6 The Oaiiv Tar Heel Friday, November 11, 1977
letters to the editor
Greg Porter
Editor
9
Ben Cornelius, Managing Editor
Ed Rankin, Associate Editor
Lou Bilionis, Associate Editor
Laura Scism, University Editor
Elliott Potter, City Editor
Chuck Alston, State and National Editor
Sara Bullard, Features Editor
Cfe Enssiin, Arts Editor
Gene Upchurch. Sorts Editor
Allen Jernican, Photography Editor
85th year of editorial freedom
Hunger, humanity's greatest foe, can be conquered
Reforming 'vague'
curricula
Over the last couple of decades, curricula at colleges around the nation
have become more diverse and less defined than ever before. The general
trend toward individualization in society has held sway on the campus,
leaving the student free to develop any curriculum or non-curriculum he
might choose. This trend has led to a college experience of great flexibility
and rather nebulous achievement.
As U.S. Commissioner of Education Ernest L. Boyer said recently in the
Washington Post, "The safest thing one can say about a college diploma
today is not that it signifies some commonly accepted educational
achievement, but rather that its holder has been around the campus for
about four years. Beyond that everything is uncertain."
The reason for the uncertain value of today's sheepskin, Boyer says, is
that "on the vast majority of campuses, required courses have been dropped,
and the ones which remain reveal a staggering incoherenece of purpose,
often expressed as 'distribution requirements.' "
Watered-down distribution requirements have been a source of concern
here at Carolina. New Arts and Sciences Dean Sam Williamson has set as
one of his priorities the reform of General College requirements.
Boyer's answer to the problem of lack of educational direction is just the
opposite. He feels certain "core courses" should be required. Boyer is vague
about the courses themselves, but he says, "1 do propose a core curriculum
that looks at the heritage we share, reflects fundamental common
experiences of the present and then focuses on those alternatives for the
future that in a thousand separate and unsuspected ways are being shaped
today."
Obviously, in either case the narrowing of requirement-filling courses
or the establishing of a core curriculum the nearly insurmountable
problem is deciding what courses are most important. Scholars from
professional schools, humanities and science departments no doubt will find
it quite difficult to agree on the "rjiust" courses for undergraduates.
The answer may be to get the student involved in the act of developing a
curriculum. The student should be aware of the suppositions and
assumptions that shape his career and his outlook. He should be
knowledgeable about differing educational philosophies and understand
the limitations as well as the advantages of any path he may take.
In order to accomplish this goal, the single course at the core of any
university curriculum should be one in educational philosophy in general or
a course in the philosophy of the student's chosen discipline (as some
departments have already). Another necessity in a valuable structured
curriculum is a strong advising system. Without some voice of experience,
the student is likely to figure out what he should do only after it is too late.
Carolina is notoriously unsuccessful in its advising process.
Ironically, the most important element of a structured, meaningful
curriculum is choice. The student must know why he takes a certain path
just as he must voluntarily take that path if it is to be valuable to him. The
best way to offer choice and structure at the same time is to develop a "track"
or "program" system. Educators can easily develop a number of coherent
programs that will be consistent with differing educational philosophies.
The student, who will be given the various rationales for the "tracks," will
then chose one. If he is not attracted to any, he and his adviser should have
the option of either fine-tuning a particular program or developing an
original but coherent one. Such an approach would provide the coherence
and flexibility that are cherished by professor and student alike.
To the editor:
Hunger is a child with shriveled limbs and
a swollen body. It is the underdevelopment
of a brain or a person gone blind for lack of
necessary vitamins, proteins and
carbohydrates.
Never before have so many people
suffered so much from hunger. At least 10
million persons and possibly twice that
number died in 1975 as a direct result of
receiving too little food. Today, 500 million
men. women and children bear severe and
often irreversible effects of malnutrition.
Over one-hall of the human race exists in
conditions of chronic poverty that keep them
underfed and uncertain about their next
meal.
Hunger is the human family's most
devastating foe. but it is also one of the most
conquerable. But try lor a moment to
imagine people who work all day in the fields
and still cannot earn enough to feed
themselves and their families. Imagine
people in countries that use the best land to
produce export crops. Imagine people in
countries where landlords own dozens of
villages and decide what will be grown.
