Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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%AeGAA UNIVERSITY 0F CROWING FOR GI The opinions expressed by col necessarily those of "The Gamee Letters to the Editor, but all Lette not constitute an endorsement. T publication any letter is reserved. Four-Poi, Much dissatisfaction and discontent is es pecially prevalent at this time on the Caro lina campus in regard to the four-point sys tem which became effective last semester. Much of the stir can be attributed to the fact that no standard numerical grades have been issued to correspond to the letters. In some departments 60 is passing, while in others it is 65, and still others adhere to the old passing grade of 70. Many professors are often reluctant to tell their classes their grading system; and, as a result, students frequently know their numerical average, but do not have an idea of their letter grades. The new system is detrimental to the "C+" and "B+" students. It also discour ages student initiative. Many have adopted the attitude of "Why work harder? I can't make a " " grade. Who'll know the differ ence ?" This, needless to say, does not im prove the ever-present problem of student apathy. One student on campus had to make be tween 96-100 on his final exam to make an "A" in a certain course; however, to make a "B" in the course he had only to make Now You See It, Student faculty relations on the Carolina campus can easily be compared to a magi cian's trick-now you see it, now you don't. While professors do keep office hours and, in most cases, are willing to meet the stu dents half-way, there are other aspects which could definitely stand improvement. One such aspect is the faculty meetings. Why must they be treated as classified in formation to be hidden from the students? True, students are informed of decisions made at such meetings, but they are seldom told why the decisions were made. The honor system discussion has never been re vealed and the entire discussion of the four point system was labeled little more than conformity. Communications between the students and administration are also lacking. We realize that there is not room on the cam pus for "assembly programs," and, there fore, speaking to the student body as a group is out of the question. News media are usually told of pertinent decisions which Va Wren ce ... And Aw As the theatrical renaissance at the areas of phil<. the University of South Carolina mental, and class enters its secondi semester, we befilled biah can point to some visible land- plewa olers. marks of progress as well as We conceed thi promises of future success. The theatre groups l University Players' initial en- bility to enterta deavor, A n o t h e r Part of the financial obligati Forest, proved that live theatre administration a; can attract an audience at USC, of students, how and that there is suitable talent nation of factors on campus that can he developed leling academic I iato a company capable of pre- funds, and a nue senting excellent productions. ence of curiosity This observer has often com- should permit plained of the mundane plays branch out a litt1 produced by the local theatrical a good deal moi organizations. We have bemoaned this, in a later c, the use of the best local talent Meanwhile the to amuse audiences that have no paring Jean Anoi concept of theatre beyond the CARNIVAL, a pl vague idea that it is a place be quite interestir where one "should put in an ap- ing, if nothing pearance." We are now willing C ARNIV AL is n to surrender the Town Theatre, hil's most challer Hadassah, and like groups to but it is an ext Musical C o m e d i e s, occasional introduce local straight drama of rurely conven- work. It is a pl1 tional construction and theme, fun for the casi and similar varieties of "enter- as well as one ni tainment theatre" . . . with the We will report on hone that the enormous void in the production fr< C oChJ I SOUTH CAROLINA EATER CAROUINA umnists and letter writers are not Dck." "The Gamecock" encourages rs must be signed. Publishing does he right to edit or withhold from at System above 70 on the exam. We don't have to say which route he took. Another student lacked one-half of a point of having an "A" in a course. He had not cut the class and was an active participant in class. He got a "B." Discouraging, to say the least. Still another student had a 68.5 grade in a course and failed it, while other students on campus had lower grades in some courses and passed them. Do these examples alone not point out a need for a uniform grading system, preferably one with the "plus" grade? If there is anyone on the campus who is satisfied with the present four-point sys tem, we would like to hear from them. To our knowledge such a person is non-exis tent. Professors also are encouraged to voice their opinions. Perhaps someone can produce advantages