The Name Game
Today, tomorrow, and Friday we’re going
to decide the new mascot name in a refer
endum. What a thrill.
Normally it should be a rather exciting ex
perience. But we doubt that it will be.
The "committee”, whose members were
never made public, throws out eight “poss
ibilities” from which the student body is to
pick. These include Wild Boars, Bisons, Horn
ets, Chargers, Cougars, Colts, Clippers, and
the ever popular Forty-Niners.
We can’t see why any of the names on the
list, save Chargers, should have even a re
mote chance of winning in the referendum.
Some people might want the university to
be known as the Bisons, We wonder, how
ever, if they would like the name as much
if they knew that Wilson Junior High has been
going by it for quite some time now.
Those who advocate Hornets seem to forget
that ■ another team in our own atheletic con
ference, Lynchburg, has beaten us to that
name. Furthermore, how could they forget
that a Charlotte professional baseball club, a
chronic loser, has employed it for several
generations.
We could call ourselves the Cougars it we
wanted to share appelations with Charlotte
Catholic High or we could pick Colts if we
wished to get a little class and use the
identical title Cochrane Junior High uses.
Do we really want to?
Now Clippers is a true winner, Charlotte
has had two professional teams known as the
Clippers. One of them went out of business
and the other changed its name. We hope
we’ll never have to change our name again
and we certainly don’t appear to be close to
going out of business.
Of course, you don’t ever hear of a team
christened the Wild Boars. If you stop and
think a minute, maybe you’ll understand why.
As a matter of fact, if we handle everything
else the way we’re handling this name change,
we may become known as the Tame Bores.
And anyone who voted for a name change
and votes for Forty-Niners now should get
a swift kick in the “face”.
That leaves the Chargers. We realize there’s
a professional football team in San Diego by
the same appellatiion, but there aren’t any
other teams known by that label in the south
east that we know of.
Chargers is a good, crisp - sounding
nickname. It’s easy to employ in cheers and
can be readily associated with animals such
as rams, bulls, rhinos, etc. Furthermore, the
alliteration in Charlotte Chargers even affords
a little catchiness.
We think Chargers is the best of the lot
and quite possibility an exception in the other
wise dull list. We hope students will see
things our way.
The name change “committee” (pardon the
expression) has come up with some really
dandy suggestions for the month-late decision.
They’re the same tired old tags the JOURNAL
tried to discourage in its December 14 edition.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
The Carolina Journal
Published weekly on Wednesday except during hoiidays,
ELLISON CLARY, JR Editor
Frank Crooks Business Manager
Libby Holshouser Feature Editor
Donna Hughes Sports Editor
Geraldine Ledford Cartoonist
Nancy Kohler, Fred Jordan Photographers
Staff: Sally Hagood, Paul Boswell, Earleen Mabry, Corny Stilwell,
Frank Caton, Jan Ballard, Patrick McNeely, Bobbe Berry, Carol
Haywood, Sandy Caudle, Rosemary Lands, John Lafferty, Gayle Watts,
Kay Watson, Carol Durham, Louise Napolitano, and Larry Keith.
Question; When Should Exams
Be Held? Before Christmas?
BY PAUL BOSWELL
Second semester has begun and
the students are looking forward
to that Spring break. The Christ
mas and semester bretiks have
passed again and discussiem about
the semester system has died down
as academic matters take over
most of the scholar’s idle mind.
Every year between Christmas
and semester breaks, a period of
about 3 weeks, the dazed student,
faced with final exams, is cast
into an area somewhat like Mil
ton’s Chaos. His semester grades
depend on what he can remember
over the Christmas break emd his
staying in college depends on his
semester grades.
The favorite topic of discussion
during this craming period is not
what - did - you- get - for -
Christmas, or what - are - you -
taking - next - semester, but
wouldn’t it be nice to have exams
before Christmas.
Here are some of the pros and
cons that are pointed out in these
skull sessions.