Imagine you are them. Share for a day their
burden of hunger by fasting. Experience an
empty stomach for a while. At least you
know you can always get food. They don't.
So please, on Nov. 17. join thousands of
Americans who are doing something about
world hunger. They are joining the hast for
World Harvest as sponsored by OXI-AM.
We ask that you give that day's food money
to any one of our collection booths that will
be on campus. We will send it to OXI-AM.
Your support will be greatly appreciated.
C hip Self
Hunger Action Committee
Don't reject Christianity
To the editor:
Edwards' cartoon in the Nov. 9 Tar Heel
depicts a disturbing tendency among most
people that I've noticed. It is the tendency to
judge truth by listening to people and
building mentr' stereotypes. A much better
way is to look at history and examine certain
data for yourself. As a student in the
sciences, I found this the only satisfying
approach. I would like to share my thought
with the readers.
I certainly regarded Jesus as the front
running candidate for the possessor ol truth
because of His moral teachings. 1 focused on
history and this man who called himself God
and claimed to forgive sins. No other man
had ever made such outrageous claims.
As a preliminary. I found that I could trust
the New Testament more than any other
ancient document. It passes the three
standard historiographical tests for
reliability with Hying colors.
1 rejected the popular notion that Jesus
was just a great moral teacher. A "great
moral teacher" does not call himself "Ciod"
unless he is deceiving himself as a lunatic,
deceiving others as a liar or is exactly who he
says he is. These are the only three choices,
because Jesus most assuredly claimed to be
God. It is why He was crucified.
Yet his lifestyle was thai oj neither a liar
nor a deceiver. The impact He has had on
history is, moreover, what one would expect
if He were who He said He was.
To anyone who is tired of evangelists and
prophets of doom. I humbly suggest the
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rational approach I used: open-mindedly
examine history. Treat the New Testament
documents as the dependable sources their
manuscript authority indicates they are.
Discover for yourself that the circumstances
surrounding the Resurrection cannot be
explained away, nor can its impact on first
century Christians, especially Paul, the
Jewish intellectual who was transformed
from a Christian-hater to a Christian
missionary.
Don't reject Christianity until you have
examined the evidence for its validity,
regardless of what some liberal religion
professor has told you. (Science,
incidentally, has not proved that miracles are
impossible. Science can only make absolute
statements about observable, repeatable
events not about past events like the
Resurrection.) Also, don't judge Christ by
examining the behavior of His followers.
Many professed Christians are spiritually
immature or insincere, si focus on the
Resurrection of Jesus as a rational starting
point.
Since I discovered the intellectual
defensibility of a spiritual commitment and
asked Jesus into my life, my bad attitudes
towards other people have changed, my
heavy drinking problem is gone, and I have a
satislied mind. Christ promised the
"abundant life" to those who accept Him. He
has kept His promise lo me. I invite unwne
to come by C645 Kenan. I'll show you much
more evidence (that I don't have room for
here) about the man who said He was God
and proved it.
Mike Gibson
Thanks for support
To the editor:
I would like to thank the many people who
worked in my campaign this past month,
especially the many students and the active
support of the UNC Young Democrats
Club. This helped me greatly in winning in
the student areas of town. I hope that anyone
who has a complaint or suggestion about
town government will feel free to call me or
any other member of the Board of
Aldermen.
Gerry Cohen
301 Estes Dr.
Apologies extended
To the editor:
We, the participants in the screaming
event which took place on Friday, Nov. 4 at .
12:15 a.m. at Manly dorm ("Crying wolf,"
Letters, Nov. 9) apologize for the
disturbance and misunderstanding which
occurred with Aycock dorm. We had no
intentions of disturbing or possibly injuring
anyone and will try in all honest efforts to
not offend the dorms of the Lower Quad in
the future.
Scott Hadley
Chris Froman
1 1 1 Manly Dorm
A reminder
To the editor:
Now is the time to congratulate the
majority of far-seeing students living in
Alexander dorm. These students voted to
spend approximately $6,000 to take four
living spaces (imagine that when there are
still people living three to a room) to make a
lounge for studying and informal gatherings
(assuming these are not mutually exclusive).
This issue has been definitely decided, so
there is no cause to bitch.