that outweigh the dis advantages. We are unable to find them, and the excuse of having the system for "transferring" purposes is becoming worn. The present system and a possible solu tion are discussed in the "Dear Folks" col umn on this page. Now You Don't have been made and also the rules, points, etc., which accompany them. However, ex planations as to why they were made and who made them are often non-existent or, at the most, incomplete. How, then, are the students to be in formed? A student-faculty relations com mittee has been established, and perhaps through this committee lies a partial solu tion to the problem. The "whys" and "hows" could be discussed by this commit tee and a full report given to the student senate, as well as to The Gamecock. Also, minutes of the faculty meetings could be filed, as the student senate minutes are, in the Caroliniana Library, accessible to any student. Still another solution could in volve having a student representative at the faculty meetings. The student would file a full report to the senate, the news paper and the radio station. Or, representa tives from all three of these organizations could be permitted to attend the meetings. ay We Go isophical, experi- which incidentally, is again in the ical theatre will hands of Mrs. Phillis Fleishel. W,ork of the peo- We urge all theatrically inclined College and our students to join the Players and all students to support the bud Lt both collegiate ding group by attendance at the iave a responsi- performances. in . . . and a During the course of the se an to please the mester, we intend to bring you id the majority reports of the various theatrical ever, the combi- events in Columbia, occasional such as paral- comments on current cinema, and ursuits, allotted perhaps a controversy or two leus of an audi- over what is, or should be, hap andl sensitivity pening on the stage and screen bhe colleges to scene. Some good tips on hand at ce. We will have the moment are the secondl half 'e to say about of the film series at the Colum alumn. bha Jewish Community Center Players are pre- (low student rates available), ihil's THIEVES Town Theatre's upcoming produc ay which should tion of A MAN FOR AIL SEA Ig and entertain- SONS (the best material that else. TIIIEVES they have handled in quite a at one of Anou- while), and C2's BJrig'adoon (for ging plays . . . the produc tion if you are a :ellent choice to "theatre-hound," and the light udiences to his entertainment if not . . . Almost ay that will be anything at C' Is worth seeing). xal theatre-goer Comments and Information con ore experienced. cerning either this column or an the progress of upcoming theatrical event are )m time to time, extremely welcome. so 0 PR as$ PJO1 ON ALL CHOCKS "Loneliness - Is Paul High Price We are afraid that a great deal of undue sympathy, over the much publicized scholastic casual ties of the basketball team, has been directed toward the athletic department. Messrs. Croke and Gregor failed to meet the scho lastic requirements of the Con ference, which are much lower than those necessary for obtain ing a degree in four years, should be regretted by anyone who has a sincere interest in those gentle men and the team which they played for. That the athletic de partment should receive any sympathy is preposterous. Coach McGuire's dilemma is not a new one to the Carolina Community. For many years now, the athletic department and its boosters have been practicing recruiting techniques that have long been abandoned by most reputable universities. The rulers of our not too mighty athletic empire have consistently pursued a policy of recruiting athletes first and students last. That this policy has not brought the University of South Carolina many winning teams is all too evident. If this were the only legitimate com plaint that could be leveled at the athletic recruiting policy of the University, there would be no need for us to bring it to your attention. After all, universities do manage to go en without a winning f o ot ball team. Who should know this better than the Carolina Community? What we are most concerned about is the unwise and unproductive use that much of the money, set aside for athletic scholarships, has been put to. Whether we like to admit it or not, South Carolina is a poor State. Although the past decade has seen a sharp percentage rise in per capita personal income in the State, South Carolina has not improved its economic position, relative to the other states, by nearly so much as that rise may seem to indicate. In 1962, the per cent of households with in comes under $2,500 in South Carolina was 34.6. Gove?rnment statisticians and economists con sider any household with an in THE GAl CROWINC FO UNIVERSITY OF Member of Ass#eAs FouandedI January .30, 19'%, wil Editor, "The G'amecock * Is pu.blis University of South Carolina wee year except on holidays and