Apparently the main reason for
wanting this type of setup is to
relieve vacation pressure. Even
though most good scholars cast
their books in the nearest comer
and relax over the break, they
are incessantly nagged by the an
xieties of approaching finals.
National Safety Council fans con
tend that traveling around January
1 is much more dangerous than it
would be a week or so later,
and would advocate pre-Christmas
exams for this reason.
The opposing view is composed
mainly of technical problems,
rather than dissenting opinions.
The big obstacle is ironically the
Consolidated system. Such a
change in schedule would have to
be done simultaneously by the four
branches of the University. The
students of the separate campuses
have long been in agreement of
this matter of changing, but have
been stopped by the mountain of
red tape involved in accomplishing
such a switch in the schedules of
the entire University.
The best way to see what the
students want is to ask them face
to face. Ten students here were
questioned about this matter, and
they answered, understanding that
school would probably begin in late
August under the new system.
Dwayne Spitzer, Sophomore, ap
proved the proposal for a longer
and more enjoyable Christmas
break.
Soph BUI BUlups said, “Yes,
this could start a trend lor other
major coUeges to foUow.’’
Theresa Stanton, silso a Sopho
more, agreed and wanted to add
part of the extended Christmas
break to the Spring vacation.’’
Sophomore class president
Tommy Thomas commented that
President Friday had told him that
“all the branches would have to
make the change at the same time.
This is what is holding us back.
Also many teachers hold summer
jobs with the government, and
cannot begin the semester as
early as would be required.’’
Sophomore Don Clapp said, “I
would lean toward exams before
Christmas , He also pointed out
that “Spring vacation is too short.’’
Junior Bernard Henkel had his
own set of pros and cons. “Most
colleges cm this system lost their
Thanksgiving holidays. Most get
only Thanksgiving day. However,
first semester grades are higher
after adopting this system.’’
Bob Effler, Junior, was aU for
it, for the simple reason that he
would “rather have on long hol
iday than two short ones.’’
Freshman Randy Fisher said
that “the vacation now is over
before you know it.’’ He added
that the new system would aUow
the student to “enjoy his vaca
tion a lot more.’’
Sophomore Dean Hodges agreed
that she “couldn’t enjoy Christmas
worrying about exams.’’ She com
mented that “students could hold
jobs Icmgerduringalongerbreak.’’
The students appear to be over
whelming in favor of exams before
Christmas either to allow a free
vacation or to up their grades.
Students on this system in other
colleges say withouthesitatiemthat
they are happy with the arrange
ment of the schedule.
Robert Reynolds, a Sophcmiore at
Wingate, had this to say.
During Christmas, you tend to get
lazy and it’s hard to regain momen
tum. If I transfered somewhere
without this system, I’d hate that
part of the school. It’s much bet
ter to start over fresh on a new
semester.”
It would be nice to overcome the
technicalities of this matter and
make the apparent desire a rea
lity- Hopefully, something definite
will be said by the powers in con
trol in the near future.
Pro Writer Keith
Joins Paper Staff
Larry Keith, a student journalist
with an extensive professional
background, joins the staff of The
Caolina Journal with his column
“Point Blank”, editor Ellison
Clary announced today.
Keith, a sophomore from Char
lotte majoring in political science,
has been employed by The Char
lotte News for four years. He
presently serves a dual role as a
sportswriter and a member of the
paper’s “Call Quest” staff.
Last year, Keith served un
der athletic director Dr. Harvey
athletic director Dr. Harvey Mur-
publicist. He also made several
contributions to the The Journal.
In hi^ school, Keith was editor
of South Mecklenburg’ S Southern
AccenL He won both news and
sports writing awards in state
competition and his newspaper was
cited first place honors in both
feature and sports divisions.
The National Scholastic Press
Association designated the,paper
“First Class.”
His column, to deal with a wide
variety of subjects, will appear
regulary on The Journal pages.
Today it appears on page seven.
“This exam will be given on the honor system. Please take desks
three seats apart and in alternate rows.”