Page 2
The Pendulum
Sept. 13, 1979
How much is it worth?
the past three years,
Elon College has been sadly
lacking in that we have no
student directory. The situa
tion is worsened by the lack
of high-quality telephone
service at the college. To
;all into the college on a
»veekend is to know frustra-
ion, unless you know the
extension you are calling.
At nearly every college
and university throughout
.he country, a directory of
students, faculty, and staff,
with local emergency num
bers, is an accepted, stan
dard feature of life. At
Elon, however, we are
forced to muddle through
without one. We think that
a directory is urgently
needed, and as soon as
possible.
The question of a student
directory brings up the ques
tion of its cost. How much
would it cost? How much is
it worth? How much is it
worth to be able to speak to
a friend? How much is it
worth to get in touch with
your professor or adviser
before pre-registration or a
big test? How much is it
worth to be able to call the
police, fire department, or
emergency medical services?
Such a directory is an
invaluable asset not only to
students but to faculty and
staff as well. Since we are
getting 250 new phones, with
more on the way next year,
a directory may soon be
come a necessity in the eyes
of the administration, as it
does not seem be now.
The question is: Do we
continue to exist at the
mercy of the present system,
or do we take a step that
needs to be taken and
should already have been?
by Prof. James Pace
Chairman, Dept, of Religion
Each year questions are
raised anew about the pur
pose of religion in the liberal
arts curriculum and the func
tion of a religion depart
ment in the life of the
college community. Many
students and faculty mem
bers would like to know
what constitutes the acade
mic discipline of religion and
how the study of religion is
approached at Elon College.
The following statement is a
response to these inquiries.
Religious systems of
thought, belief, and action
are so vital a dimension of
the human scene that no
liberal arts curriculum is
complete without some treat
ment of them. The Depart
ment of Religion believes
that a humane education
must investigate critically and
evaluate the responses peo
ple have made to the mys-
terij of human existence
and transmit to students an
awareness of the nature and
forms of these responses.
No religious response should
lie beyond the province of
academic scrutiny.
There are three objectives
of religion instruction at
Elon College. These may be
characterized as descriptive,
evaluative and praaical.
Descriptive or informational
This objective is to
acquaint the stlident with the
timeless questions which
Tbe editors welcome let
ters, but can pabiish only
those whose niuM and a^
dress arc given. We reserve
the right to edit for length
and to avoid Hbei.
people have raised and at
tempted to answer concer
ning their meaning and des
tiny. Its purpose is to
familiarize the student with
how these questions and
answers are reflected in sys
tems of thought, cultic acts,
attitudes, and beliefs.
To accomplish this the
instructor brings before the
student the relevant liter-
ture, scholarly studies, tech
nical vocabulary, and me
thods of critical study which
the field involves. This
dimension of the instructor’s
task is to bring the student
face to face with the con
crete materials of the field.
This is done in all courses at
Elon, but primarily in intro
ductory and survey courses
(Introduction to Religious
Thought, Religions of Man
kind, Survey of the Old
Testament, Survey of the
New Testament).
What the instructor aims
to do is to help students see
in as vivid a way as possible
the issues with which reli
gions deal, to inspire them
to recognize the need for
breadth and comprehension
in respect to veiwpoints hi
therto unknown to them and
provide some tools for pre
cision of observation and
description.
Evaluative or critical
This objective is to distin
guish and to assess the
various forms of theological
arguments, presuppositions,
convirtions, myths and sym
bols. It involves raising the
appropriate critical questions
by which religious pheno
mena are evaluated. Realisti
cally, this objective is ac
complished by only the most
astute students in lower level
courses. It is, however, a
major task of upper level
courses.
Practical or interiorizing
The, third objective is more
existential. It is to assist
students in coming to an
understanding of themselves
in the light of a broader and
deeper understanding of re
ligion as found in their own
and others’ cultures. The
instructor encourages - stu
dents to think about their
own religious beliefs and
those of others in a fair but
discriminating way so that
they may formulate a com
prehensive view of life which
is not only intellectually
defensible, and emotionally
and ethically satisfying, but
is also open to further
growth and appreciation. In
the latter sense it sees college
study of religion as the
beginning of a lifelong study
of religion.
It is not the purpose of
the Religion Department to
indoctrinate but to provide a
forum and tools for the
critical investigation of reli
gious loyalties and beliefs by
which students interpret and
direct their lives. The De
partment of Religion views
itself as having an educa
tional rather than a dogma-
tioc religious function.
While it is recognized that
characteristic expressions of
relgious conviction such as
worship or prayer are the
proper subject of the study
of religion, the practice of
these expressions in a con
fessional and dogmatic way
is the special domain of
religious groups on campus,
the college chaplain, and
other organizations outside
see IteUgion on p. 3
Craig Harris
Editor
SljE
Penliulum
Paul Chaconas
Sports Editor ir wu i
News Editor Nelson
Xypist Sandra Beach
Features Hamilton
Entertainment Editor Batts
’hotographeri John Hurd & Craig Stanfield
C omposition PrisdUa Cmmpton
Karen Carronth
Adviser Mary Ellen Priestley
Published by the Commnnications Media Board of
Elon College. Founded on October 14, 1974, as the
student newspaper serving the Elon College commn-
nity, the Pendulum is published each Thursday during
the regular terms except for examination and holiday
periods. The staff meets Thursdays at 4 p.m.
Do yon know where Carolina 323 is?
Religion courses: not to
Book buy-back policy • j ^ • * h t /
Students have recently expressed concern about the IM/m/
buy-back oolicies of the Campus Shop. Contrary to the
current rumors, the books are bought back at the highest
listed catalog prices. Four used-book companies regularly
deal with the Campus Shop, and they will buy back a great
number of the books that will not be re-used.
Professors are required to inform the shop of their book
choices for the following fall semester as soon as possible,
usually in April. Most professors abide by this, but this fall
one or two, according to Buck Bayliff, manager, wjiited until
two days before classes started to designate their books. Such
action would hardly give the shop time to get the books, if
new, or students the time to find out about the books and
buy them. Under these circumstances, it is easy to, see why
students would blame the Campus Shop, when it is actually
the professor’s fault.
We advise all students, particularly freshman, to familia
rize themselves with the poUcies of the Campus Shop
regarding this important matter. Mr. Bayliff will gladly
answer any questions put to him on this subject.
All freshmen have a copy of the Campus Shop’s policies in
their orientation folders. Familiarity with the policies may
prevent students imagining themselves slighted, whether they
agree with the policies or not.