1 Ctttorialsi ■
Academic Excellence
One of the last official acts of UNC
President William Friday before his recent
retirement was to recommend to the
university’s Board of Governors to Continue
the policy of requiring high school athletes
who enter the university system to have a
“C” academic average if they plan to be
college athletes..
■_ On the surface, this policy action re*
commendation does dot appear to be
nothing more than business as usual.
However, an understanding of the motive
behind Mr. Friday’s action reveals it to be
an act of Courage. In . fact, to say that
Friday’s action was Courageous is an
understatement because the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Division I schools will hot, for the most part,
require a “C” academic average and a
minimum 700 SAT score until August, 1988.
In the 29 months prior to that date, a i.8 or
D” average and a 660 SAT score will be
adequate for freshman varsity sports. It
should be known also that a student needs
only to score 260'on the SAT because they
are given 400 points for just placing their
name'on the test sheet, /W«. / l
Basically, President Friday was express
ing a point'of common sense. That is, a
student who can maintain ho better than a
“D” average in high schdol can hardly be
expected to make 700 on the SAT, study
college-level courses and participate in
collegiate freshman sports and be success
ful in all three. We fully agree with Bill
Friday’s viewpoint on this important issue.
Sad to say that while Friday suggested
that'other Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
schools support the “C” average idea, it
appears that most will follow the NCAA lead
and delay for the maximum 29 months the
higher academic standard of a 4<C” average
Arms Race Insanity
In last Sunday’s Charlotte Observer,
there is an article by President Reagan’s
national security advisory Robert C.
McFarlane entitled, “Defense Spending
Shouldn’t Be Cut.” Among Mr. McFarlane’s
arguments to maintain and even increase in
the defense budget are: (1) those who
it and waste by the
1 represent “an attack
on the restoration Irf rmfer (national)
strength; (2) “...Congress - it should dfop
the pretense that it understands how to
manage defense programs” and. give the
Defense Department a blank check to spend
whatever it wants to; and (3) if we “delink”
defense spending from the Soviet threat*our
hope’of negotiating arms control reductions
will decline.
Mr. McFarlane uses these and other
arguments to support the idea that national
defense must be a first priority. We could
agree with this viewpoint if it did hot border
on insanity. First, to suggest that people
who'oppose waste in the Defense Depart
ment want to weaken our national defense is
outright stupidity. In fact the mind-set and
mentality for this kind'of thinking arises
from the Reagan, administration’s effort to
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| Miller Says:
DrTBhg’s
By Sherman N. Miller
Special To The Poet
I came to appreciate the
impact which Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. had on other
American ethnic groups at a
breakfast in his honor, spon
sored by Beth Emeth Con
gregation of Wilmington,
DE. At the worship sendee
that preceded the breakfast,
I sensed that the reading of
Dr. King’s famous speech, “I
Have A Dream,” ignited a
yearning for the gdod old
days of black and Jewish
brotherhood.
Whilst 1 was waiting for
my meal to be served I
decided to ask people why
they attended this breakfast.
Cafbl Casner gave her
reaton as to why Jews
should attend the Martin
Luther breakfasts.
“I think he did something
for anybody who cares..!'
think he gave hope.”
Joseph Bernofsky, who
prepared the breakfast, felt
Dr. King’s mission was in
accord with Jewish teach
‘‘We, as Jews, are in favor
of liberal expression of the
people and Martin Luther
King was Tor the rights of his
people. I know when Martin
Luther King was campaign
• it j is? * > •. *
ing, marching, and parading
there were a lot of Jewish
people who alio Joined him in
his crusade. At that time, I
was in Akron, OH. I remem
ber' one'of our Rabbis going
down South and participat
ing in Some'of his parades.”
hen the special guests be
gan their addresses it was
dear that Dr. King’s birth
day celebration had afford- .
ed an opportunity for Mack
and Jewish Americans to try
to bridge their chasm. .
Stephanie Ourwitx, Com
munity Relations Associate
for the Baltimore Jewish
Council, validated the exist
ence of a chasm, stating that
she felt it is widening.
