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ELON, NORTH CAROLINA j WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 | VOLUME 37, EDITION 8
www.elon.edu/pendulum
JUUA SAYERS I SS^ff Photographer
Senior chemistry major Geoff Mall (left) and lab manager Paul Weller (right) perform a liquid helium fill of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer. The engaged
learning on Elon’s campus is one of the ways faculty strive to ensure students learn, despite a recent study citing little knowledge gained during the college years.
National study finds 45 percent
of students learn little in college
Becca Tynes
Senior Reporter
A college degree isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.
According to recent findings, a college degree does not
necessarily mean a student has learned very much, if
anything at all, during his or her time in college.
The research of more than 2,300 undergraduates
found that 45 percent of college students show little
improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning and
writing by the end of their sophomore years. Thirty-six
percent of students show little improvement over four
years of college.
The study is discussed in the recently published
book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College
Campuses,” written by Richard Arum of New York
University and Josipa Roksa of the University of Virginia.
In the book. Arum and Roksa report that colleges are
failing at their most basic mission — teaching students.
and assisting them in their learning.
According to the book, factors that contribute to the
low percentage of students who learn in college include
the actions, attitudes and demands of both professors
and students.
While it is a professor's responsibility to teach students
concepts and information, it is the student’s job to learn
and study the material a professor teaches, said Peter
Felten, assistant provost and director of the Center for
the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.
“Sometimes, I think that students forget what college
is for,” he said.
Some students today have a consumer attitude toward
education, Felten said, and he believes many students
across the country feel entitled to receive a certain grade
simply because tuition is being paid.
See LEARNING j PAGE 6
Sandy^s
receives
fourth ALE
violation
Beccalynes
Senior Reporter
Sandy’s Steaks and Subs received
its fourth Alcohol Law Enforcement
violation after an agent witnessed a
bartender selling alcohol to underage
patrons in late February.
Several other individuals were
charged with underage possession
of alcohol that same night, said Ron
Dilliard, assistant agent in charge
with the Alcohol Beverage Control
Commission. The names of the
individuals will not be released until
the report is officially filed with the
Commission.
This is Sandy’s fourth violation
since 2009. The bar received two
violations on Jan. 24, 2009 for selling
alcohol to underage patrons and
another violation for the same offense
j\pril 2, 2010, according to Agnes
Stevens, public relations director for
the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage
Commission.
If Sandy’s is found guilty of this
most recent violation, it may result
in either a 30-day suspension of their
permits to sell alcohol or a five-day
suspension and an additional $3,500
fine, Stevens said.
“It is too early to know for sure
about this particular case, but that’s
what the standard suspension or fine
would be for this type of violation,”
Stevens said.
Sandy’s should either better train
its bartenders and employees or
become more diligent about who they
sell alcoholic beverages to, Dilliard
said.
Employees and the owner of Sandy’s
had no comment.
“The possession of a license that
permits the sale of alcohol is a privilege,
and a whole lot of responsibility comes
along with it,” Dilliard said.
Students react to meal plan changes bringing
rnmnl?iint; netitions before ARAM^ARK
Caitlin O’Donnell
News Editor
Students have responded with
petitions and complaints directed
to ARAMARK, Elon University’s
food service provider, after recently
introduced changes to the current meal
plan system.
Freshman Eric Carroll created an
event on Facebook to gauge the mindset
of the student body before he contacted
ARAMARK earlier this month. Fie had
logged into Ontrack to register for his
meal plan for next year and said he was
outraged when he saw the new options.
“A lot of students commented on
the event page immediately, expressing
their dislike with the new meal plan
system,” he said. “A lot of students told
me they felt blindsided and they were
unaware of the change until they saw
the Facebook event.”
Carroll met with ARAMARK
representatives March 17 after Laura
Thompson, food service director, noticed
his written complaint in the comments
box of the Elon Dining Services website.
Jeff Gazda, resident district manager
of ARAMARK, said it is the policy of
dining services to respond immediately
to any issue presented by a student.
“We pride ourselves on answering the
majority of questions we receive from
the 'contact us’ feature of the dining
services website within 24 hours, he
said. “When the comment requires more
than simple email responses, we request
a face to face meeting. Eric Carroll is the
perfect example of this.”
Although Carroll said ARAMARK
quickly made it clear there is no way to
keep the current meal plan system, they
were open to discussing ways to make
it better.
Ideas presented by Carroll included
making the block plan available to
students living on campus with a
sophomore standing or higher. Under
the changes, students living in residence
halls are required to sign up for one of
the all-access plans.
“They said they wouldn't be able to
make that change because they wouldn’t
be able to afford it,” Carroll said.
Fie also suggested creating a different
meal plan option between the block and
all-access plans that would be available
to students living on campus with a
sophomore standing or higher.
Gazda said Dining Services is still
listening to all points of view at this
time.
“We cannot say what is being
considered since Elon University
Dining Services only represents one
department among many that must work
in partnership to reach any significant
final decision,” he said.
Though Carroll said he personally
loves the current system, his goal is
to work with ARAMARK and provide
continuous feedback to help with the
dining hall experience for all students.
“I know a worthless cause when I see
one and attempting to keep our current
meal plan system is one,” Carroll said.
“The new system has been finalized and
sent out to incoming students, parents,
alumni and other Elon affiliates.”
Gazda said the all access and block
See MEAL PLAN | PAGE 3
FOR THE L