Newspapers / North Carolina Central University … / Dec. 10, 1982, edition 1 / Page 3
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page 3 Friday, December 10, 1982 Three reporters review the best and the worst The Echo takes a look at the dolls of X-mas Joe shrinks with the times I By Kelvin Hart There has been an incredible shrinking man, an incredible shrinking woman, and now there’s an incredible shrinking toy, “G.I. Joe.” No, its not what you think. G.I. Joe does not shrink before your eyes however, over the past ten years, Joe has gone through a drastic metamor phosis that has changed him from the 12-inch-tall, he-man of an army doll to a 3-inch toy soldier. Though the smaller version, like the original, does have movable arms, legs, elbow and knee joints, it does not hold a yougster’s attention the way old Joe used to. G.I. Joe was a classic; a legend in his own time. Created by the Hasbro Company, he started out as a mere plastic doll with bendable appendages that you could dress in various uniforms. As he became more popular, the company began to sell separate accessories along with him, such as motorcycles, jeeps, tanks, and helicopters. Soon they were making G.I. Joe dolls of all kinds, including some with life-like hair. The new G.I. Joes come in even more of a variety with their own shrunken accessories. The 3-inch figures, which sell for $2.97 each, about the same price as old Joe, have names such as Infantry Trooper, Ranger, Mortar Soldier, Bazooka Soldier, and about six others, including a woman and two enemy fighters. . The accessories, range in prices from $5.97 to $19.97. The least expensive are the “Rapid Fire Motorcycle” and the “Attack Cannon” at $5.97 each. The “Attack Vehicle” or jeep is $10.97 and the “Mobile Missle System” and “Motorized Battle Tank” cost $19.97 each. However, unlike the accessories for the original, none of the vehicles or guns do anything except for the tank, which has a motorized sound. The original accessories included working parachutes, shooting missies, and fly ing machines with working propellers. The dull, non-working accessories may provide for the safety of children and cut down on lost accessory parts, which was a problem in the past. A minor problem with the original Joe was that his appendages could be taken completely off his body, and sooner or later, a hand or foot was bound to get lost. This problem has been solved with little Joe because he has little hinge joints that are not supposed to be removed. The arms and legs are relatively stable however, with Joe standing only 3 inches tall, you could lose him altogether. This is not to say that the smaller G.I. Joes won’t make a nice gift for three to ten-year-olds, because few of them know what the original looked like anyway. But if anyone were to tell them how the larger G.I. Joes used to be one of the best selling Christmas toys in the market, they wouldn’t feel that their toy soldier is “A Real American Hero,” as is printed on the package. Realistic dolls? They drank and then wet. Mattel even came out with a doll that not only drinks and wets but claps when she does it. “Bye Bye Diapers” comes with her own potty seat and sells for $16.95. In one toy catalog, however, it shows the doll drinking, wetting, and clapping on her potty seat fully clothed. Oh well, perhaps the manufacturer will include some toy cleaning bills for the dirty diapers! A new trend in dolls not only appeals to the children’s senses of sight and sound but also to their touch. Apparently now it’s important for the dolt to have a unique feel to it. “Jelly Belly” by Ideal is a perfect example. This doll, as the name im plies, is filled with a jello-like substance.fDid you ever know people who jig gled when they laughed?) This doll sells for $9.99. Another doll with that special touch quality is “Bare Bottom Beans” by Mattel, who comes packaged in a box that would certainly be pleasing to voyeurs. A hole is put in the doll’s box by the manufacturer so prospective buyers can get a preview touch of the doll’s little bottom to see and feel what they are paying for. Apparantly Mattel has taken a tip from the “oldest proffession” and applied it to their marketing techniques. Price: $9.99. One of the strangest dolls in this genre is “Baby Feel So Real” by Mego Corporation. This doll looks like a normal cute doll on the outside but when you get to what’s on the inside, watch out! The similarity ends. When 1 picked it up from the shelf, I immediately dropped it. This doll weighs a whopping three pounds. What makes it so heavy? The closest description I Can give is something that feels like day-old mashed potatoes. “Baby Feels So Real” conforms to your every squeeze. This certainly adds a new dimen sion for the child, and might well help to develop his or her sense of touch. But on the other hand, after innumerable squeezings, droppings and hogg ings from the children the doll might begin to resemble something out of the fourth dimension. And I don’t want to mention what might happen if the doll accidently was poked by something sharp. In that case the doll might take on a whole new meaning of reality, especially if the poke happened to be in the wrong place. So don’t be surprised if you hear a child saying to her mom, “Mommie, can I go over to my friends house again, my ‘Baby Feels So Real’ has to use ‘Bye Bye Diapers’ potty chair.” By Jim Jarvis It’s that time of the year again when dolls take their annual trip from the store shelf to the home of a small child. Some of the old favorites are back, like “Barbie” and “Strawberry Shortcake.” These dolls have have a few moving parts and come with some removable clothes so the child can change their outfits after a hard day in the sandbox. Some years ago the toy companies that manufacture dolls decided to make dolls as lifelike as poslible and started to make them do things like talk (“Susie Soft Sounds,” Fisher Price, $27.94) and walk (“Tippee Toes,” Mattel, $15.92). ■. l y . The toy companies didn’t stop there, however, and soon a myriad of dolls began to do exactly what the children that played with them did when they were very small. NCCU for peace ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ Continued from page 2 exchange views on international problems? Does an International House have a place in the campus development and expansion? I see no sign of it. 7. International students: Most of our foreign students come from African countries. We have very few students from Asia. If Shaw Universi ty has a large number of students from the Middle East, why can’t we? NCCU should also try to attract students from Latin America. The more reactions and the feedback we get from international students, the better off we will be in our efforts to establish dialogues with them now and in the future. 