"Twenty years ago anti
Semitism in the black Com
munity was significantly
lower than anti-Semitism in
the white community and
racism in the Jewish Com
munity was significantly
lower than the general white
community. Today, the only
area where anti-Semitism is
growing is the black
community and the only area
where racism is growing is
the Jewish Community.”
Gurwitz touched on the
efforts of the BL-EWS
(blacks and Jews) to address
the chasm problem in Bal- '
tiniore, MD.
“King laid the foundation
for the Baltimore BL-EWS,”
contended Gurwitz. "We
have* forum where we can
understand each'othara’ po
sitions. We have Come a long
way since 1878. We do longer
just discuss; we've become
action-oriented We dow call
ourselves a Coalition. We
support legislation, we spon
sor projects, we Join with
other Coalitions, we develop
positions, and most impor
tantly we educate. We edu
cate the black Community.
We educate the Jewish Com
munity. We educate the
general Community.”
As I listened to Gurwitz
highlight the BL-EWS mem
bership, I was not convinced
that it was bfoad enough to
address the chasm issue.
*''Members'of the BL-EWS
now number airhost 200,”
contends Gurwitz. "(They)
are religious leaders: >
Interdenominational. Minis
terial Alliance (which is an
alliance*of black ministers),
the Black Baptist Conference
in Baltimore, Baltimore
Boa rtf of Rabbis, Baltimore
Hebrew College, Morgan
State College, NAACP,
Urban League, Baltimore
Jewish Council, and public
officials.”
-.1 asked about the lack'of
Muslims in the BL-EWS’
membership. Sheila D.
Brooks, a black attorney and
treasurer of the BL-EWS,
responded, "We have invited
a leader of the black Muslim
community to join with us.
He doesn’t agree with
everything we say. It has
begun to offset Some of these
misconceptions.” V
Yet Gurwite revealed that
their Muslim member’s ac
activUlde were hot whole
heartedly embraced by the
membership of his Congre
gation. Since the Baltimore
BL-EWS were looking to
expand into Delaware, I
asked Iman Muhammad A.
Salaam of Wilmington if he
would }oin this effort and
help make it successful.
1 "Surei Sure! Because we
all are pOople'of God,” pro
claimed Salaam.
cut drastically social programs because of a
few isolated incidents'of welfare fraud.
Secondly, to suggest that Congress should
abandon its responsibility to the American
people on defense spending management
and let a group of hawkeyed military career
people and the Reagan administration
decide what our defense needs are is to
. accept'one characteristic'of a dictatorship
where in too many countries now military
leaded rule l*y force"of arms.
Thirdly, McFarlane’s “delink” defense
spending concept means that we should be
guided in'our arms build-up by what the
Russians do. By doing So, we Won’t need to
worry about a Russian nuclear attack
because we will simply destfoy ourselves
from within by bankruptcy and a declining
standard*of living. In fact, it is the insane
effort of'other nations to get in the USA
Russian arms development that is keeping
many 'of them ffom achieving even a
minimum, decent standard"of living. Along
side'of the McFarlane article are tome
race facts. One"of these says the number'af
nations ruled by military governments has
, grown from 22 in 1960 to 77 today with' over
one billion ptople how living under military
rule.
and a 700 SAT Score.
It’s sad to say, too,.that the majprity'of
the predominantly black Division I colleges
and universities not'only want to delay
accepting the higher academic standard but
are considering court action to prevent the
higher standard requirement ffom being
implemented.
. This is tragic. It means that many
colleges and universities have their
priorities in the wrongorder with athletics,
including the exploitation of athletes and
earning megabycks, having priority over
higher academic standards — the'only true
purpose'of higher education.
A college-university education is the first
order'of business, athletics and everything
else is or should be secondary considera
tion. To do less is to corrupt and abuse the
pursuit of excellence in education which has
always and needs to be pne of the four
corners'of a democratic society.
Considering that black youth have his
torically received less than quality
education, it is particularly difficult .to
understand how predominantly black
colleges and universities can support any
thing short of the . highest standard ~of
educational excellence.
