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WWW.GUlLFORDlAN.COM
Tristan Dewar
Staff Writer
Guilford's student body is a lot larger
than it was just a few years ago, and the
latest enrollment data confirms that it will
only get bigger. This presents a unique
challenge for a college that has traditional
ly maintained a small population. Change
isn't always bad, however, as more stu
dents means more diversity of ideas on
campus.
Once upon a time, the-new apartments
were actually new. The Frank Family Sci
ence building harbored a multi-million-
dollar new car smell, and a rumored bil
liards table or two existed for those who
were inclined to play. Sodexho ruled the
caf with an iron skillet, and professors
and students in King had reason to worry
about (possible) lead poisoning or asbestos
inhalation. Brian Hall housed athletes sans
prison bars, and the concept of security
cameras on campus was laughable to all
but the most paranoid of students.
For many students on campus, that
Guilford is but a reverie. Even more are un
aware it existed at all. To most, the Guilford
of 2002 is hardly more than an ephemeral
first impression of life -away from parents,
yet very clqse«to red Solo cups and alcohol.
Lo4„of alcohol.
Alas, even the significance of the Solo
cup itself, a timeless symbol of promise and
bounty on campus, is encroached upon by
a new^'era im Guilford's history: the era of
the big-ass student body.
Guilford released its official enrollment
data on Oct. 1, registering a total head-
count of 2,641 students. This number is
comprised of 1,387 traditional students
(of which 406 are first-years), 1,159 adult
students and 95 Early College students.
Though this number seems relatively small
in comparison to other collegiate head-
counts in N.C., consider that in the spring
of 2003, the Guilford's student populaition
amounted to only 1,778.
I've had the unique pleasure of experi
encing this rapid growth first hand: F first
, entered Guilford as a high-school sopho
more through the fledgling Early College
program in the fall semester of '02 and then
stayed on for college in the fall of '05.
Although Guilford has changed dras
tically over my school career, it's been a
journey of maturation.
And as the student population contin
ues to expand, (Guilford's long-rage stra
tegic plan projects that the number will
climb to 2,830 by the fall of '09), Guilford
aggressively hires new faculty and staff to
accommodate the growing number of ea
ger young minds and unregistered vehicles
on campus. The 15:1 student-teacher ratio
, remains firmly intact.
And with more students on campus and
more money in coffers, new student orga
nizations are always being introduced to
accommodate expanding interests (skate
boarding and parkour clubs represent!).
An ever-increasing population invites
a plethora of different ideas and personal
experiences into the community. The Guil
ford of '08 isn't as simple to classify as it
might've been a couple of years ago.
I had a friend at UNCG that incessantly
referred to Guilfordians as "stank-ass hip
pies," and while there are certainly people
on campus that proudly fly their own freak-
flags, even my hippy-hating-friend would
give pause when asked to characterize the
present student body.
Though Guilford is famously liberal, a
shifting political spectrum on campus is
far from lamentable.
No one enjoys being pigeonholed. Con
servatives on this campus used to be an en
dangered species - or at least an invisible
species. I may curse Reaganomics until my
dying, pollution-clogged breath, but I want
this community to extend beyond the pre
dictable. By all means, resuscitate the Col
lege Republicans and let's get to sparring.
What I have observed, unfortunately, as
a student body that is decidedly more doc
ile. Well, docility can't be bad, right? It's
a school steeped in Quaker tradition, after
all. Typically, one hand can't collect cans
while the other's igniting a Molotov cock
tail.
While Guilford's long history of social
activism still endures. I'm afraid some
thing has fallen by the wayside as the old
Guilford transitions into the new.
As the community has reached record
numbers, we've adopted a consensual
view of what Guilford should be for every
one, and loud-and-proud activism didn't
make the cut fully intact.
I remember class-walkouts and protests
along Friendly Avenue when Bush invaded
Iraq, and rallies and speeches on the newly
constructed Founders patio in the wake of
the Bryan incident.
