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Page 4 The Red and Black. Thursday. September 2H. IP7K
^Percent ion.s
The purpose of education
Learning for the sake of
learning has been under fire in
recent years. Studies
show that students are leaning
toward more “practical” majors
than the arts and sciences and
seeing college as a prestigious
“trade school.”
Business schools, including our
own, are reporting record
enrollments even after raising
entrance requirements, and stu
dents more and more seem to
think their investment in
college should be paid back
monetarily.
In our views on education we
tend to side with Dr. William
Payne, newly appointed dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences.
Even though he says he doesn’t
"disdain” vocational courses he
does stress that students
shouldn’t make their career goal
their basic educational goal,
according to a recent interview
with him.
A career is, of course,
important. But that can be
learned at a true “trade school”
and not at a university. This isn’t
to say that a student can’t pick
up the knowledge to someday
make a profitable livelihood but
we question a college which
gears all its courses towards
that.
The liberal arts are still
essential for an education—de
fining education as a total
experience.
The University fotunately
hasn’t been trying to steer its
students away from the liberal
arts program. The proposed core
curriculum plan stresses the arts
and sciences and in fact will
increase some requirements.
A career is important and it is
very reassuring to know that
after graduation there will be a
good chance of having a job but
we don’t ever want to see that as
the main emphasis at a
university.
Let the academic
games begin
A wise ruling
U.S. District Judge William D.
Hoeveler dismissed a multi-mil
lion dollar negligence suit which
accused the three major televi
sion networks of teaching a
teen-age boy how to kill.
The judge refused to set
precedent for new law creating a
cause of action in the area of
broadcasting which would be
impossible to police. The judge
with his ruling Tuesday, also
reaffirmed the principle of
“individual responsibility” for
people in today’s society.
Attorneys for the boy, Ronny
Zamora of Miami, filed a suit
April 1, claiming Zamora had
been the victim of “involuntary
subliminal television intoxica
tion.” Ronny Zamora was
convicted of killing his 62-year-
old next door neighbor in 1977.
The attorneys claimed that
from the age of five their
defendant had “been involuntar
ily addicted to and has been
completely subliminally intoxi
cated by the prolonged, intense
viewing of television programs
distributed and televised by all
three defendants (networks),”
especially those programs de
picting explicit violence.”
The allegations made by
attorneys for Zamora can be
described quite accurately by
one word. Silly. Agreed, the
adolescent may have seen 40,000
to 50,000 violent killings on the
tube. He may have seen different
methods, plots, etc.
But three words in the
allegations made by Zamora’s
council vindicate the defendant—
Charles Russell
Now that drop-add is finally over and
everyone is stuck with the courses they
presently have, let’s look at the”game”
students and faculty engage in for the
first few days of each quarter.
The first day is always utilized by the
student to jockey around with his classes
for that “perfect" or "easy” schedule.
He waits in endless lines for late
Charles Russell is ad manager of The
Red and Black
registration or drop-add, only to get a
group of courses and instructors he
knows nothing about. (It seems like we
have our own network of information on
courses and professors we are never able
to get!) The student then heads for the
nearest cold pitcher of beer in order to
relieve the tensions rom the first day of
classes.
Waking up the next day hung over but
ready to go, the student attends the
courses in his schedule. He sits in each
class, quietly evaluating the merits of
Letters
each instructor. This is where the
faculty’s part of the game comes into
play
The instructor begins his first lecture
with the usual stuff , name, office hours,
and office phone number. He gives a
brief outline of what each student will be
expected to learn during the quarter.
He then defines his right to privacy
(which I don't deny) by making his wife
out to be a monster who loves to scream
at students who call after hours
Although the guy's poor wife (or girl
friend) becomes the scapegoat, it seems
easier to him than just being a grouch
Finally, (for most core curriculum
courses) the instructor outlines the bare
minimum requirements for the course
and how he intends to come up with a
final grade "Your grade will be
determined by the square root of the
average of the first two major tests,
multiplied by the average of the highest
six grades from your weekly quizzes.”