The argument they' offer that many black
youth will be denied an education by the
higher standards is an untruth and an insult
to the intelligence of black youth. We
believe, and have enough faith in our
nation’s black youth, to feel sure that within
just a few years most black high school
graduating athletes will have a “C”
average or better and a 700 SAT score.
These youth need to be challenged to meet
this higher academic standard if we truly
believe that “a mind is a terrible thing to
waste.”
•w KEPT COMMITMENTS TO CIVIL WONTS
4
• THE SUPREME COURT
ENDORSED COHERES -
StONAL POWER TORE- ,
DRESS RACIAL DIS- 1
CRIMINATION THROUGH
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
Wr.TlMCS
Quality Of Education Is Improving
By Sabrina Johnson
Special To The Post
The guality'of education in
America seems to be improv
ing again - it is manifest
ing itself in higher test
scores across, the United
States. High school students
are doing better on college
aptitude tests as a result of a
new emphasis "on basic
education.
A recent report shows
scholastic aptitude test
(SAT) and American College
Test (ACT) scores are up In
35 states by a»*Average "of
riiost Carnatic ^nctease^
Some 20 years.
The State"of South Carolina
showed the most substantial
increase in SAT scores since
1962, up 25 points to 815" out of
1,600. The State "of Utah
showed the most substantial
increase in ACT scores, up
0,5 percent to 18.9 "out "of a
perfect 36.
Other dramatic increases
in SAT scores: Washington,
D.C., up23; Maryland, up 21;
Delaware, up 21, Virginia,
Hawaii, New Jersey and
Oregon, up 20. v -P
Top ACT increases: Ken
tucky, Alabama, up 0.4;
SlUriAa
^PrihOaKota, .Illinois, up 0.3.
Varying school superin
tendents in the increasing
states attribute the results to
the renewed emphasis on
reading, writing and mathe
matics claiming that this is
the best foundation which is
needed to achieve in any
academic area. Tightened
graduation requirements is
alio part of this increase.
High school graduates are
strongly encouraged to par
take in more math and
science courses as part of
their studies toward a high
school diploma. In addition,
there are alio more SAT and
ACT prep courses and prac
tice tests available to
students. Finally, students
themselves are beginning to
take a more serious attitude
about school work. They are
grasping a greater sense'of
what it will take to have the
career they want and seem to
be willing to Work for it.
South. Carolina attributes
its success in the overall
push for better educatkni,
highlighted by the 1964. Edu
cation Improvement Act - h
package of standards and!
reforms funded by a penny df
the state’s five-cents safe*
tax. Also two stateproject*
targeted at improving SAT
scores-performance arp
coming to the surface.
The SAT-Math Project, !
developed in 1964 and tested
last year, is making its way
statewide by using special
tests to identify students';
weaknesses and strength!,
and practice bdoks to givp
students experience in ■
answering SAT-type ques
tions. A similar SAT-Verbal
Project will also be tested
this year and takeson many
of the same structures as the
SAT-Math Project.
Since the movement
toward improving educatloii
the average score of stu
dents in South Carolina has
risen from 780 to 815 Tout'd*
1,600) - twice the nations'!
average of 16 points. "
Carolina seems to be
ing somewhat in test__
but somehow manages to!
remain in the mainstreujl
SAT scores in North
Carolina in 19$£were an:
average of 827J1983 found k
slight increase is six points tb
833. Thd state’s ranking is 23
by the U.S. Department'of
Education whereas South;
Carolina- is ranked 22 in the
natiop The State of Ne*
Hampshire remains number
one in SAT scores in 1962 a*
well as 1982 with the average
score* of 939 points. i
Not'only are overall test
scores improving but the"
dropout rate is going down;
according to Education
Secretary William Bennet^
While the news is encour*
•King there is sill] a sub*
stantial amount of territodf
to cover. The nation’s drop-'
out rate fell one percent
between 1962 and 1962. Teel
scores are up in 35 states and
the dropout rate dropped id
40. Bennett views this A
being tangible evidence that
the improve education :
movement and restored
discipline is Working.
Minnesota * has thd
country’s lowest dropout r
rate - only 10.7 pereent 'of
ninth graders do riot grad
uate.