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N. C. ESSAY STAFF
Robin Kaplan
BUI King
Bev Petty
Courtlandt Jones
Rick Shoenberger
Penny Dennis
John Coggeshall
David Martin
Jon Thompson
Franlt Wolff
Editor
Advisor
KeiUi Pajkowski
Brad White
Sebastian de Grazia
Duke Emsberger
Clifford Young
John Woodson
Alicia Henley
Michael Singleton
Robin Dreyer
A Plea For
Creative Writing
Consider operas and song, illustrat ion, dramatic reading and plays.
All of these are most certainly a portion of an arts school. All of these
depend on writing.
Plans have been set for a total phase-out of the writing department.
Of the five students now in the department, two wiU graduate this
spring. The remaining students will be allowed to graduate in the
department under the instruction of their present teacher, Mrs. Kirby-
Smith.
One primary reason for the phaseout is that writing departments of
a ve^ excellent nature exist in near-by colleges and universities and
duplication is not wanted. This is assuming ttat only college students
wi^ to have this instruction, forgetting that one of the primary func
tions of this school is to provide art instruction to high s(±ool students,
who in public schools can receive no such education.
The major excuse for dropping the department is that writing is not
a performing art and has no place in such a school. This is false. In all
manner of writing one is making a presentation before the public,
whether to cause reaction, inspiration, enjoyment, etcetera. The
absence of one’s physical presence does not render writing any less of
a performance than it would recorded music, stage direction, design
and production, visual arts, etcetera. All work together, can be used
for each other’s benefit, and are often necessary.
Those who are against the writing department feel it can be justified
only as a facet of the drama dep^tment. This is unfair to the drama
department and unfair to the writers. It is denying writing relation
ship to the other arts and denying that writing is an art form in itself.
Writing is one of today’s most widely-used and influential art forms.
The academic department has b^n given permission to increase
their writing curriculum. This is very good and necessary, yet would
not allow those whose predominate art form is writing to come to this
school and study their art. As an art school we depend on all the arts
for assistance and inspiration. We also have a responsibility to those
who wish to study art. Without a writing department we are in
complete and failing as a school of the arts. -Gavin
Transcendental
Meditation
It isn’t what I thought it was. I envisioned a cross-legged Indian
yogi, but unless sitting cross-legged happens to be a person’s normal
and most comfortable way of sitting, it has nothing to do with tran
scendental meditation (TM).
Students’ International Meditation Society (SIMS) says, “Tran
scendental meditation is a simple, natural, mechanical technique that
systematically allows an individual to continue his thmking process to
its natural end, whereby developing more creative, more effective
thinking. TM is a process of direct experience rather than one of in
tellectual analysis. The technique can be explained in terms of the
mechanics of the thinking process. Every lliought develops from a
fainter and more abstract impulse in the mind; ordinarily tWs impulse
becomes perceivable as a thought only during the later phases of its
development. The technique of TM aUows the attention to be drawn
autonwtically to these refined levels of thinking, which are found by
experience to be increasingly more pleasant.”
TM is not a religion or a philosophy, nor does it involve any do’s or
don’ts. It doesn’t conflict with one’s religion, but rather enhances it. It
is, however, a preparation for dynamic activity.
TM, to tte meditator, is so simple it seems absurd. While this
simplicity is acceptable, TM’s very effortlessness creates a problem.
To a society which also equates accomplishment with effort and
goodness with striving, the efficacy of so simple a technique is
suspect. But - results are positive and SIMS files are full of praises.
There are also the many reports of studies conducted by scientists,
psychiatrists, colleges and universities, and even business firms
throughout the world; plus the reports of investigations made by
various magazines and established religious groups: the movement is
on and growing and unbelieveable.
There are seven steps in the learning process of TM. In the first step,
the introductory lecture, a teacher discusses TM and its benefits. Then
a preparatory lecture introduces the mechanics of TM.
Short interviews with the students are then held, followed by per
sonal instruction by the teachers as third and fourth steps. The fifth
step is verification of experiences.
In the sixth step, the mechanics of development of the nervous
system are discussed. Finally, the teachers lecture on &e long range
benefits and possibilities of TM.
The process is taught over four consecutive days for an hour each
day.
T^ee things are required to begin instruction. First, there is an
obligation of time. The student must attend all four days of instruction.
