Newspapers / North Carolina Wesleyan University … / Feb. 12, 1964, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 THE WESLEYAN DECREE Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1964 Editorials A Reading Period Released from all our study lights, At home we lie in bed. From dexadrine and sleepless nights It’s strange that we aren’t dead. In one packed week we wonder how VVe managed to survive. Through one fierce s.torm of anguish now We find we’re still alive! In spite of time we need so dear Our “doctrine” holds us fast. Classes are still attended here Until the very last. This is a cute little poem. I composed it myself. It’s also a bitter poem. Let me ask you a few questions. How many of you spent one, two, three or even four sleepless nights during exam week? IIow many of you attempted to re view early and found yourselves cn an 18 to 20 hour day? I began my reviewing 12 days before exams and found my self on an impossible schedule. I still had to stay up for several nights during ex^ms. This is probably what would have happened, to you had you tried the same tiling (for those of you who didn’t). IIow many of you suffered grade drops becauisci of in adequate time to assimilate, organize and review? How many of you found yourselves preparing for two exams in one night, with 'the pleasant prospect of two more the next night? How many of you enjoyed having new class material thrown at you one day before exams so you could stay up all night and take dex and enter your exam all dead and punchy? Well, my friends, this doesn’t have to be. For your enlighten ment, many other schools have what is called a “reading period” before exams. Approximately three to seven days before exams, all classes are suspended (with, perhaps, the exception of optional review class) in order to allow the students time to digest new material and to organize and assimilate and initiate a planned and effective review. What’ii that rumbling I hear? Oh, you say that some students would take advantage of such a period? Of course they would and it’s their wasted money and their funeral. Regardless of flow strong or good a system is, someone will always try to take advantage of it. However, our money is paid to come here to istudy and gain knowledge (at least that’s what I’m told); not to cater to a group of people who aren’t mature or responsible enougli to attempt to reap the benefits of what they supposedly arc here for. I see no reason wliy I, or any other concerned student, should have my grades and future jeopardized by a system which protects potential prodigals from going astray a few days— especially since they have been doing it all semester anyway. One day they’ll find their great guardian “The College” is a thing of their past and they’ll either remove their rose-colored glasses and face up to the facts of life they won’t make it. How could this system be brought about? Here’s how.-Move fall registration from September 14th to the 9th (of course I’m referring to this past semester). The loss of one week in Sep tember wouldn’t be a great one anyway—many schools do it. This would give a leeway in the year of approximately five days. This time could be used to give us a two to three day reading period at the end of each semester. The professors could easily condense their syllabi schedules to terminate by this time. The condensing would amount to only a fraction. During tliis time the professors could hold optional review classes and/or spend this time on exam preparation and unfinished se mester business. The benefit to the students would be enormous, o I think that without too much trouble this system could become effective this semester. I realize that this school is on some sort of esoteric system whereby we get less leisure time than moist schools (note Saturday class and brevity of vacation breaks, etc.) but unless the administration looks to the heart of its problem^the voice of the students and their wants and needs—then 1 predict more academic problems than we already have. A system such as I have suggested, would, I think, be a step in the right direction. A reading period would, for many, greatly relieve the tension of exams and would give a studpt enougli time tx) prepare for them. Other schools manage it, and it works. Thiink it over; talk it over—make your opinions known; after aU, it’s your school, your education and your money, so let’s mold it into something worthwhile. Work for tliese things which we should have and eventually we’ll get them. A reading period would be a great step forward. —Ed Lewis - Official Student Newspaper of North Carolina Wesleyan College Printed bi-weekly in Nashville, N. C. editor—wlnni stine assistant editrtr—libby Wallace business manager—vann massey advertising manager—bnice sharer circulation manager—bryce cook il MEMBER LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS "AnI' CWT TAl^e A 6L.A‘$5 6NAKF, eo LOUP 't'OlA CAN HAKpLY Letters To Editor’s Note: The editor re serves the right to accept or refuse to print any material submitted. Letters printed re present opinions of the in dividuals and not necessarily those of a Decree staff. All letters must be signed, and names may be withheld upon request. Dear Editor, I consider myself a well-in- formed individual and I have attempted to evaluate, in par ticular, each article and letter in your past editions in which the author has taken a person al stand on some controversial issue. I think a majority of them have been in all (sincerity and have been penetrating enough to provide many fresh insights, but upon reading the article PSI: Its Purpose, Ken nedy: The Myth, appearing in the December 18, 1963, issue, I was quite upset to discover that you would even consider printing such* an article. The school newspaper is the place for minority groups to express