durn "The Gamecock" is represente Service, Inc. The pubicijation is a Press, The National College Press Subhscription rates are $3.00 pery EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER Assistant Managing Editors News Editor Copy Editor Campus Editor Sports Editor. Society Editor. Feature Editor Art Editors Exchange Editor Advertising Manager Circulation Manager Columnists Cliff Eaton, Max For Photographers Leon Bridge,. B HOSTI LETOWN No C if CHECkS FoR AMOUNT OF PURCHASE ONLY? a Check To Cash!" d Dropouts come of less than $3,000 to be poor. If between 1962 and 1965 these households were able to in crease their personal income by 20 per cent, they are now living in an official state of poverty. That South Carolina cannot af ford the luxury of an athletic program which produces high priced dropouts should be evident to even the least alert of our readers. We strongly urge that the athletic department and its boost ers begin to realize their respon sibility to the State of South Carolina. They must begin to view the athletic program of the University in its proper prospec tive. The athletic program of any school is for the most part a wholesome and entertaining di version for athletes and specta tors alike. That com p etitive athletics can be a character building experience cannot be denied. We do not, in any way, desire that intercollegiate ath letics be abandoned by Carolina. What we do hope for is an ath letic recruiting policy that will be fairer to the citizens of South Carolina. We are of the opinion that, when recruiting athletes, the ath letic department should give prime consideration to scholar ship. Athletes, who r e e e i v e scholarships from C a r o 1 i n a, should have had above-average grades in high school and on their college entrance examina tion. The reason that we call for above-average grades should be obvious. Athletes miss classes fre quently due to road trips, and must put in extra time studying in order to make up what they have missed in class. Only by recruiting the boy who is both a scholar and an athlete can the athletic depart ment fulfill its obligation to the people of our State. South Caro lina needs leaders who are sound in mind and body. It looks to the University to provide such lead ers. South Carolina cannot and should not be willing to accept an athletic recruiting policy that fails to provide it wvith the lead ership so essential to its future. VWECOCK R A GREATER SOUTH CAROLINA led Collegiate Press h Robert Elliott G'on'zales as the first hed by and for the students of the kly, on Fridays, during the college g examinations. I nationally b,y National Advertising member of the Associated Collegiate service, and the Intercollegiate Press. ear. HARRIET HOLLAND PAT ROESSLE NELLIE MERRYMAN Sig Huitt and Jim Graves John Arant Al Dozier Lee Wilson Ernie Trubiano Kit Sossamon Margaret Shaleuly Rick Ammie and John McRavy Beth Brown Carter Crewe Bill Washington d, Paul Masem, and Marty Price ill Campbell. and Eddie Mcllwain LETI Editor The Gamecock Dear Mise HoUand: In reference to the article of Paul Masem entitled "Governor's Proposal - Harmful," we would like to voice our support of the Governor's proposal. It is the duty of this University to educate South Carolinians first and then citizens of other states. It is the people of South Carolina who must support the University with their tax money. We think it only fair that the children of South Carolina residents, who have paid taxes all their lives, should be able to attend the University at a less cost than out-of-state stu dents. Also while our University is growing quite steadily, we are faced with crowded conditions. We think that the Governor's proposal would serve a double purpose of creating more revenue for our University and leaving more space for South Carolina students. It is also c l e a r that Mr. Masem's ideas on using more state revenue for higher educa tion and using revenue from local governments for elementary and high schools is rather ridiculous when viewed with his other argu ments. In order to pass military pre-induction tests, college and university training is not neces sary. We also feel that illiteracy is a problem, but we need to strengthen our elementary and high schools, not weaken them Dear Ma and Pa: By the time you get this letter you may have received the report of my grades for the fall semes ter. If so, you will see that the GPR for the semester is "3.5" or "B." I wish to explain to you that this "B" average does not reflect the increased hours of study that I put in during the semester. Remember after last spring when I made the same "B" average (which was a GPIL of "4" on the old system) I promised to attempt to pull my grades up even higher? Well, the administration put a major stumbling-block in my well-intentioned path. They inaugurated, effective as of last semester, the new, four-point sys