Second, a contribution of $75 for working adults and $35 for students is
asked. The contribution covers a two-year program, with weekly and
monthly meetings.
Third, anyone using non-prescribed drugs must abstain for at least
15 days prior to their instruction. This is required for physiological
reasons. Wanda Crouse
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The N.C. Essay
■rte N. C. Essay recently requested that the different departments of the school prepare
Pro^^-the successes, failures, problems, hopes-for publication in THE
u first report recelved-the Academic Department. The editor and staff
Mpe that these articles will invoke student praise and constructive comment in the form of letters to
fte editor. The paper hoiKs to print statements from the Dance, Drama, and Production and Design
Depaitoente in the next issue. In the meantime, It is hoped that student questions and responses in
letter form will also appear on this page and others if demanded. -Editor
First In A Series:
The Academic Department
An introductory lecture on the
technique of Transcendental
Meditation as taught by
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi will be
given by Joe Clark, Eastern
Regional Co-ordinator for SIMS,
on February 22nd at 3 P.M. In
Room 329.
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Dear Robin:
In reply to your recent
memorandum asking for a
statement from the Academic
Department for use in the paper,
I give you the information below.
This is not in any kind of order,
but I hope that it will be useful.
We would very much appreciate
anyltog you may be able to do to
publicize what we are doing and
hope to do. We also hope that
these statements from the
various schools will be con
structive and will solicit
responsible, constructive com
ments from students and faculty.
Often the Academic program is
criticized for not being more
innovative, more “exciting.”
This is very frustrating for us. We
all recognize that while our
program is quite solid, it can
always use improvement. We
also realize that we are in a
rather unique position to be able
to do something really novel and
important on a national level and
to set some real “firsts” in
curriculum approaches. Nothing
different is going to happen here,
however, until we are able
financially to increase the staff so
as to have smaller classes and to
free teachers to design new
approaches and instructional
materials. When the money pie is
divided, the Academic Depart
ment has always been on the
short end of the stick. Substantial
monies must be found to make it
possible for us to move into new
directions. The majority of the
teaching-learning activity in this
School must take place in the
classroom. Schedules do not
allow for much reliance on
outside, homework kinds of
assignments. The classes must
be kept small enough to allow for
individual instruction and at
tention in the class. The classes
are outrageously large in
English, Foreign Languages, and
in some cases. Social Studies and
the Sciences.
Even witii the disadvantages
we have, every effort is being
made to design new courses and
new approaches. Fortunately we
have a very dedicated and
flexible faculty whose interests
and experience make it possible
for them to function in several
areas. The Academic Curriculum
Research Team visits other
schools and programs and
examines new methods and
materials. The Team reports
back to the Academic faculty and
new ideas found on these visits
are incorporated into our
program. TTus summer several
members of the Academic
faculty will be participating in a
special institute sponsored by the
State Department of Higher
Education on curriculum reform.
Dr. Baskin and Leslie Hunt,
chairmen of the Curriculum
Standards Committee, will at
tend an important meeting in
Chicago in early March. This
conference is sponsored by the
American Association of Higher
Education. The self-study for
reaffirmation of the ac
creditation of the College
program wiU begin in August and
run for 18 mon^. Accreditation
of the High School program by
the Southern Association of
School and Colleges will also
begin around the same time and
run for two years. Other in
novative trends in our program
include:
the American Studies program
in the Social Studies of the Hi^
School is a new program tl^
year. It is a topically oriented
program rather than the more
traditionally chronologically
directed series. The new
program better fits the trimester
calendar. Conferences on these
{x-o^ams are attended by the
Social Studies faculty (Ruark and
Burke). The students have more
flexibility and choice in planning
their pro^am. Next year the
courses in modem European
history will be structured the
same way.
the experimental seminar in
contemporary poetry is a new
program designed by Mrs.
Johnston. It is limited to ten
students and the students teach
the sessions of the seminar. No
exams are given but some
academic credit is awarded.
A special working session in
Mrs. Johnston’s classes recently
included a unit on libretto writing
from literary works. President
Ward worked with the students
on the evolution of Verdi’s Otello
from Shakespeare’s OtheUo and
also drew from his own ex
periences with The Crucible.
Problems of the librettist were
explored and exemplified.
Also Mrs. Johnston has
designed a tutorial approach to
her course in the American novel
which frees students from
regularly scheduled classes for
more reading time. The group
meets once a week or every two
weeks.
