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Editorials
QL\)t &eb anti JBlacfe
Opinions
BI TCH SCOTT, Editor
Some answers to ^what’s wrong here?’
BIG SHOES TO FILL
Passing of a leader
The death of Ralph McGill, the tamed publisher of the
Atlanta Constitution, has left Georgia. the South and the en
tire nation bereft of an eloquent voice to call for liberal jus
tice without radicialism; humanistic tolerance in a diverse
society and a brotherhood which is based on free human
spirit regardless of external dircumstances.
The irony of McGill’s death lies in the placement it has in
time In a day of citrolic division between racial and ideolog
ical factions. McGill's simple credo of equality, justice and
respect are the closest facsimiles of a panacea which we are
likely to find
Communication between people was McGill’s theme in
his idea of humanism. He spent several hours the last day he
lived in a session of questions and answers with students of
Atlanta's Washington High School. He felt that in the hands
of the students was the hope* and power of society and sever
al writings by him detailed his belief that the greatest gift he
possessed was an ability to communicate with high school
and college students His treatment of youth as an intellec
tual equal created a rapport his position would have other
wise never allowed
McGill’s courageous dedication to the principles and
ideas in which he believed were the qualities which raised
him from the ranks of a great newspaper man into the select
company of great journalists. In any just analysis. McGill
was the eminent southern journalist of the time.
His pleas for racial justice and equality before the law,
began in an era when the control of the Klan reigned su
preme in southern politics. He continued his call through the
years regardless of his opponents and their power
The Red and Black can only endorse the statement of
Dean John E Drewry of the Henry W. Grady School of Jour
nalism. in a telegram to Mrs. McGill:
"We ... express sympathy in the passing of a fourth estate
leader who gave timely and relevant significance to Grady's
'New South’ ”
Critical benefits
We all have pretty good ideas about
what is wrong with the University Since
we've been here a couple of years (or a
couple of quarters as the case may be»
we've had time to study the intricate edu
cation machine and figure out its compo
sition. its flaws and its shortcomings
Of course with some 17.000 students we
can compile some 17.000 gripes about
what is wrong with the University and 90
per cent of them would be different since
this communal conglomeration of red
necks. pseudo-hippies, jet-setters, middle
and upper class students can never agree
on anything With so much disagreement
among the locals, let's bring in an outsi
der to concisely answer the general ques
tion ‘ what's wrong with colleges?'' and
then apply his answers to the University
Columnist Russell Kirk recently of
fered four answers in an attempt to point
out the exact problems with today s col
leges
In his words. We have far too many
students At least half of these undergrad
uates already on our campuses haven't
the foggiest notion of why they're present
All prepared by their secondary schooling
and uninterested in the higher learning,
these young people are easy prey for the
professional demagog or the student agi
tator
This is true There is so much dead
wood floating around that the course to
higher education is cluttered Many of the
students on this campus are much like our
friend Brunswick Stu who is here to get
the hell raising out of his system; and
while this stereotype student is fading
away, he is still in the picture Lacking the
proper drive and motivation the uninter
ested students flock around the fountain
of learning and makes it impossible for the
true scholar to get a sip much less a drink
Some students come here with a pur
pose however — to pass enough hours to
avoid the draft or to postpone the realities
of the cold, cruel, outside world for hope
fully four years TTie romantically in
clined ones often find a mate to keep
each other company while they wander
through the maze of learning
With academics as a sidelight, these
“bodies have plenty of time to devote
their attentions and energies to the New
Left, the militants, the liberals and the
agitators.
Back to Kirk's answers. Second, we
don't have enough good professors and
instructors The indiscriminate expansion
of college and university, ever since
World War II. has caused a demand for
college teachers whic h cannot be supplied
without a marked decline in the quality of
the average new instructor. Moreover,
the intensive, specialized training or the
young PhD (when it isn't a sham) has lit
tle to do either with successful teaching or
with the attainment of wisdom
A good answer In an effort to lower the
teacher-student ratio there are two alter
natives one. reduce the number of stu
dents or two. increase the number of pro
fessors With enrollments increasing an
nually it appears that number two is the
likely choice In this demand for more in
structors there coincides the demand for
quantity over quality in many instances.
