Newspapers / North Carolina Wesleyan University … / Jan. 18, 1972, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE,3 TEDE DECREE TUESDAY, JANUARY 18. 1972 Because Plymouth Experiment Revisited This editor has been told more than once by the administration that it is unfortunate that the student newspaper finds itself editorially dwelling on faculty business: contracts, tenure, personality clashes, and committee blowups. The implication of such sugges tions is not that some mild form of censorship should be self-imposed on the reporters of the DECREE by the editor, rather that these administrators share a concern which we too almost share. They believe that the student body should be spared worry and con cern over problems that they have no control over and that such worry only breeds needless anxiety and dis content among students. And if we in the DECREE would be honest with ourselves, we would admit that 1) many students couldn’t care less about these pro blems and 2) of those that do care, most would dis cover the truth without reading the details in the DECREE. What then, could be our purpose for occasionally dwelling on problems in the faculty? Some would say that the editors have a built-in bias against certain programs and personalities; it would be difficult for us to deny that occasionally our personal feelings do slop over into what we consider our best journa listic efforts. Secondly, it might be argued that we are out to sling mud at the faculty and damage Wes- leyan’s public relations. Such a conclusion is, of course, absurb since no one in their right mind would try to destroy a four year, $10,000 educational Invest ment. Our primary reason for dredging up the facts is that the student body has a right to know, and if their Investment (which according to the N, C. Annual Conference Journal represents 72% of the total sup port) is endanged by whatever cause, they should know. And since you support 72% (actually, it’s 100%) of this newspaper, • a should tell you, Noo LAB TIED: I/I1/72: 1/13/72. Now that those two are getting married maybe we’ll get some peace & quiet. ttxtt OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE EDITOR Bruce Wright ASSISTANT EDITOR Marshall Old BUSINESS & ADVERTISING MGR Chuck Martin CIRCULATION MANAGER GaU Mabe PHOTOGRAPHEIR Jay Van Hoose COLUMNISTS: Ralp4i Rose^ Will Thomson Tom Hardison Doug Kozlowski REPORTERS: Liz Reece, Betty Anne Lee, Charlie Rogers, Ralph Rose, Molly Pc^ack> Jane;Gravely, Gray Basnight Business Address: Box 3056, Wesleyan College Rocky Mount, Nwth Carolina 27801 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY WESLEYAN STUDENTS Opinions Published Do Not Necessarily Represent Those Of Wesleyan College By BOB O'KEEF Recently Dr. Sim Wild6 had printed in the DECREE a story about his educational experi ments. In that story, he re lated some of the facts about the program in Plymouth, North Carolina. However, I do not feel that he gave a fair evaluation of the pro gram in his story, and since stu dents will be needed to fill this program next year, I thought that it would be good for them to have some basis upon which to make their decision as to whether to take part in this program or not. The program has many ad vantages; but it also has an equal number of disadvantages. The program—which is called “Values—Freedom to Learn” —is one of the most inovative educational experiments in this state at the present time. K enables the students towork more on their own more than ever before. It eliminates ho- mogenious grouping — the grouping of students by their learning abilities—and places all of the students in the same learning environment, thus al lowing the faster students to help those who are slower in learning. The program teaches the stu dents to be more self-sufficient and, as a result, he can learn at his own rate of speed. But probably the most important aspect of the program Is that it lets the teacher experiment in many different teaching me thods. This is where the students teachers, or Interns, are need ed. The Interns are able to teach small groups of students while the teacher assigned to the class can take other small groups within the same class and teach them. There are five students from Wesleyan college involved in the program. Scott Polley and I are assigned to Plymouth High School while Lee Bowers, Ho ward Payne, and Earnest Clark are all assigned to Washington County Union School in Roper, N.C. Now that you have some- background of the program, let me start with the advantages of being involved in it: The most Important advan tage is that students can learn when they are sophomores or juniors In college whether or not they want to be teachers, instead of waiting until their last semester of college to find out, for many times it is too late to change then. Secondly, the student learns more on the job than he could possibly learn taking Educa tional Physocology or any other