September 18, 1980
The Pendulum
Page 3
Opinion
We are developing page 3 for opinions of our readers —
thoughtful articles in any field of interest to the coUege
community. We Invite your contributions. The Editors.
Judging our peers
Health faints
On keeping well
Last year, 55 students were
disciplined by the college for
rule infractions as varied as
dorm visitation violations to
illegal drug use.
The bulk of these cases
was handled cither by stu
dent or administration judi
cial systems.
The student judicial sys
tem, a branch of the S.G.A.,
is staffed by students, and
though its actions require
final approval by the Dean
of Student Affairs, it is
basically autonomous from
the college administration.
This places an extremely
important but tricky job in
students’ hands.
Serious cooperation and
knowledge on the part of all
students and administration
are required for the
judicial system to reach its
goal: the constructive, crea
tive, and fair disciplining of
students who fmd themselves
in trouble.
The philosophy of the
system is to first decide the
facts of a case impartially.
Then, if discipline is re
quired, to look deeply into
each individual’s situation
and attempt to help him.
The individual in trouble
is paramount, but the coun
cil must also consider all the
needs of the college com
munity. This philosophy is
highly idealistic and not
easily obtained, and before
it can get off the groimd,
students who find themselves
in trouble in any capacity in
the system must be willing to
cooperate.
Student trust is the key to
meaningful success. Students
distrust the system in one of
two ways; either they feel
there is nothing which can
be done about the trouble
makers, or they fear if they
Letter
To the faculty and stu
dents of Elon College:
I would like to take this
time to thank each of you
for your many prayers and
gifts of love during this
summer. Your kindness is
greatly appreciated and I wil
never forget the warm and
lovely people at Elon.
Marcha C. Hughes
subject themselves to the
system they will be crucified.
These fears are understand
able but unwarranted. The
students and administrators
in the judicial system are
very experienced both in
their jobs and with college
life; they understand their
positions and are dedicated
to them. The students of the
system itself also make the
doubts of students unwar
ranted.
Students should be aware
that they have a fair judicial
system at Elon. But, the
system must have the full
cooperation of all involved
in a disciplinary problem for
it to work to its potential.
Students who feel they
should report an infraction
should contact Dean Joyce
or Dennis Bailey in 203 Long
Student Center. Students
who fmd themselves in trou
ble should contact Mark
Hayes, also in Long Student
center room 203.
The addition of Grammar
250 to the Elon College
curriculum was a plus for
the students. Making gram
mar a requirement for seve
ral majors including English-
Journdism, education and
several others was another
step forward. But if Gram
mar 250 were a requirement
for every student, then that
would be a giant step for
students and faculty.
As a member of the
Pendulum staff and an assis
tant in the Public Informa
tion office where the Com
municator is prepared, I
often read articles or no
tices that students bring in.
Some are quite well and
others are beyond repair.
If this is a mirror of the
type of work our students
are capable of doing, then
we really need help.
Not only are other stu
dents making grammatical
mistakes that a seventh gra
der would avoid, I also
make these mistakes.
A lot of my problems
A look at
registration
By Bonnie Barnes
I arrived early
at Alumni Memorial Gym
nasium to find myself only
halfway down the hall when
the doors finally opened. I
was pleased to see that
Elon’s approach to registra
tion is more civilized than
Mizzou’s (my alma mater in
the early 60s).
Then, every man (sorry,
“person”) was out for him
self. No pre-scheduling. First
come, got it. There seemed
to be longer lines, then, and
the counselors at Mizzou
were undefined, at least to
me. I dared not question
those bastions of intelligence
even though I knew my
father would never under
stand why I had suddenly
switched from a poli-sci
major to elementary recrea
tion!
But somehow the whole
process came to an end. The
final check was written, both
times, with clammy palsied
hands.
Then, I knew that I had
my dad to pay if I didn’t do
well in my studies. Now, I
pay.
Then, I bought every
“new” book that was re
quired. Now, only the
“used” books on which I’m
cont. on p. 8
stem from the fact that I
was never taught the simple
rules of grammar. But in
stead of complaining. I’m
taking Grammar 250 and
trying to correct some of my
errors. I don’t expect to
make an “A” in the class
but I do expect to learn how
to improve my written En
glish.