tem which they hail as "an at tempt to conform to the prevail ing system of grading in the colleges and universities in Amer ica." The University announced last summer that the four-point sys tem would make the transfer of credits from and to Carolina more equitable. What they failed to announce, however, was that the system seems to penalize better than-average students. In my own case I lost one whole quality point because two grades that should have been a "B I-" were recorded as "B." In one course I made a 93 per cent average while the guy across the aisle from me had an average for the course of 85 per cent - we both made "B." Let me try to explain it this way. The old system, to wit: A 95-100 6 quality points B+ 91- 94 5 quality points B 86- 90 4 quality points C+ 81- 86 3 quality points C 76- 80 2 quality points D 70- 75 1 quality points F 0- 69 0 quality points allowed for more subjectivity and accuracy in grading. It standard ized the academic regulations and requirements among the various colleges of the University and indeed within the department of the various colleges. But this new system: A - 4 quality points B - 3 quality points C - 2 quality points D - 1 quality point which does not dictate particular n u m er ieal percentages to be represented, has resulted (as far as I can determine) in dissatis faction among the students since Instructors now arbitrarily assign alphabetical grades. For instance, I had an 84 per cent average in German and made a "C" but madie a "B" in history with only an 8 per cntn. PERS' as Mr. Masem's proposal would do. At present the local govern ments are only able to provide a few hundred dollars for teach ers' salaries, and they could not possibly contribute more without drastically raising taxes which are already extremely burden some. Governor Russell has concerned himself more with education than any other governor in our state's history. His programs are sound and we have made progress. If South Carolinians will support his education programs, we think that we will then be on a road to a much brighter tomorrow. Yours sincerely, DANIEL P. BREAZEALE WILLIAM J. CRAINE, JR. 0 0 * Editor The Gamecock Dear Miss Holland: We have just gone through another Religious Emphasis 4 Week. Since these come, like Santa Claus, only once a year, and since participation is not compulsory, I have no objection. But one wishes the perpetrators of these happenings would not be so facile in their judgments as they are in their introductory broadsheet where we read the fol lowing suggestive assessment of two contemporary t h i n k e r s: "Jean-Paul Sartre . . . sees no meaning in life-from his apart ment . . . Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran Pastor, (Continued on Page 8) DEAR FOLKS SE"b $$$ The upshot of the matter is that the new system seems to be a detriuent to Lue uetLer student since most p rolesso ra nave lowered tne requirement lor "A" from too per cent own to a magnanimous U4 per cent thereby tnrowing tne large majority of ".B-" students ku1-U4 per cent) into the larger **b" grade cate gory. Some profs, and they are mn the mmnority, logically turned the new four-pomnt system into a ten-point spread ("A," 90-i00, etc.). While studying in the library last night, I decided to thumb through some university bulletins and found some interesting in formation. HA R VA RD COL LEEuses a TWELVE-POINT system ut i li zi ng pluses and M IN U SES. Princeton has a seven-point system. Columbia University, while using a four point system, leaves the plus and minus distinction to the discre tion of the instructor. Some pro gressive schools with small, select student bodies do not even grade students. Antioch and Bard col leges merely report to students whether they have failed or passed. The large majority of schools -- granted - do utilize the four-point system, but most also allow the plus grade within the framework of that system. Duke and Emory and Ga. Tech are on the four-point system - the U. of Ga. has a ten-point sys tem which starts with an "A+."' My grades would have been better this semester if the in structors were allowed to use the "B+F" and I'm sure many students would have benefited from the "C+" distinction. If the University changed to the new system just in order to make transferring less difficult, I cannot see why they would be opposed, on principle, to the "C+" and the "B 1." These grades could easily be counted as quality points of 2.5 and 3.6, respectively. I am sure that if they allowed the professors to use these grades, student morale would increase. I know that good students would have more incentive to study and competition (a factor singularly lacking on our campus) would be given more chance to develop - t h e r e b y strengthening the so called "honor system" of which there has been much discussion and dispute as of late. otOIQ, 9flady P. S. Don't forget to sen $$.