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North Carolina School of the Arts
STUDENT FORUM
THE NCSA EXPERIENCE
- AN ALUMNUS’ VIEW
What constitutes the NCSA experience? Through exposure to dif
ferent schools, students, and intuition, I think I can categoncally^te
that there’s no other place quite like it. Only after four yeare of being
here, experiencing virtually every substrata it has to offer, froin 3ciu-
dope head to Judicial Board Chairman, have I finally outgrown it. My
complaints of its shortcomings are more Jn the re^ of haU-
affectionate parting thoughts that have occurred to me froni time to
time that could possibly increase the viabiUty of an education here.
One thing that I always seem to be aware of, probably more so in the
Music Dept, since I was in it, is a general feeling of a lack of stability.
Ever-changing faculty, many of whom are in their early twenties, I
think is a major contributor to this. Dissatisfaction is all right if
change is brought about because of it but if there seems to be no effort
at improvement in the Administration, then the steady grumbling
among faculty and students cannot help but create a feeling of
frustration and insecurity, much of which is manifest in seemingly
unrelated activities.
In comparing this school with other schools one reocurring thought
always pops up in my mind; that being here is more like being at a
summer camp than being in a high school-college situation.
There seems to be a relatively high tolerance level for laziness and
hangers-on which tends to hold down any kind of excellence (the ex
ception to this, I think, is evident in the Dance Dept, probably due to its
having one Dean since the inception of the School). Talented in
dividuals do manage, however, to keep everything going which is true
everywhere, I suppose.
Another aspect of this school that could use circums^(^on is the
dichotomy between the “academics” and the “Arts . The^ two
divisions always seem to be at odds to one Mother and very little at
tempt at integration has been made in this direction. 'Dier^lso seems
to be a strange type of stigma attached to the academic dept, probably
as a result of constant references to these courses as being
“required”.
I
Of course, one has to be generous in identifying some of these in
ternal disorders as the growing pains of a young school; and a one of a
kind, at that. The cases that I have seen of positive growth here, and I
must include myself, have been in the realm of personal and social
awareness, rather than purely artistic maturing. This is not to say that
the school has not turned out some fine artists, because it has, but
merely that 1, personally, have grown more as a human being than as
an artist (my separating the two is more for argument sake) here and
1 see a similar pattern maintaining a prevalence among other
students.
Editor’s Note: Last year a special commission and the entire faculty
worked on this problem.
To a certain degree, of course, this can’t be helped since many high
sdiool and junior i’.igh age students are simply not as goal-directed as
some of the other students. And in many respects, overly-high ad
mission standards for high-school students would be unrealistic for the
age-group. Nevertheless, strong examples are set by the college-level
students and tighter criteria for admission in this level might assure
better examples.
One thing I think I’ll always associate with NCSA is its abundance of
top-flight insanity. This is the cliche’d hallmark of the artistically
inclined where spontaneous bursts of unexpected chaos join hands
with the horrendous, the anarchic, the sublime, and the stupid in a
synergetic combination more outrageous at times than Alice Cooper in
heat. Seriousness aside, mv host of associations with NCSA is plentiful
enough to fill a book and I’m afraid that’s what I’U eventuaUy end up
doing with them. The egotistical humility that characterizes this place
Is endearing in a young school but as the years dribble by with new
generations of students, this, too, will change, as all things must,
leaving only the assured memories in the minds of the alumni of an era
that, existed in time and space and that can never be recaptured.
-Clifford Young
’73, Music
N. C. ESSAY
STAFF
John Newton, Chr.
Shelia Creef
Leslie McConnell
BiU King, Advisor
G)mpulsory Class
Attendance - - Why?
For many years, colleges and
universities everywhere have
insisted that their ^udents had to
attend all their scheduled
classes. Today, most colleges and
universities have liberalized
their class attendance
regulations. N.C.S.A. is one of the
few win have not let up on this
rule and is one of the even fewer
who enforce this archaic rule.
Perhaps compulsory at
tendance rules were necessary in
the past, I don’t know. Today’s
college student is demonstrably
more mature than his
predecessors were. He can, by
law, do most anything any other
adult can and in most cases is
considered personally respon
sible for his own actions. He is
allowed to take more college
courses of his own choosing on
the basis that he knows best what
he needs and wants to take. Why,
then, is he not mature enough to
Pickles and Turnips
Everyone is not at NCSA
certainly. Certainly but there are
many and it is of these that are
that is this. And so. Certainly
there are many. Certainly there
are many and they are here and
in time many will still be being
here and certainly this is so and
many won’t also and then they
will be gone. Certainly.