But there were two promises made. The
first one was that only one additional
upperclassman would be closed out of the
dorm. This has been broken. We have now
been informed that there will most likely be
three, possibly only two, displaced.
The second promise was that Alexander
would not now be moved into the high rent
Class II classification. This seems to be a
dubious promise. The lounge alone might
not reclassify Alexander, but any more
"improvements" would definitely move the
dorm in that direction.
We publicly remind Housing of its
promise, and we expect it to stick to it.
Signed by eight residents of Alexander
Polite and helpful
To the editor:
It has been over 1 1 years since I was first
admitted to this University as a student, and
before I leave I would like to pay tribute to a
part of the University 1 feel is taken for
granted by many: the campus cops. In my
time here I have had contact with them in
many capacities: being let in or out of locked
buildings, casual conversation, arrest and as
a roommate. It has always been the case that
they have been polite and helpful in every
way, and over such a long period that is a
hard record to .maintain.
R. W. Hutchinson
Jazz weekend
To the editor:
I would like to thank whoever was
involved in bringing Weather Report, Flora
Purim and Gary Burton to Chapel Hill this
coming weekend. 1 am just amazed that I'm
going to get to see all three groups in concert
here all in one weekend! I think it would
be amazing if three such groups as these
would perform in New York City in the same
weekend, let alone to think that such a feat
will occur in Chapel Hill. Progressive jazz
finally might be here to stay, and I'm heavily
into it!
Jeffrey Gaynor
graduate student
Off-year elections Carter sports .500 batting average for 1977 season
Despite traditionally light voter turnout, the off
year elections this week produced surprises among the
multitude of mayoral and gubernatorial races across
the nation.
Democratic Gov. Brendan Byrne of New Jersey,
who once trailed in the polls by 20 points, won a
second term with unexpected ease Tuesday night. His
victory represented an astounding comeback for a
governor who took the blame for forcing New Jersey's
first statewide income tax.
Though Virginia was once one of the more solid
Democratic states, voters this week placed a
Republican in the governor's mansion for the third
time since 1969 when they picked John Dalton over
Henry Howell. It was Howell's third bid to become
governor of Virginia. Howell had held a healthy lead
over Dalton early in the campaign and had the support
of President Carter but lost the edge as election day
neared. The gubernatorial results gave Carter a .500
batting average for the 1977 political season. He had
campaigned for Byrne and Howell, but it appeared
both elections turned on local issues, and the Carter
factor was negligible.
In the biggest of 38 big-city mayoral elections, Rep.
Edward Koch, a Democrat, won as expected in a field
of four to become the new mayor of New York City.
Coleman Young, Detroit's first black mayor, won a
second term easily, while Cleveland made Democrat
Dennis Kucinich, 31, the nation's youngest big-city
mayor. Over in Raleigh, Isabella Cannon, 73, became
one of the oldest mayors when she defeated incumbent
Jyles Coggins.
There weren't many surprises in the major
referendum issues in North Carolina. All five
constitutional amendments, including the hotly
debated gubernatorial succession issue, plus two bond
issues, met the approval of Tar Heel voters.
In a televised election-night address to the nation,
President Carter tried to arouse public support for his
embattled energy-conservation proposals. Carter
stressed the impact overconsumption may have on the
nation's economy and world leadership position.
It was Carter's first nationwide address devoted
exclusively to energy problems since he introduced his
energy proposals to Congress last April. And he
scolded Americans for the poor job of conservation
they have done. "This summer we used more oil and
gasoline than ever before in our history," he said.
"More of our oil is coming from foreign countries.
Just since April our oil imports have cost us $23 billion
about $350 worth of foreign oil for the typical
American family."
His speech represented his efforts to take a major
personal hand in lobbying for passage of the House-
approved energy bills that closely reflect his own tax
based 4 conservation proposals. The Senate has
scrapped many of his key positions and also voted to
remove federal price controls from natural gas despite
his veto threats.
Democratic members of the House-Senate
conference committee on energy declared after the
speech that it probably changed few Congressional
minds. Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, who led
an unsuccessful pro-administration filibuster in the
Senate during its energy debate, said, "I don't believe
the speech will have an impact on the bill now being
drafted as a House-Senate compromise." All the
Democrats, however, praised Cc.rter for his effort to
draw attention to the issue.
