Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Oct. 6, 1983, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 The Pendulum Editorials Thursday. October 6. 1983 Letters to the editor DWI drinking age disputed To the Editor: I can’t decide what clear purpose our legisla tors had in mind in changing the legal age for buying malt beverages and wine from 18 years to 19 years of age. Is the 19-year-old a more responsible drinker than the 18-year-old? Will the age change dis courage high schoolers from drinking and thereby eliminate a portion of the impaired drivers on our roads? Whatever the reason, I do not agree with the age change. Simply stated, it is not congruous with other age stipulations in our legal system. The 18 year old is considered still responsible enough to vote, to fight in a war, to operate a motor vehicle, and to enter into a legally bind ing contract. Even old enough to be tried in our judicial system as a “responsible” adult citizen. However, the question that really interests me is not what effect the age change will have on the legal system but what effect it will have on the 18-year-olds’ participation in our politic al system. Prohibition created criminals of more than a handful of law-abiding citizens who chose to protest, by way of ignoring, a law deemed both unfair and unwise. The Question I’m waiting to see answered is what will this new law make of the 18-year-old, who through the vote is encouraged to partici pate in our political system. Otherwise, I totally concur with the new DWI law. Rightly so, repeat offenders will be punished as such, and first offenders will be punished enough to realize the seriousness of their irresponsible disregard for the law. Trial- and-error (of the previous plea-bargaining sys tem) isn’t a particularly effective method where human lives are at risk. It is past time that our internal policies reflect a sincere respect for human life, and, in accordance with our con stitution, protect and uphold all human life. I’m not against drinking. I’m not against driv ing. I am against drinking and driving. The com bination has proven deadly and is steadily de pleting our population. We know enough now about the cause and effect of alcohol combined with driving to know that it’s time to stop gather ing statistics and start acting on our findings. I challenge all Elon students to respect life enough not to drive while impaired. Perhaps it would be wise to remember that we are all potential victims, on one side of the wheel or the other, until we begin to act re sponsibly and with respect for life by abiding by the law of not drinking and driving. I hope that we remember that sobering thought Sometimes there aren’t any second chances. Bev Stadennau ‘Police’ review criticized Honor program praised Last Friday, members of the North Carolina Honors Associa tion gathered at Elon to elect new officers for the 1983-84 year. The association is composed of North Carolina colleges and universities which have an honors program or are interested in forming one. Although not all North Carolina schools are members of the organization, all are eligible to join. The schools that attended Friday’s meeting were represented by administration mem bers, facuMy and students who wanted to learn how other schools conduct their programs. Elon fared exceptionally well in the comparison of the honors programs. Some schools who attended the meeting have no honors program or have a limited program which offers only a few honors courses, courses only open to upperclassmen, or independent study honors courses. “Our program stacks up very well, even with large universi ties,” said Dr. Anne Ponder, president of the North Carolina Honors Association and founder of Elon’s honors program in 1978. Ponder added that Elon is “recognized nationally as a model program.” Elon offers a college-wide honors system that extends from the freshman to senior year. These courses are offered in eleven different areas: biology, communications, business ce, philosophy, psychology, political science, religion and sociology. This is exceptional for a school of Elon’s size and stature. Comparatively, Elon’s counterpart, Wingate College, has de partmental honors in English and history only, and another private school near Elon, Guilford College, has an honors prog ram for freshmen only. Ponder, who has addressed the past national honors confer ence, said that Elon models its program around its regular curriculum. If the regular classes are structured, then the hon ors classes will probably be flexible. This gives an overall curri culum availability to honor students. ......... i . I > I I I I I I I I I I ■ ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■ ■ • I ■ i To the Editor: Album reviews are an excellent addition to the Arts section of the Pendulum. However, re views should look critically at albums, and should not be simply a forum for lavishing praise upon a group of artist The review of the Police’s Synchronicity in the Sept 29 edition was a glaring example of such a review. Reviews should not be published only to fill the Arts section of the newspaper. If a review simply includes a song-by-song praise, such as “definitely a classic Police ballad,” itis i only wasted space. Adding reviews and other diversified articles to the paper is a great idea, but quality must be upheld as well. Bob Moser The Pendulum Staff Edilor-in-Chief Jo Craven Associale Editor Loukia LxMka Head Photographer Jay Massengi Editorial Editor Carol Ni> Features Editor Penny Thomas Arts Edtor Felicta Fogleinan Sports Editor Tom WesterAser Circulation Manager Kim Bride Adviser Ftobert Nowel The Pervlutum welcomes letters, t- mited to 250 words, from our readers. Lon^ material may be sutxnitted as opinion articles. Editors reserve the ri^ to edit for length, libel, good taste and accuracy. Our office is located in 208 Long Student Center, phone 584- 2331. The paper is published t>y ttie Com munications Media Board of Elon Col lege. Founded on Octotier 14,197. as ttie student newspaper serving the Elon Cdtege community. The Pe^ lum is published each Thursday dtf- ing the regular terms except for ex amination and holiday periods. ~nw Pendulum is printed Ijy The Burling ton Daily Times-News.
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Oct. 6, 1983, edition 1
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