The student is stricken with the fear
that since he can’t figure out the grading
system, he surely won't he able to
understand anything the instructor has to
say. Faced with even more struggle and *
pressure, the student decides to let it g 0
to the third day. Maybe another night on
the town will make things go easier
On the third day, the student wakes up "
late for classes, and makes a mad rush to
the drop-add lines. While waiting, he
wonders what to do if he can’t get rid of
the professor with the crazy grading |
system. He finally ends up taking a
course he knew he had to take
anyway—anything’s better than an
elective course with a crazy professor. *
Well, this quarter the games are over,
and it’s hard to say who came out on top!
(I think the Bookstore snuck into the
picture and grabbed a surprise victory!) *{
Although most are familiar with this
game, I still wonder: Whatever happened
to the days when three tests all counted
and the final exam decided your grade'
involuntarily, prolonged, tele
vised.
Consider the first two words.
Nothing involuntary is prolonged
for a lifetime except taxes. And
the third word is especially
important. All the violence
Zamora witnessed was televised
which means it was televised to
every one in the nation through
television sets which have
on-OFF buttons.
Judge Hoeveler upheld First
Amendment protections for the
broadcasters and shrewdly
avoided setting cause of action in
a field which should only be
policed by parents and respons
ible individuals.
Congratulations are in order
for Judge Hoeveler.
! Red and *BIacK
Staff
Ch» editor Vtniue Papttdrro
Fra tare* rduar Hum <»rrrr
Fatrrutnmntt editor Bobby Byrd
Spam editor Str/e Bcrieaa
University
worth the trip
TO THE EDITOR:
As a native “Yankee’*, as I have
already been tagged, my arrival to
Athens as a transfer student held many
surprises. My first discovery was that a
'65 Bonneville is slightly difficult to
manuever down Lumpkin Street, any
time of day. Athens seems to have a
passion for one-way streets and traffic
lights, every one of which had to display
to me its crimson warning to stop. But
most of all. Athens is a city, with its
congested traffic intersection, many
businesses and sidewalks crowded with
hurrying bodies, like any other city.
After the initial shock of being told that
my dorm assignment was not in one of
the highrises. but as number x on the
waiting list, I settled into an Athens
Observer This glorified Fennysaver as
we call them ud North, provided enough
rental ads to keep me home hunting for
several days, unfortunately to no avail.
To make an unimportant story short, L
did find a roof for my head, and a bed
more comfortable than the front seat of
my car!
I would like to express my pleasure in
finding that much talked about 'Southern
Hospitality' right here in Athens
Through out my Southern indoctrination I
found people on every corner more than
willing to help and throw a little
friendliness in to boot And I have met
many people in Athens, from the bank
official who never blinked an eye at my
northern check for deposit, to the
Housing Department, who saw me all too
frequently, to my advisor who hastily
worked out a schedule from the assorted
classes I had taken at two previous
colleges Granted, the line at the bookstore
was not a high point in my day, nor the
deaf guy who lives next door (I only
assume that he is handicapped—his
stereo is cranked up to about 5Q00
decibals > but my overall impression of
UGA has been, and is, one of pleasant
delight
I have discovered that Bulldog football
is not only more exciting than that of a
past Ivy League alma mater, but more
widely accepted as a Saturday afternoon*
pastime. Go Bulldogs!
Ag Hill has proven to be most suitable
The professors greet the class with
"Hello, I’m Mr. X, and I am here for
you’’, a very pleasant change after
listening to two years of “I don’t care if
you come, if you learn, or if you fail, I
am paid regardless.” The student clubs
are many, varied, and worthwhile The
entire atmosphere here is different from
any I have ever experienced.
To those of you who read this as a
Yankee's balderdash. I'd like to add one
more thing You Southerners, with and
without drawls, have a great school here
If you doubt that, go North but then
maybe that is why you will meet many
Yankees through the course of your
education We KNOW when something is
worth travelling 1100 miles for!
Linda M. Parker
Ukteuiu photo editor: D„V)d Tulis
Editorial assistant: Gerry Romano
MtertniM salesperson Mai Pace Donna Peasey Donna Ratrhlord. Doug Soutar Leslie Whitlow
( U sal fled adsertfeiaa manager Susan Tumor
The Red and Blach. Modem, newspaper of the laivenfcy of Georgia. Atheav a published Theoday through
Friday talth the eiceptlou of eiomiaaUon periods and holidays Seeoad Hass poatage is paid la Athens P**
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Regents nr The Red and Black
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One to trust
TO THE EDITOR:
It’s time we had a Congressman that
the people can trust In this time of voter
apathy and general distrust of politicians
we finally have a Congressional
candidate who is open to the people
Newt Gingrich, running ip the 6th
District, has already disclosed his net
worth. If Mr. Gingrich shows this type of
honesty as a candidate, we know he will
keep these moral standards while under
pressure, as a Congressman.