8. International Week: Once a year, NCCU should celebrate an Interna tional Week by arranging a series of lectures by speakers from different countries. NCCU should also coordinate International Week activities with organizations such as the Pan African Club, the India Association, the Chinese Student’s Association, the Philippine Association, and others. 9. Special funds: We need money for supporting this program at NCCU. I am not very interested in programs such as Founder’s Day and Commence ment. We waste so much on them. We need to reorganize our resources to attract international students through special scholarships. We may also need to establish a realtionship with the business community to get funds from businessmen. If our international programs are attaefive and appeal ing to them, local businesses may invest in our programs. 10. International campus: Culture is not only taught formally in the classroom but also informally on the campus. In this respect, the NCCU campus, with some shrubery here and there, new doors in some depart ments, and a few new buildings, is a dead duck. It’s one of the most uninspiring campuses I have ever seen. To make it international-minded and to impress international students and foreign dignitaries, we need to have statues of such champions of human rights as Martin Luther King Jr. or Mahatma Gandhi at the campus enterance, a monument to Chilean Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda or to the 1982 Nobel Prize winner from Columbia, Garcia Marquez, in front of the Communications Building, the bust of Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya near the Political Science Department, and Newton in front of Math Department. Harold Taylor, the noted educator and International traveler, wrote: “If the methods of war can be taught, why not strategies for preventing it? ... How many universities, for example, scientific institutes and government apneies in any country, have agreed to develop social strategies and prin ciples for peace-making, to proclaim, to teach and appyly them on a na tional and international scale?” NCCU’s international programs should work out plans for peace and rouse the conscience of our country. NCCU should build and bolster the bullwork of peace into its activities. Albert Einsetein once remarked, “Culture is one of the foundations for international understanding.” Let NCCU take a step in that direction—toward the promotion of that culture which will produce global peace and international understanding. Dolls, dolls, dolls... By Linda Hayes Christmas is near, and there are many dolls to choose from. Circus world at Northgate Mall was the perfect place for a doll article and the inspiration for a different kind of consumer article. T’was getting close to Christmas, and all through the mall, I searched for the best and worst of all dolls. Met Strawberry Short Cakes’ “Apricot with hopsalot” Which really smelt like apricots. She came with little rabbit and comb. Enough to brighten a girl’s home. Kenner made her for $8.96, white, dressed in a blue and pink outfit. She’s not recommended for kids three and under, you see. They might eat up the accessories. Next I found “Orange Blossom with Marmalade, ’’ dressed in orange and yellow. She’s black, with green and white socks. That don’t even match her outfit or box. She’s priced at $8.96 like her friend. And the price is o.k. if you’re willing to spend. “Living baby Love N’Touch, fingers move and grasp. For $19.96 what more could you ask? She’s fourteen inches tall and made by Mattel; No batteries are required; that’s swell. She’s not harmful for ages over three. And it’s fun to watch her hands move free. The “Annies” are selling a lot. Dressed in red with orange hair on top. The Knickerbocker company made her for ages four and up; she’s priced at $8.99—which isn’t so rough. Brook Shield’s” box said “the world’s most glamorous doll, ” Dressed in blue and made for the stars. She’s priced at $10.96, posing stand, photo, ring and comb. Recommended for ages four and up. With “long shampooable hair,” how tough! She’s safe and would be fun to dress. And most small girls would be very impressed. Look! A “Black Magic Curl Barbie ’’for $10.97; Curl her hair, then straighten it; she’s close to heaven. Her kit includes a magic, mist solution, hqir straightner pack; It’s non-toxic and that’s a fact. “Monchhichi” dollk lodk'just like they sound. Little monkeyi dressed in brown. Recommended for those over three. The fur feels good; buy one and see. Mattel priced them for $9.99; If kids like animals, this is just fine. “Bye Bye Diapers” for those over three. She drinks, claps her hands, and even wee-wees. Included is a diaper pot, but diapers are not. She should be fun to play “mommy” with I bet. Especially when her diapers are wet. She’s priced at $ 19.96 by Mattel, And I’m sure with the kids she’d be swell. Then there’s “Fashion Cut and Grow, ” A doll that people need to know. She’s recommended for ages four and up. Comes with scissors that really do work. The ends are rounded for safety but the edges are sharp. Priced at $19.97, and Gabriel made the parts. Now