The Soviet Union celebrated its 60th birthday
Monday with a nationally televised military parade
THE WEEK
By ED RASKIN ASP l-OU BILIOMS
through Red Square, fireworks and a gala reception
for foreign dignitaries at the Soviet embassy in
Washington.
The Bolshevik Party, led by Lenin, overthrew the
regime of Tsar Nicholas II on Nov. 7, 1917, marking
the beginning of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics.
The traditional parade through Moscow's Red
Square displayed the most military strength exhibited
by the Russians in recent years. Hundreds of military
vehicles made their way through the square, including
the never-before-seen T-72 battle tank, a new
development which features an automatic loader and
laser rangefinding devices. The T-72's equipment
reduces the required crew from four to three persons.
In Washington, Soviet Ambassador Anatoly
Dobrynin hosted a feast which included caviar,
Kamchatka crab legs, salmon mousse and Russian
and provincial specialties of rolled meats and pastries.
Twelve bars served vodka, red and white Russian
wines and even American bpurbon.
A surprise during the celebration was an
unexpectedly warm message of congratulations from
the People's Republic of China.
"We have consistently held that the differences of
principle between China and the Spviet Union should
not hinder the two countries from maintaining and
developing normal state relations," the Chinese said.
according to the New China News Agency.
Guy Lombardo, the Canadian bandleader whose
renditions of "Auid Lang Syne" became standard fare
for New Year's Eve television viewers, died Saturday
ot a lung ailment complicated by heart and kidney
failure. He was 75 years old.
Born in London. Ontario, Lombardo began his
music career in the early 1920s with brothers Carmen
and Lebert.
He came to the United States in 1923 and a few years
later began to mold his smooth style of dance music,
which one Chicago critic called "the sweetest music
this side of heaven."
Mrs. J. Robert Maher. a Lombardo fan from
California visiting relatives on Long Island, was at the
bandleader's funeral in Garden City. N.Y. She
summed up the feelings of millions of Guy Lombardo
fans.
"W ho can replace his music for persons of our age'.'"
Mrs. Maher asked. "He'll never be replaced."
Legionnaires disease is back in the news. Dr.
William Foege, director of the national Center for
Disease Control, told a Senate health subcommittee
Wednesday that the mysterious disease may take a toll
of 2,000 to 6,000 American lives annually. The
organism that causes it, he said, could be only one of
many microbial killers yet to be unmasked by medical
science.
The disease was named after a Philadelphia
American Legion convention outbreak in July 1976
that claimed 29 lives. There have been more than 350
confirmed cases and 75 deaths in at least 24 states.
"Our best guess at this time is that between one-half
percent and one and one-half percent of the
unexplained pneumonias may be caused by this
organism." Foege said. Foege estimated that there
were 3 million cases of pneumonia annually caused by
bacterial and viral infections, and the Legionnaires
disease bacterium may be responsible for 15,000 to
45.000 cases and 2.000 to 6.000 deaths.
Although Foege aid scientists have not discovered
where the organism lives or exactly how it is
transmitted, he indicated several times that soil
excavations and air conditioning systems were likely
suspects.
Who says alligators don't hase feelings'.' Florida
Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission officials.
ftxw
that's who. Albert the Alligator was taken from a
small pond at a trailer park in Pinellas County two
months ago as friendly residents jeered wildlife
officers and was trucked to Busch Gardens where he
died this week. One of the owners of the park, where
Albert lived in the fenced pond, collected 210
signatures on a petition protesting "the arrest and
imprisonment of Albert the Alligator."
The 12-foot. 8-inch long alligator weighed 1,000
pounds. His shipment away from his home of 21 years
came alter he wandered outside the fence that had
been trampled by people trying to snap pictures of
him. Left behind was Alberta, his 8-foot mate who was
tending a nest of eggs. She has since abandoned the
nest.
Sentimentalists say Albert died of a broken heart.
Wildlife officials disagree. One official boasted that he
had been "working with reptiles for years and I've
never seen any of them that had any feelings." Alberta
was unavailable for comment.
Ed Rankin, a senior history major from Concord,
N.C., and Lou Bilionis, a junior economics and
English major from Fitchburg, Mass., are associate
editors for The Dailv Tar Heel,