Certainly many are here.
Certainly it is so that many are
here being doing the things one
does and they should be and if not
why not. And certainly many
aren’t doing the things one does
and they too are here.
Who are these many that are
here these ones being doing and
not doing the many certain things
one does and what is to show.
A fire in a desert is a debatable
instigation is the fire in the desert
or is the desert the fire within
fire or is the fire neither a fire nor
a desert. This to think to think yet
it is certainly a something this
thing but what for whom. Also
and why too. A spark in the desert
is a big one a big spark not
because it is big no but because it
is a spark which is a rare thing
for a desert. Of course. Each
flame is larger than life it being
in the desert and it is and iro fires
in deserts are larger than life and
this is not interesting being that it
is so evident but find to notice y^
fine to be always noticing th^
business. This business fires in
deserts to be sure and more.
Now what is being at NCSA and
this is it well pepper and garlic
enliven a soup and pepper garlic
paprika onion thipfie rosemary
vinegar salt chili powder and
clove will certainly make it
enlivening and certainly too
mudi so naturally many so many
spices certainly do not com-
(dement each to each but out
weigh the soup in entirety. Of
course. What flavor soup is NCSA
or is it and of its ingredients are
there many so many or aren’t
there. Have a care.
Is an arts school an arts school
and who are the ones being in it
all and some of a time how many
unsavory spices does one see in
the halls. Can such things though.
Yes we are many here many
doing and being doing what one
does and does not do ones cer
tainly going on being doing what
one always does and does not and
certainly this is a place. Cer
tainly talent roams these places
here perhaps a few geniuses and
many other people perhaps some
braniacs more likely to be pseudo
intellectuals many many glazed
hippies proud of their stones and
so many outdates and ones
outdated in concept and existence
so many ones being here so many
to form composition of an arts
school such a carnival of bad
taste and hostilities and per
sonifications that what does one
care to Imow. A rosebed of plastic
flowers. A very rosebed of plastic
flowers. So and so and so. And so
and so. Outcast to be and. Out
casts at heart. Through and
threw. Can one reason of it. Is it
to be reasoned with in a
microcosm. Perhaps not and so
why.
There is no room for simulation
and yet there is there is there is
there is there is there is there is
there is there is there is there is
there certainly is is there is and
there is and there is all over but
why why is there.
Darrell Rosenbluth
decide for himself whether or not
it is necessary for him to go to a
specific class?
There are students with very
hi^ I.Q.’s or students with ex
cellent training or demonstrated
super-ability in specific subjects.
College administrators are
rductant, and rightfully so, to
advance place students in many
subjects. The result is that many
studoits end up taking basic
courses in subjects they a^eady
know or can leam with a
minimum of effort. This type of
student need not be required to
attend class meetings in these
courses.
There is, on the other hand, the
student who will suffer
(academically speaking) from
missing class. He will eventually
find hi^elf so far behind or not
learning enough to pass the
course. This student must also be
given the right to decide whether
or not to attend class. If he fails
the course, he will know, next
time, exactly what it is necessary
for him to pass a specific course.
Administrators may argue that
this consumes the students and
the school’s time and that the
same thing may happen again
with the same student in a dif
ferent course. The student’s time
is not wasted; he never went to
dass anyway. The school’s times
has not been wasted since the
course would be taught and
classes held whether or not the
student is present, or, for that
matter, even enrolled in toe
course. As for the same thing
happening again, if the student is
mature, it won’t happen again;
and if he is not mature, he is
probably not ready for the self-
discipline required of today’s
college student.
There is another argument for
compulsory class attendance that
the student should attend out of
respect for the instructor. This
writer believes that respect is
earned not given. A teacher who
is interesting will have his class
full, regardless of the subject he
teadies.
Compulsory class attendance is
not necessary for the successful
completion of most academic
courses. As long as students and
instructors have different per
sonalities, there wHI be many
reasons for a^tending or not at
tending classes. It is the duty of
today’s college administrators to
realhe this and take proper
action to revoke archaic rides
r^arding mandatory class at
tendance.
Marshall Thomas