Newspapers / Saint Mary’s School Student … / Oct. 1, 1980, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE 2 FROilf THE EDITOR If John Anderson dropped out of the presidential race, pollsters say President Carter would receive 10 percent of the youth vote—10 percent could give Carter the winning edge. This high percentage shows how vitally important the youth (18-21) vote can be. But few young people take the time to vote or even to register. Only one-third of voting age teens that graduated from high school last June are expect^ to vote on Nov. 4. Since 1972, when 18 year olds gained the right to vote, the percentage of registered young people has dropped from 58 to 35 percent. Why the drop? It is probably due to apathy and the fact that, in general, young people know less about politics than any other age group. It is believed that voters who do not know what their vote means, or feel their vote means nothing, will not vote. How to solve this problem? The solution lies in wiping out political ignorance and apathy - not an easy task, but people can start by asking friends and sisters and brothers to go and vote. While peer pressure may cause some problems when it comes to smoking or alcohol, it can be used constructively to get young people to the polls. Senior Reflections by Margie Morgan It hardly seems like a whole year since I first set foot in Ragland or checked my mailbox for the first time. Gossiping in the Day Student House, munching french fries while watching soap operas in the Student Union, and cashing checks for three dollars seem to come naturally now, but a year ago it was all so new. New faces everywhere, some smiling, but most confused as I was. I will never forget the first assembly last year. I sat in the balcony for twenty minutes before I found out that juniors sat downstairs. Oh well, now I’m wiser. Or, at least I thought I was until last Monday’s assembly. I sat downstairs with the other seniors, however, I sat on the wrong side of the auditorium. But that’s O.K. Next time I’ll know better. Old girls take the “Big Sister-Little Sister” program seriously. Be the friend the new girls need, just as you did when you first came to St. Mary’s. Sometimes just a friendly “Good Mornin’” or “Hi, how are you?” can make all the difference in the world when you feel down. One of my memorable days was in March; there was a heavy snowfall one night. Being a Day Student, I could have stayed home, but I was so sure my three teachers would hold classes on this particular day. I knew if I could make it through the slush and snow that they could. Well, they didn’t. Not one of them showed up. I spent the day in the. library doing research for my History term paper. I guess it was for the best. As I think about all the things I did a year ago, I can’t help but wonder what my memories will be like a year from now as I sit back apd re live the hectic and not-so- hectic moments of my senior year at St. Mary’s. The Belles STAFF Editor Anna Tate Assistant Editor Linda Ingram Advisor Dr. M. Jones Staff Typist Mary Mohney Reporters Stephanie Gardner, Margie Morgan, Sayle Steagall, Mary Horton, Sarah Rice, Pip Johnson, Angela Patrick, Frances Marcus, Mary Clyde Bridgers, Elizabeth Kerr, Nan Wilkinson ARE SAT’S RELIABLE? The “I don’t care who wins” and “I’m too young to be in terested in politics” attitude is frightening. The mere fact that the youth vote can determine who sits in the Oval office should be enough to make any young voter run to the voting booth. The youth vote has as much power as any voting block. Young people must go out and vote not only to make our democracy work but also to insure their generation of effective representation in government. by Stephanie Gardner Are you, as many other students across the country, displeased with your SAT (Standard Aptitude Test) scores? Have you ever wondered if this “aptitude test” is really fair? Two Harvard University Medical School professors. Dr. Douglas Porter and Dr. Warner Slack, believe that the Educational 'Testing Service’s publications are very misleading and harmful to the student who does not perform well on this test. In their major study, the doctors claim that with training and coaching, students can easily raise their scores. These tests are not good predictors of a student’s future success in college or of his true learning capacity. Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack are upset because they feel that Oie Educational Testing Service refuses to admit the fact that there are very positive effects of coaching on test scores. Actually, with coaching and trainnig, one can raise his score by 79 points on the Math section and 58 points on the Verbal section of the SAT test. Do you remember the first time you were going to take the SAT? Everyone seemed to reassure you that you couldn’t study for such tests and that the best thing to do was get a good night’s sleep? Even the Educational Testing Service’s advice is that there is no real way to prepare for the SAT since you as the student have been developing your skills and knowledge over the many years of your high school career. Well, Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack claim' that students “may be needlessly deprived of admission to the college of their choice” if they do not receive some coaching and training for the SAT. They also believe that this test can ruin a student’s self-esteeme by making him believe that his score accurately reflects his aptitude. Vice-president of the Educational Testing Service, Alice Irby, denies that her company deliberately with-holds or downplays coaching studies. At some colleges and universities, “30 or fewer points separate the average SAT scores of accepted and rejected applicants,” the doctors lament. Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack urge colleges to follow Bowdoin and the University of Wisconsin’s example by completely dropping the Scholastic Ap titude Test as an admission requirement. Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack say that SAT scores added to high school grades cannot really aid a college in predicting a student’s future academic success as the Educational Testing Service has earlier claimed. Perhaps a better prediction for a student’s success would be special tests in individual subjects such as Spanish, biology or mathematics. Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack remark that “these multiple- choice questions only test how well students have picked up little used vocabulary and tricky math... emphasis is given to vocabulary and algorithms rarely presented in high school courses.” Also, the word “ap titude,” they feel, does not belong in the title of the SAT. “It is ... unjustified on the basis of evidence and potentially . damaging to students.” TTiis is not an aptitude test at all. Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack firmly believe that the test should only be considered after other achievement tests and high school grades. Until this dream of Dr. Porter and Dr. Slack’s becomes a reality, nearly 2 million students will pay the Educational Testing Service and the College Board well over $10 million to take their test. A Fall, A Fair Comes To Raleigh by Sayle Steagall Zambora the ape-woman, Hugo, the Leopard-skinned man, and a twenty foot python - does this sound like en tertainment to you? Well, it was all part of the gr^t^t entertainment bargain in North Carolina, the State Fair. A $2.50 general ad mission was your ticket to a day full of raging rides, engaging exhibits and ex citing entertainment. Country music dominated the en tertainment roster with performers such as Charlie Rich, Tammy Wynette, Dottie West, and Donna Fargo. business at the fair. I counted fifteen varieties of hotdogs alone, all claiming to be the world’s best. Actually, the homemade fudge and fresh fried elephants’ ears were the fair’s best fare. One ice cream consuming child said it b^t, as he downed his third cone,“Now I’m as big as the first prize pig!” The explosive action never seemed to cease at the fair. At 9:45 nightly a gorgeous fireworks display painted the velvet sky with purples, pinks, greens and golds. It was especially thrilling to catch it on the double ferris wheel in the midway section. The air was cool, the harvest moon shone brightly and the smell of popcorn permeated the air. But country music lovers were not the only people to love a fair. Farmers flocked from far away to witness livestock and produce shows while folk artists sang and danced to lively tunes. Where else could you see the world s largest alligator, horse, pumpkin and permisson under one big top? Food production and consumption was also big ST. MARY^S BOOKSTORE Win your own Miss Piggy! Starting Nov. 1st with each purchase of $1.00 or more you have a chance to win a gigantic piggy bank. Come see her in the Bookstore! New gift items on sale now! Place orders now! SMC Garment Bags $21.95 Tennis Racks $15.95
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