As it often the case the instructor knows
his subject but is not a teacher He does
not possess the ability to convey his
knowledge or his subject to the students
Teaching is an art, one that few possess,
and not all educated men can be educa
tors
This situation may be remedied in a
number of ways, like eliminating the
number of non-students enrolled on cam
pus (Non-students meaning the "dead
weight." those here for no purpose.) An
other method which is meeting popular
acceptance across the nation is a faculty
evaluation program where the students
grade the professor. A well-organized stu
dent evaluation program can point out
faults that may be corrected by the pro
fessor himself or by the department heads
or University in either advising the pro
fessor. re-assigning the professor to an
other subject or dismissing the professor
altogether
The evaluation program may also be
applied to the curriculum which is Kirk’s
third answer
“The typical college curriculum is a
loathsome mess,” says the columnist,
“offering a smattering of everything and
doing nothing well. Many students come
to despise their course of studies — and
with reason Sacking the administration
building is more fun."
A real problem at the University is the
curriculum, especially the core, or re
quired. courses. While the required cur
riculum in one's major field may be bene
ficial. the non-major core requirements
are repetitious of high school courses,
outdated and of little or no help to the stu
dent in his chosen field of study. Of course
the purpose of a well-rounded curriculum
is a well-rounded education, and the only
way to insure that all the students get this
well-rounded education is to make the
courses mandatory. Too often the stu
dents miss out on the courses they desire
to study because they are busy sitting
through something they have no compre
hension of or interest in
From the Past
Major curriculum also needs to be
looked at with serious scrutiny. The cours
es may have been necessary 20 years ago.
but what good is this same material
taught today? What was current two de
cades ago is now being taught in the
history department.
Here again a student-course evaluation
is an indication to the University by the
students just how good or bad its offered
courses are The free university was bom
to give students the courses they wanted
that the University is not teaching.
Finally. Kirk gives his fourth answer to
“what's wrong with colleges” in this way:
"The college and the university — partic
ularly the latter, and not even the great
private universities are exempt — have
become the servants of big government
and big industry, engaging in elaborate
research-undertakings at the expense of
the works of the mind. Humane learning
is neglected in favor of sociological boon
doggling. and pure science declines into
the service of technology "
As sad as it seems, many departments
of the University are so dedicated to the
propositions of research that they are ne
glecting their supreme purpose in being
— education.
Brunswick Stu
letters to the Editor
Clean up pollution
If one can believe what one reads in
those Atlanta newspapers The Red and
Black is sailing toward turbulent waters
and the journalistic ship had better batten
the hatches for a mutiny Quite to the con
trary if one can believe the Associated
Collegiate Press critical service The Red
and Black is an All American publication
Keep in mind too. the author of one is a
student much like the IUiB editors, and
the judges of the other are professional
newspaper men and women with exten
rive backgrounds in publications work
much like critics
Despite the high honor rating we recog
nize our shortcomings ami are constantly
striving for improvement That was our
purpose in submitting our newspaper to
the ACT* critical service- not to learn how
good we are. but to let professionals ex
amine our work and tell us how we can bet
ter
Improvement is our goal and your pati
ence is what we ask Although student
participation on the staff is low. we still
publish twice weekly and will continue to
do so We are stable enough not to col
lapse and strong enough to ward off any
planned coup d etat
The tide may be low at present but we
stand fortified (or the predicted tidal
wave and the recent All-American award
mav be just what we need to strengthen
the dike
There exists, flying over the campus of
the University, a banner of blatant contra
diction 1 am referring to the black smoke
which belches forth from the smoke stack
of the physical plant and the aims of the
University
A school should be a leader in environ
mental and community improvement as
well as a good example for those it claims
to be educating, both of which the Un
iversity is not by allowing the pollution of
the* campus and community air Everyday
when I lift up my eyes I see thick, black
smoke unfurling its filth into the skv It is
a most depressing sight on nice days when
the sky is blue and one wants to be outside
in the fresh air
I intend to show that the reasons for the
existence of this deplorable situation are
completely outweighted by the reasons for
its abolition (or at least, control •
First, the reasons for not remedying the
situation
1 Ignorance — undervaluing clean air
and or the lack of awareness that a pollu
tion problem exists at all
2 Apathy — no one has complained so
(If the first is denied by the perpetuators
then this becomes Irresponsibility i
3 Expense control devices may be
expensive (with taxpayers money there
is never a shortage of funds, only a
misallocation.)