their grievances and beliefs, but when an article such as this is printed it ap pears to readers outside ^our college as if we are supporting extreme right wing political views which are definitely in a minority among educated citi zens. I am referring to the second part of the article be cause the first part was too naive to criticize. To me, this section reads like a horror tale conceived by a sick mind during a nightmare—^a cloth of disrespectful unpatriotic fan tasies woven on the loom of reactionary. The article contains a multi tude of nebulous words which have no meaning whatsoever in that particular context. For the sake of brevity, I will ques tion just two of them. Just what does the phrase “system of truths” mean in the second paragraph and what “political nightmare continues to plague us?” Is it that the ' writer abhors the thought of a liberal administration which has been fighting conservative racialists to bring greater equality befors the law for all men, to im prove the foreign relations of the United States in a changed world, to advance education, to The Editor provide opportunity for all our citizens, and to bring needed sociological advantages to per sons who are discriminated against both racially and eco nomically? One must realize that all as pects of life in the world are constantly changing and that we cannot remain in a static position and remedy our pro- lems by antiquated methods. The failure of the U. S. to join the League of Nations is only one example of the damaging fallacies of conservative thought in our age. I could continue to point out incongruities and parodoxes in that article which seem to be so prevalent among extreme right wingers who are basically uneducated because they can’t see reality and make necessary moves to remedy problems which are unique to our times. This would be most unneces sary for I think that anyone can see that the writer is out of step with the times and can’t accept an application of our Constitution to pressing political, sociological, and eco nomic problems of today. By opposing Kennedy’s legislation, he is also in opposition to those Christian principles of love equality and the improvement of ourselves and our fellow man. I employ all readers: why should not a man be exalted and respected who has made such a breakthrough in politi cal thought to prevent anti quated ideas and laws from binding and strangling our country to a point of stagna tion and consequent decline? I believe the economic, 'socialo- gical, educational, political con dition of the South is a good example of what can happen and become progressively worse unless preventive measures are taken—even if such measures do hurt some few irrational in dividuals. In conclusion, I would like to invite a reply supersaturated witli Burchite rationalizations. I am expecting such, but I don’t believe such thinking can offer any concrete solu tion to our problems or deny the fact that Kennedy was truly an outstanding man. An interested member of the YDC Outpost Another Look Congress has passed a bill which made it possible for the Soviet’s to fill up on U. S. wheat. The irony of the “wheat deal” is that we are giving the Russians up to 20 per cent cre dit on the sale. The Russians still owe us millions of dol lars in World War II debts. We are making Russian Com munists stronger to fight free dom all over the world but at the same time Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, says that the U. S. should stay in South Vietnam. He says that we must not let Communism continue to spread thiougitout Southeast Asia. He hasn’t had too much to say about the American Servicemen who have been killed during the struggle. In the United Nations the U. S. tolerates and readily ac cepts the U.S.S.R, The U, S. is now wanting Russia to co operate in a joint space pro ject. We aren’t as nice toward the Red Chinese though. In the U. N. we are against Red China’s acceptance, on the grounds that they are not a stable nation; we are not ex plaining our real reason—^that they’re Communists. It’s going to be most embarrassing when the U. S. finally backs down and has to accept Red China. As for Cuba, we don’t think that anyone should trade with them. We can trade with Rus sia but we can’t nor should anyone else give Cuba any trade support. Americans want Castro out of Cuba but we are afraid that it won’t look nice to the world if we adhere to our own Monroe Doctrine, a policy that is recognized in the United Nations. We have to admit that there are vast irregularities in our present foreign policy. Since there are changes of adminis trations in U. S. politics, it is necessary that we have a set, coherent foreign poUcy. This policy, like the Monroe Doc trine, must be upheld and no president should be allowed to change it. —Ray O’Kelly Delta Club Sets Meeting The Delta Club will present its fourth lecturer in the Sci ence Lecture Series on Wednes day, Feb. 12, 1964. The meeting wiU be held at 7:30 p. m. in Room A-105, Gravely Science Building. The speaker wiU be Dr. Max Hammersand, Professor of Ge netics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The topic of his lecture is “Sex uality in Algae.” This Delta Club meeting is open and 'the public is invited to attend. Concert Slated The North Carolina Sym phony will play in the Rocky Mount Senior High School auditorium' on April 14, 1964, at 8 p. m. This is an excellent organi zation and is certainly worth hearing. Student tickets can be purchased for $1 for stu dents, $3 for adults, and $5 for two adults. You won’t have to travel all the way to Raleigh to hear a good con cert. I See Larry Gupton > for tick ets this week.
North Carolina Wesleyan University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 12, 1964, edition 1
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