Newt Gingrich understands young
people, especially college students. He
taught at West Georgia College for the
past 8 years. Knowing the needs of
college students will enable Mr Gingrich
to work for these students when he gets
to Washington He has long favored *
tuition tax credits for college students
Living modestly on a teacher s salary b
permits Newt Gingrich to empathize with
the burden of high taxes. Mr Gingrich
will work to reduce these taxes through
his support of the Kemp-Roth Bill ia ,
proposed 33 percent cut in Federal
income tax).
I do not see how the people can fail to •
elect a man like Newt Gingrich to
Congress He doesn’t have to talk of
honesty and openness; he lives it
Support for Newt Gingrich is support for *
action, not talk.
Martha Willis
Who wants to
be on top?
Gerry Romano
Barbara Delgiudice has big plans for me; that is if I ever get out of here.
Certainly there are others who suffer from the same predicament—strapped
with a devotee, who for some unknown reason, truly believes You Can Not Fail
As if the demands wc place upon ourselves aren't enough to keep us up at
night—staring into darkness, woi.dering if we’ll ever really succeed at what we
resolved to do with our lives-we have these self-proclaimed supporters who
must tighten the knots in our stomachs.
But all in good faith, of course The last thing in the world Barbara thinks
she’s doing is adding to my nervous tension. I’m sure she believes her
complimentary words are nothing short of inspirational It would give her so
much satisfaction to be able to say she knew all along that I’d make it big some
day Terrific—the pressure is on
Gerry Romano is editorial assistant of The Red and Black.
a™ 1 !? W . hy l hest enthus,as,s mus < ' a «<* Uiemselves onto
average, run-of-the-mill students who are just trying to mind their own business
and do what s required of them, so they can later enjoy a comfortable lile
More specifically, why is Barbara doing this to me 1
We’ve been friends for a while She’s had a bird’s-eye view of my progression
in college some A s, some B s, some C's and a failure; a change of schools a
couple of changes of major, dropping out, dropping back in some good
newspaper stones some flops-all totalling two yeaVs of credits in “r«
c( coUege; I m only halfway there and she still keeps the faith
^She definitely could have chosen to pursue someone with a more coherent
What s more, she could have found someone with a true desire to ho on
op-true enough to struggle for it. Sure. I'm ambitious and 'airly seh-confident
1 even have dreams of fame and fortune But nnwhero in > l
do I ever imagine allowing myselHo suffer to any grei" SZ. dr “ mS
My philosophy is to ge, as L a, I can StaSuSil hones, work
te a bllaJic’etetw^, e n a C s e y IntheZl Work ’ 1 conslder to
partiersi and d.fficult-u. thi^i^T^S^tT^b^r^S'r^f.'^ <Con ‘ ! * nl
allows for a good time. y DOO,tworrn!>l ln other words, it
If It takes a struggle to climb to the top of the ladder in „i u, .
keeping my feet on the ground V " la<Wer ’ 111 gladly settle for
chance), whaTs the^guaramJThaUt'^ofnrto 1 '*^ 1 and | hom ‘ st work (a " d
Genera. Doug,as MacArthur once said: ”le°,n"g g ^ « £
But devotees never understand th»»«sx n .
her friends as the future editor of The Times and 8 *!!*" 1 ‘"a inlroduce » m ‘ 10
an achiever their daughter is when she’s ai r *™ lnds ni > parents what
for they’ve long since accepted the theory that rlT* Y **’ Sh * reminds th *’m.
student. V neory ,hat 1 m going to be a professional
Hopefully, 111 run into enough good luck in m<Mk» ,u
for me without getting too lonely And hODeftUIv^T l°^i, Barbara haS
disappointment she won’t disown me as a lf 1 don out of utter
But it’s like I said- if I ever get out ot her?
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Contacts
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