts
would soon be resurfaced, however
there probably are many perspective
students, namely tennis lovers* whos?
decisions may be^ influenced solely
on the conditions of the tennis courts,
A visitor to the St. Andrews cam7
pus once told me that you can tell the
situation of a school by the condition
of the tennis courts, because they
always seem to have last priority. So
if we’re finally getting it together
' with everything blse, I believe it is
now time for the tennis courts. The
time is now! ' " ‘
Causewalk What do you feel is the most pressing issue
Comments:
Jim Hamilton, freshman - The
continuous lack of communica
tion in matters of Student Life,
money, etc.
on the St. Andrews campus?
MtaMlb
Amy Bloodworth, senior - Stu- (Jreg Uusenberry, junior - 1 he
dents are put on the back bumer main problem is when students
when it comes to the priorities come to ask administration
on the campus. about the changes of the direc
tion of the school. Seems as if
the administration is trying to
hide their aspirations, without
giving an honest response to the
students concems.
Stacy Gustafson, sophomore -
Money. Anything that has to do
with it. They keep raising our
tuition but, they're spending it
on stupid things we don’t need.
Scott Clark, junior - The finan
cial problems is the most press
ing. We know enrollment is
down, but I'd like to know more"^
where the money from tuition is
going.
(Photos by Jane Karpenske),