In Dr. Baskin Italian course
(second year), the class is
divided into two smaller groups
of seven students each. Special
conversation sessions are held
for these smaller groups on
alternate days. The full class
meets twice a week for the other
work in the course.
In the High School, the 8th
grade science course of Mrs.
Land is involved in self-selected
projects and a weekly science
newspaper. More student
evaluation is encouraged. Mr.
King’s and Mrs. Shorter’s 12th
grade English courses are now
more genre oriented and again,
the trimester greatly helps with
this division. Poetry, fiction and
drama are the topics for each of
the three terms of the year. Mr.
King’s English 5 is a special
advanced section for students
having done exceptionally well in
English composition in earlier
(»urses. This is a unit in world
literature and advanced com
position and is structured more
along the lines of the tutorial with
the student selecting which works
are to be read. Especially ef
fective recently was the use of
some of the drama students in
this class for presentation of a
scene from The Zoo Story in
connection with studying the
Christ figure in literature.
The Academic program has not
received the recognition and
publicity it deserves. It is a very
strong program on both High
School and College levels and this
can be demonstrated by the
success our students have in
entering other institutions. Also,
on the High School level, the
showing our students make in the
National Merit Scholarship
competition is extremely im
pressive. For the size of our
student body, we have a very
high percentage each year of
National Merit Finalists.
The question of accreditation
often arises and, again, the public
is poorly informed about this. The
Hi^ School program has been
accredited by the North Carolina
State Dep^tment of Public In
struction since the School opened.
The College program did not
become eligible to apply for
accreditation until we had
graduated our first class of
college seniors. The college
pro^am has been fully ac
credited by the regional ac
crediting agency, the Southern
Association of School and
Colleges, since December 1970.
Prior to that thne, the College
was a correspondent of tte
Southern Association which
means that we were considered
by them to be in good standing,
that we were applying for ac
creditation on schedule and that
work taken at the School was
considered transferable. It
should be pointed out that, as is
always the case, transfer credit
is given by the institution to
which the stodent is transferring.
Courses in their curriculum have
to parallel ours before credit can
be allowed and only courses for
which a grade of “C” or better
has been made can be considered
for transfer credit. In the arts
work, the receiving institution
always places students according
to audition and-or demonstrable
level of proficiency. Often schools
have a minimum residence
requirement for any degree it
offers.
The College program here
comes up for reaffirmation of
accreditation in 1973. This will
involve a major self-study, a
comprehensive analysis of the
instructional program and plans
for the School. TTiis will begin in
August of this year and will last
for eighteen months. Everyone in
the School will be involved.
Accreditation of the High School
program by the Southern
Association will also be un
dertaken at the same toe as the
College self-study and will last
for two years. This additional
accreditation status will greatly
strengthen the prestige of the
academic program of the School.
Application is also being made
now for further accreditation by
the North Carolina Association of
Colleges and Universitites which
is an important move for us now
that we have been taken into ^e
University of North Carolina
system.
Some of the needs of the
Academic Department, in ad
dition to more faculty and
smaller classes, are:
expanded courses for the
academically disadvantaged
students. Remedial reading,
social studies, math and others
badly need to be enlarged. We
continue to encourage talented,
disadvantaged students to come
to the School, but we are not
adequately equipped to do
enough for them once they are
here.
the need to know longer in
advance what works the various
arts schools are going to be doing
so that these can be coordinated
into our academic course of
ferings to give greater enrich
ment and interaction between the
arts areas and the academic.
the need for a first-rate audio
visual center in support of the
instructional program and a
resource person to man this
center. The center has been in
cluded in the new plans for the
projected builc^g which will
hopefully take place soon. We are
interviewing New Careers
personnel in an effort to find
someone we can train to handle
this resource work for us. We also
need improved physical plant
(classrooms) with better
lighting, more comfortable
seating, better heating and air-
conditioning facilities, library,
etc.
The Academic faculty is now
meeting by discipline to explore
new materials and to better
coordinate the courses and
programs, especially where
multiple sections exist.
The Academic Department
welcomes constructive criticism
and suggestions from students
and facity. We hope that a better
job can be done in the future in
making the needs of the
Academic program more widely
known and to show in what ways
the program is successful.
Dr. William Baskin