educational courses no matter how valuable these courses may seem at the time. Thirdly, the student interns are thrown headlong into a sit uation where they must either swim or drown, much like first year teachers are in most edu cational jobs. Dear Chief . . . '■TkaYitM I am happy to announce that the library will soon proudly display a complete set of mag- niflcient window draperies. Mr, M. H. Thompsonof Rocky Mount with unparalleled generosity, has donated sufficient fabric to furnish draperies for every window in the library. The Board of Directors of the Fri ends of the Library earn our thanks for their efforts In se curing the gift. The fabric is a fine quality flameproof cotton velvet, which, when made Into full-length dra peries as is planned, will go far to create the warm and inviting atmosphere we want for the library, Mr, Thompson’s gift has al ready supplied the library with materials we could never have afforded. Now the Friends of the Library and the college must undertake to pay for the other expenses of the decorating pro ject, Lining and hardware must be bought and workmanship paid for, not inconsequential costs. Would you care to join with us in completing this valuable project? Your special gifts will be sincerely appreciated, and I am confident that the new appearance of the library will assure you your gift was well used. Thank you for any help you may be able to give. The splen did loyalty of the Friends of the Library makes all the dif ference. Sincerely yours. Dr, Joseph T. Macpherson Librarian Fourthly, a student learns about his limitations and his weaknesses; he learns his strong points; he learns what he cannot do and what he can do in regard to teaching; and he learns, most importatnly of all, that teaching is a full-time pro fession. And now for some of the dis advantages : First, one must realize that he will be off campus for an entire year. This can be a most exasperating experience. It is very difficult to find a good place to live in Washington County, and when one does, he can ex pect to pay at least 40% of his $100.00 monthly paycheck for his room alone. Secondly, a car is almost a necessity. If you do not have a car while being in this pro gram, or have access to one, you are going to have problems. Thirdly, one must understand when he begins this program that he ends his social life al most completely. Despite the fact that Plymouth High School is loaded with beautiful girls, they are all off limits to men Interns, and the male students are all limits towomen interns, Plymouth is a small town, and Roper Is even smaller, TTiere is no way that an intern could date a student without the whole town knowing about it. Finally, one must know how to cook, for restaurants In the small city charge a fortune, and It is next to impossible to af ford eating out every night. I hope that I have given a fair account of what this program is like, and I would suggest that if you plan to be a teacher, you should look into the possi bility of being In this program next year. But before you make any definite plans,, talk with someone who has been In the program and get the low-down on it. The program is only rewarding if you can survive the limitations of it, H you can, it will be the most rewarding year of your college life. A nytime-A nywhere Notice ☆ The Friends of the Library Term Paper Contest is still open. Deadline is March, 1972. There is something quite un- deflnable about meeting a fri end you haven’t seen in a long , time. He and his girl had both gone north and I had remained where I was. We had both chan ged in many ways but still the bond was there, / He asked me to meet him at the Club but even though I had a load of work to do I still went. Something inside made me go, whatever the excuse. So we both began to drink— not a lot—and then the barriers began to melt. We talked about the old. I kept pointing out peo ple we both had known and told him some of the stuff that had happened while he was gone. Stories that had seemed old to me were suddenly funny again. We both laughed and rapped on and on. People came and went but neither of us really notic ed. I was just into him and he was in the present-past no ticing the change and wanting to be both here and there. Sud denly, the clock struck twelve and the carriage turned into a pumpkin—closing time. I knew all along that I had work to do but when I thought about it I knew this is where I wanted to be. The thing about it is—this has happened before and unless I miss my guess—it will hap pen again. Some things are just stronger than the forces of change. It almost makes you wish. Want This Issue Sent Home? Write In Your Parent’s Names And Address And The Decree Will Mail It For You Free, NAME ADDRESS Please Print
North Carolina Wesleyan University Student Newspaper
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Jan. 18, 1972, edition 1
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