During the quieter stretches of semester,
there would at least be people camping on
the quad in advocacy of fair trade or living
in trees around the meadows in protest of
parking fines.
And while even the most dedicated Che
Guevaras of Guilford need to attend class
every now and again, it wouldn't hurt
for us to revive that sense of urgency and
activism. That's not to say that Guilford
students are dispassionate about or unin
volved in this community and beyond, but
you don't have to leave Greensboro to as
semble peacefully (and perhaps, angrily).
Differences of opinion are the natural re
sult of a changing Guilford community. As
the headcount grows, so too does the prob
ability of conflict. But if conflict and fric
tions are the growing pains of the Guilford
community, activism and social conscious
ness are the deodorant and anti-perspirant
for our smelly, maturing student body.
1 fondly remember the Guilford of
yesteryear. As we move into a new era of
Guilford's history, it's time to embrace new
traditions. But lest we forget in the face of
these record enrollment numbers, Guilford
is a community grounded in the intimacy
of student relationships.
This campus is celebrated for its enthu
siasm for challenging the status quo; let's
assure ourselves that we'll never succumb
to it.
SAT/ACT declared an old hat
Maxwell Reitman
Staff Writer
According to The New York
Times, a new report issued by a
National Association for College
Admission Counseling group ques
tions the efficacy of the SAT & ACT.
The report came from a year-long
study by the group, which included
some of the bigwigs of college ad
missions like William R. Fitzsim
mons, the dean of admissions and
financial aid at Harvard.
Guess what their conclusion
was? The test doesn't work like it
should. Surprised?
The report showed that stan
dardized tests scores weren't tied
to what high schools were teaching.
The NACAG also noted that "the
test scores appear to calcify differ
ences based on class, race/ethnic
ity and parental educational attain
ment."
"It would be much better for the
country to have students focusing
on high school courses that, based
on evidence, will prepare them well
for college and also prepare them
well for the real world beyond col
lege, instead of their spending enor
mous amounts of time trying to
game the SAT," said Fitzsimmons.
The report didn't stop there; it
alsdV^'l.bft to
at all because of the p6^sf-‘
bility that the tests are actively mis
shaping secondary education, en
couraging students to game tests.
Hallelujah!
I can say honestly that I've been
waiting for the SAT bubble to burst
for years now.
Fantastic, we trade an old cage
for a new one. Is another exam re
ally going change things? Tm more
than a little skeptical of just how
new this brave new world is.
How certain can we be that we
want our tests to reflect the current
I remember studying for the state of our high schools? Since No
SAT. I remember taWng it twice Child Left Behind, the low end of
before I was required to, just to the testing spectrum has moved up
eke out another few measly points a little bit, but the top scorers are
on it. I remember learning tricks to doing worse, if anything (at least
circumvent what the test was sup- according to the National Educa-
posed to do. tion Association).
That is not what education is The school system isn't moti-
supposed to be.
Rather than learning the mate
rial, I spent my time taking an ab
breviated course in "testing theo
vating them, and these tests are
supposed to help locate the best
and brightest, right? So why make
something new in the image of
ry." Unless you expect everyone to something broken?
be writing tests, there's something I'm not certain that I want an-
wrong with that system. other test. The only ones I've seen
It's good that some of the people used on a national scale try to slim
at the top are recognizing the prob- education down to straight rows of
lems with the system. Too many fac- numbers. The AP tests rush us past
tors are in the way with a one-day, courses where we could learn valu-
one-sitting test that's been around able things, the SAT and ACT are
for years. disconnected from the high school
Unfortunately, the good news curriculum according to this new
ends there. report, and I don't think that one
The report suggested the use of piece of testing will ever do every-
the AP and International Baccalau- thing it needs to.
reate exams as a stop-gap measure. As Mr. Fitzsimmons said in that
since they supposedly reflect high same article: "No one in college ad-
school curricula better. missions ... can come away think-
Stop-gap measure until what? ing that standardized tests can be
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