Elon College should make
it mandatory that all stu
dents take grammar or pass
a test on standard written
English. This test should be
given to all students at the
end of the sophomore year.
It’s too late to com
plain about what was lack
ing in our public school
educations. Now it’s time to
do something about these
mistakes and send better
qualifled graduates out into
the job market and life.
The argument “I’m not
an English major, so there
fore I don’t need to take
grammar” is very weak.
Grammar 250 can offer as
much knowledge to a busi
ness or biology major as it
could to an English major.
By Mildred B. Lynch
Today we rely on drugs to
pep up, to relax, to sleep, to
wake up, to lose weight, to
gain weight, to prevent ill
ness and to cure illness.
Without caffeine, alcohol,
cigarettes (tobacco and
others) and prescription
and/or non-prescription
medicines, many could not
make it through the 24-hour
cycle.
Drugs should be used with
caution. Eli Lilly and Com
pany’s Aug. 1980 “Health
Highlights” suggests that
we:
• Anticipate possible drug
problems. Ask yourself,
“Am I taking more than one
prescription drug?” “Am I
taking an over-the-counter
drug remedy at the same
time I am taking a prescrip
tion drug?” “Do I know if
alcohol affects the drugs
that I am taking?”
• Don’t worry about "of
fending your doctor by tell
ing him that you are receiv
ing prescriptions from other
physicians. In this age of
specialization, it is common
for a [wrson to have more
than one physician.
• Don’t be afraid to ask
your physician about the
appropriateness of a drug
therapy or the danger of any
felt side effects.
• Be aware of the need to
take all of a prescription,
even if you feel better earlier
than you expected or if at
the start the drug doesn’t
seem to be having any effect
at all, unless you are other
wise directed by your physi
cian.
Keep a List
• E)o keep a list of
medicines that you are tak
ing. Take the list with you
when you see your physician i
or pharmacist and show it to
him.
• Ask your physician
about any potential inter
action of your drugs with
alcohol or psychoactive
agents (e.g., sleeping pills or
, tranquilizers whenever you
switch to a new medicine.
Additional tips not in
cluded in the Lilly High
lights are:
Don’t share with friends
• Never take medications
that have been prescribed
for your roommate or
others. Dosages are calcu
lated by the physician on the
basis of the patient’s body
weight, build and metabo
lism and on present and past
medical history. You and
your roommate are diffe
rent, and drug response and
reaction may be different.
•Take medications only as
prescribed. Do not skip a
dose or take more than
directed. If you miss a dose
you cannot make up for it
by doubling up on the next
dose.
Know when to take medicine
•Some drugs should be
taken before eating, some
after eating and some an
hour or more after. Timing
affects the rate and degree
of absorption of the drug by
the body systems. If the
physician does not tell you
when to take your medica
tions, ask.
•If you notice any unusual
effects after taking a medi
cation, call the physicial who
prescribed the drug. It could
mean a normal side effect. It
could also mean that this
drug is not the best one for
you or that the dosage needs
to be changed.
Your doctor’s consultation
is confidential. Tell him
everything about your drink
ing, eating and drug-taking
habits. It will aid him in
prescribing better and more
comfortable treatment for
you and it could save your
life.
Remember— Information,
Education, Moderation. In
form the physician so that
he can educate you. And use
moderation in drinking, eat
ing and taking drugs.
1980 council
year to open
The Town-College Advi
sory Council, organized in
1978 to help improve rela
tions and communications
between town and gown, is
preparing for the 1980-81
academic year with their
first meeting Tuesday even
ing, Sept. 23.
John Sadler fills the slot
for Student Government As-
socation president on the
council. Inter-fratemity
Council president Steve Hol
brook is another new mem
ber.
Don Witt, citizen of Elon
College, will replace Tom
Hubbard whose term ex
pired. Mr. Witt, Mary Shaw
Cunningham, and Ken Har
per are appointed by the
Town Board, each for a
three-year term. Marvin
Grant, a member of the
town board, will represent
the town government, re
placing Nell Snyder who
served during 1979-80. Wil
liam Long, dean of student
affairs, and Ralph D. Sea-
groves, chief of Public Safe
ty, also are on the council.
Council by-laws require
members to meet four times
each school year. Meetings
are set for the third Tuesday
in September, November,
January and March.
Mark Hayes
Student praises new
Grammar 250 course
by Robin Adams