4 Obscure the campus from bombing
attack - (at first glance this seems the
best reason for the' smoke, but I must
point out that today we are really much
more concerned with missiles)
Thus I dismiss all the reasons for not
remedying the situation as being unsub
stantial and go on to the reasons for reme
dying it. (I might point out that anyone of
them alone outweighs all the others com
bined)
1. Unsightly to the eyes.
2 Irritating to the nose
3. Deleterious to health in general —
makes a mockery of some of the goals of
the student health service Poor air has
been blamed for cancer, pneumonia, bron
chitis. emphysema, tuberculosis, depres
sion. melancholia, etc
4. Contributes to the overall pollution
problem which is estimated to cost the
average American $66 per year in addi
tional cleaning, laundering, clothes re
placement. etc. For the student body at
the University that would come to about
$1,150,000 per year in additional expenses
5. Sets a bad example for community
and students (There may be potential
factory owners in the student body.)
6 1 Tohably breaking a law
7 Generally an imposition on others
who have an equal claim to the use and
enjoyment of our atmosphere
8 I have many more than space will
allow
Confronted by the overwhelming
weight of these arguments those response
ble for the pollution will feel compelled to
consider the responsibility of a gas mask
factory as a profitable sideline
To the polluters I say — It’s a terrible
thing to use the skv as a sewer
WILLIAM CATES
(R&B Editor Lennie Pa Hats met Stu
two years ago Pallats is gone, but Stu’s
still here. >
Like y’all to meet Brunswick Stu. Ac
tually. you've seen Stu on campus many
times, and he may have been in one of vour
classes when you were a freshman.
You probably haven't seen much of him
lately — since he moved off campus he
spends most of his time at his apart
ment. When you do see him. he's easy
to recognize He's big. broad-featured,
dull-eyed and never carries a book
Not only does Stu not carry books — he
doesn't use them. It isn’t his fault. None
of his instructors ever gives an assign
ment Stu can’t fake. If you ever antago
nize Stu. hide in the library. He’ll never
think of going inside
The first day Stu was at the University
he heard a couple of graduate students
talking about the James brothers. Stu
read about the brothers when he was a lit
tle kid in South Georgia, and he's admired
them ever since The trouble is. these two
guys kept saying things about psychology
and Europe and never said a word about
holding up trains
Within a day or two Stu began to see
some bad things at the University. There
were Negroes and Yankees in his classes.
Stu didn't believe such things could be in
Georgia. He was so angry he almost cried.
He called his daddy and said he wanted to
come home His daddy said the University
is going to hell if it takes creeps like that,
but he wanted Stu to stay. After all. if boys
like Stu can't go there, the state universi
ty has no reason to exist. “I'm a taxpayer
like anyone else, and you have a right to
go to college to earn more money and get
the hell raising out of your system." Stu's
dad explained.
Stu adjusted to University life. He
hangs out with boys from his home town,
drinks a lot and brings a girl to his apart
ment every couple of weeks Usually they
get there about 10 Friday night. She looks
happy when she goes inside. Later, you
hear screams. Sometimes she runs out
and Stu hauls her back in. She looks hap
py again when she leaves Sunday.
Stu has an IQ of about 100 and doesn't
belong in college. When the University
stops accepting his kind, the dean of
men's office will have a lot less work
MIKE HOWELL, Managing Editor
Where are they?
Holiday policies
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TO: ALL STUDENTS PLANNING TO
VISIT TORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. Dl R
ING THE SPRING HOLIDAYS 1169
1 would like lo take this opportunity to
welcome vou to our City and sincerely hope
that your stay will be a pleasant and memo
rable experience
In order that neither you nor the City
incur anv unpleasantness the following
suggestions and policies have been instituted
and will be adhered to unequivocally
I Do not come to Fort Uiuderdale unless
you delimtelv have confirmed housing reser
vation Our policies and ordinances prohibit
sleeping in automobiles and or sleeping in
the open Campers or trailers are not per
milted to park on the beach If this type
vehicle is to be used as living quar
ters it must be parked in a trailer park
specifically licensed for this purpose
2 All the laws that govern the conduct ot
the individual will be enforced A person
must be 21 years of age in order to purchase
or consume alcohol Persons guilt, of intoxi
cation. i It should be noted that drinking in
the open is not permitted' narcotics, use ot
false identification creating unnecessary
noise or any other form of disorderly con
duct and any other unlawful act will be ar
rested and prosecuted Violations ot the
traffic code will result in apprehension and
prosecution of the offender
3. Parents and school officials of any and
all students arrested during this period will
be officially notified
Students should be aware of the fact that
persons who are arrested and convicted on
any charge will have established a perma
nent and sometimes criminal record against
themselves which could have a detrimental
influence later in life
It is the feeling of the City Commission,
this office and all of the City Departments
involved that if your conduct while in Fort
Lauderdale is governed by the aforemen
tioned guidelines, then vour vacation
will indeed be a pleasant one
R H BUSIER.