Apricot, Blossom’s, Love N’Touch, Annie, Now Brook, now Barbie, Munchhichi, Bye Bye, now Cut and Grow, Up on the roof top and out of the mall. Now dash away, dash away, dash away all. Mail Foom update George T. Thorne, vice-chancellor of financial affairs—under whose responsibility the mail room , falls, and E(,u£h^ Pqs^^i^r frank E. Copeland Jr. have sent letters to Chester Ray^She^rd Sta tion, requesting that the rule against unauthorized persons b«ng allowed in to the mail room be strictly enforced. Without implying guilt on Ray s part, these letters were mailed shortly after an informal meeting between some students and mail room employees on Thursday, Oct. 28. At the meeting, students accused Ray and Ben Williamson, a part-time employee of the mail room, of minor violations of mail room regulations. Ray was accused of allowing an unauthorized individual into the mail room. Williamson—not present at the meeting—was accused of discourteousness towards a student. Both men deny the allegations made against them. Thorne’s letter also requested Ray to investigate the allegation made against Williamson. When asked about the status of the investigation, Ray had no comment. Laura Pierce and Dominique Walker, both full-time postal clerks of Shepard Station, are not under investigation. Dr. Naren Tambe is an NCCU professor of education. Continued from page 2 Are standardized test scores one-sided? To the editor: It is known through making a comparative analyzation of yesterday with today that progression of time will bring modernization. Every day an advancement is made towards reaching the ultimate and seem ingly infinite goat of perfection. We have built a society which revolves around complex computers which have surpassed all the limits of the mechanisms of yesterday. Though these creations have contributed much, at times it gives the easy opportunity to forget about the naturally given abilities and talents of man. The matter I write about is in reference to the advice given to a freshman about what math course to begin with, which is based large ly upon their score made on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. A freshman entering college is usually advised to begin with Math 1000, which is a combination of advanced arithmetic and a general in troduction to algebra. This is contrary to beginning with Math 1100 which is college algebra and trigonometry. The reason that supports such advising is that a student should make at least 450 on the SAT. This standardized test and its claimed value to determine academic ability is indeed clearly respected as being the basis of admissions to a university. But I feel this standardized and computerized report only offers a one-sided view of a student’s potential. It should also be taken into consideration what math courses a student took in high school and the grades he earned in those respective courses. The importance of this matter can be seen if a look is taken at the course outline of a business major. A freshman business major who did not score 450 on the SAT but starts with Math 1000 is already one math course behind. The business department does not accept Math 1000. So the next semester the student must begin with the first semester math, which is Math 1100. the only alternative left for the student to catch up is to take Math 1200 during the summer session. My point is that more consideration should be given to the student beyond the score made on the math section of the SAT. The fact must be remembered that all people are not alike, but rather everyone is an individual in the sense of their being. It is not my purpose to discredit, but only to shine light upon a matter which may have been overlook ed. The SAT score is important, but we must not overlook the most important factor of the whole matter, “the student.” j Michael Mattocks Freshman Class President NCCU track team getting a “bum deal” To the editor: In reference to the slogan adopted by the United Negro College Fund, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” an athlete is also a terri ble thing to waste. The athletes I’m referring to are NCCU’s track team members. Here is a group of talented young men being given the short end of the deal. There are several contributing factorS^^to this charge. First of all, the student representative for the athletes only learned a few weeks ago that NCCU even had a track team. It seems as if everyone is forgetting about the track team. i I attended the program in the Student Union for the athletes a while back and the emcee forgot all about the track team. She had given the closing remarks before she realized she hadn’t introduced them. This is one among many events that the newly appointed coach didn’t at tend. During the football season, if a meet was held on the day of a game, the team attended the meet without a coach. The team has also attend ed meets which they were not qualified to place, the reason being that not enough members from Central’s team attended the meet. While on the subject of track meets, if you’re wondering why there haven’t been any track meets here at Central, take a look at the track field. It is a mess. If we had a major rain storm a swim meet could be held on it. I realize that when it comes to fixing the track field the sub ject of money arises. Well, what about uniforms?. Our team is very unique in that category, they provide their own. ^ Don’t take my word for it, ask any member of the track team. Bet ter still, attend one of the track meets and judge for yourself. As I stated earlier we have a fine group of talented young men getting a bum deal. I feel that it is an insult to their ability to perform as top rate athletes. Realistically speaking changes take time, it’s time for some changes to be made. Deborah Ann Spencer
North Carolina Central University Student Newspaper
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Dec. 10, 1982, edition 1
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