City Manager
Ft. Lauderdale. Fla
Morale boosters
Letters can be an excellent morale
booster Please publish the following an
nouncement Thank you.
U you like to correspond with a ser
viceman in Viet Nam please send an in
troductory letter, with a picture enclosed
If possible to
Operation Mail Call
175th RR Co
APO San Francisco W2Z7
One of the leading stipulations of newspa
per editorializing is that you should never
attempt to explain your problems in print.
People are only interested in the fact that
something is wrong and not in any ideas you
may have concerning the reason
However, now that 1 have named my sin I
will proceed to commit it. This is what
might be called double indemnity, but it
needs to be said
This quarter has seen a small but vocal
grouping which seems very unhappy with
what they consider the uninteresting quality
of the Red and Black They are very vocal
also in what is wrong and their secret means
of wreaking great and beneficial change
We welcome these people and their ideas
They are what the paper needs and must
have if it is to continue for another 7b years
Any institution that becomes ingrown can
only wither and die; thus, with the Red and
Black without new blood' support
The only problem with these innovations
is that they rarely get farther than the
mouth and lungs and the creators rarely
cross the threshold of the Red and Black off
ice They claim Liat personality conflicts on
the staff keep creative people away; that the
editors are not open to new ideas: that the
coverage should not be campus oriented;
that the news should have more investiga
tive material
We grant these are. in the first and last
case, just and relevant complaints We also
stipulate that the staff gathers to publish a
campus newspaper and not for the main
purpose of socializing The Red and Black in
its present semi-weekly format can not ef
fectively run wire copy world news The
running of such wire reports in a campus
paper is roughly equivalent to running Viet
nam war news in the "South Fulton Recor
der ” The Red and Black is not a general
circulation paper and can not be such until
the money and other means are made avail
able to twgin daily publication: until such
Ume it is a closer approximation, in terms
of coverage, to the small town weekly The
need for investigative reportorial coverage
is the one thing which we would like to see
more of in the paper However, the reporter
has to have patience, fortitude and stamina
to invade often hostile and stormy quarters
to get the shady details often involved We
have had few who are willing In fact only
one this year who through his investigation
of the student activities fund found several
inconsistencies He is perhaps the best re
porter of the type we have had in recent
years.
Another question arises from the chorus
of "if it were me " Are those who shriek so
loud willing to give up four nights a week
with the technical drudgery of producing a
paper? Are they willing to have most any
move they make end up in having a whip
cracked at them? A persecution complex is
easily developed; however a thick skin to
barbs does the job more effectively.
The paper and its staff are a business and
as such membership in the staff organiza
tion is not an extra-curricular activity, but
rather is a "part-time" job which turns out
to demand about 35 hours a week Contracts
with advertisers are legally binding and "no
paper because the editors might have had
something else they would rather do” won't
hold up in court The paper is something that
is lived with at all times and can rarely be
pushed aside for something else.
The foregoing statements are not justifi
cation for what the staff itself considers to
be journalistic drawbacks in the quality of
the paper They are only a statement of
what a newspaper that depends on exclu
sively local coverage demands of its editors
and staff The vocals who are willing to
shoulder the responsibility of the Red and
Black are welcome and will be greeted with
joy and salutation at the door
Those that are not willing to do so are the
epitome of what they condemn, their atti
tudes and reasoning are as shallow as the
news coverage thev attribute to the Red and
Black
Letters
Policy
The Red and Black welcomes a no en
courages letters from students, faculty,
adnunidration and interested readers on
topic s of general and campus interest
letters OxHild be tvpcd double-spate
arvl dim 1 Id not exceed 300 wonts The* edi
tor reserves ne right to edit to meet
=$bcy. st\lr and taste requirements and
to guard against libel
No unsigned letters will In published,
however names will be withhe ld on re
qu st
SP4 DAVE MoKEF.YER