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GAMECOCK .at Is a Newspaper's duty teprint the news and raise hell.' WIL13UR F. STOREY The Chicago Times BILL GRANT. Editor BSILI OUTLAW, ART FRANK, Editorial Page Editor Advertising Manager November 14, 1974 USC needs change m grading system The A,B,C, NC grading system used by this University makes a complete farce out of the reasons for com puting a GPR. A student's GPR should be an accurate index of how that student is doing and how his grades compare with other students at this institution.. Under the present system, this is not being ac complished. Why have a GPR if it is not a true in-' dication of how the student is doing? For that matter, why have grades if they do not reflect how a student is doing? A student making 3 B's and 2 C's is given a 2.6 GPR under the present system (15 hours), but a student making 3 B's and 2 NC's is given a 3.0; which at first glance indicates he is the better student. If F's were computed instesd of NC's, the student making 3 B's and 2 F's would have a 1.8 GPR. Quite a difference from a 3.0, but a more accurate indication of how that student is really doing. In a recent in-depth study by The Gamecock, com ments have been made by numerous administration officials at different graduate schools, both at this University and at other major universities, indicating they are either counting NC's as F's in computing an applicant's "real" GPR or they at least re-examine the students GPR if he has some NC's on his record. Am biguity also exists in handling C's. because many students are given C's here that might have been given D's under a different grading system. USC's reputation as an educational institution seems to be on the line here. Administration officials, teachers, professors and department heads have all expressed concern over the reputation of a school using the system we now have. The difference is comparable to buying a suit at K-Mart or at J.B. White's. . The K Mart suit may look as sharp as the one at White's, but not many people want to admit they bought that suit at K-Mart. The student's feelings have not been accurately measured and it would probably be a worthwhile Student Government Association project to do so this since students are the ones who are affected the most. This writer went to a USC extension branch in 1967-68 when the old system was used. A student flunking out. under the old system would have a hard time raising his GPR to the required 2.0 to graduate if all of his previous F's and D's were held against him. A student should not be overly penalized for flunking a course, but his GPR should accurately reflect his grade standing. Frances Marion College in Florence uses a system that appears to be the best remedy for this situation. D's and F s are computed in a student's GPR but the student is allowed to retake the coures and if he makes a better grade, the old grade is completely erased from his record. The use of this system would mean that the student with 3 B's and 2 NC's of F's would have a 1.8 GPR but It would give that same student the chance to raise it to a 3.0 by retaking the course and making a B. This system places the initiative for raising the GPR on the student who ismakinghad grades. That is where it should be. WmN LETTERS Gar net and Black ad called chauvinistic TO THE EDITOR: I was leafing through The Gamecock and suddenly, glaring at me, are. the words, 'We're looking for the sexiest girl at USC," from the Garnet and Black ad on page six. The main body of the ad was an explanation of how some "lucky" girlcould enter this contest, and after receiving the dubious honor of winning, have her body displayed in the yearbook and receive what amounts to monetary payment in the form of a gift certificate. How offensive to the women of thib campus! This is 1974. In the recent years, so much time, energy and emotion has been spent ti'ylng to give two women an awareness of them selves as more than just a face, two breasts, two thighs, "a piece of ass," some man's sexual object of delight or disgust. Women have been trying to get in touch with themselves as whole human beings who are valuable not just as bodies, but also as in tellectual and spiritual beings. Yet, we are still faced with the type of mentality exemplified by the Garnet and Black ad; asking women to disjoin their minds from their bodies. ("But we'll pay you a gift certificate,girls, if you'll let us ogle you.") This contest is no more than a covert form of prostitution. It makes me sick and it makes me angry. It makes me wonder if the quality of the yearbook is so low that they need to resort to demeaning gimmickry to get sales. I am outraged by this contest and I can only hope that other U.S.C. women have enough respect for themselves to boycott it out of existence. Sisters--don't sell yourselves! RUTH D. NURNBERG Fotre' said to have own racial bias TO THE EDITOR The letter by "Brother Forte"' disturbes nie and I was wondering if I might make some comparisons to attempt to clear up a few foggy facts. Forte' seems to be awfully concerned about racial bias on the part of The Gamecock staff. However, the author states, "The media always illustrate white folks in a positive manner, no matter what they do, pro or con. Black folks catch hell by being illustrated negatively and unjustly in the news." It seems to me that our fortress of fairness has his own racial biases. Forte' also states, "Earmarking the Association of Afro-American Students in a seemingly negative manner.., could easily make one condemn and reject Afro's policies, practices, beliefs and Ideals without examining the evidence on'which the organization is based." You might as well say that the media created Watergate. The Afro club created its own condemning Frankenstein with no help from The Gamecock. May I refer to the quotation by W.F. Storey in the upper left hand corner of the Nov. 4 Gamecock Editorial Page, "It is a newsaper's duty to print the ... Afro respons CarMpus opinion news, and raise hell." This is all that was being done. The Afro Club condemned itself by posting racially discriminating posters, misplacing (?) $1,400 In funds, and attempting to misuse SGA funds. Forte' rambles on in a racial rampage, yet all it amounts -to is the pot wishing the kettle were black. ROBERT A. JONES Reames' response called misinterpretation TO THE EDITOR: I would like to address myself to the letter in your last issue in which Alan Reames found it necessary to make something of a fool out of himself over what appears to be a gross case of misinterpretation. The object of Reames' faulty perception was a review by Chuck Cromer of Fleetwood Mac's current album, Heroes Are Hard To Find. Being a fan of the later days of Fleetwood Mac (the "mellow" rock band it had become before its short-lived break-up); I was bitterly disappointed with the lackluster performances, slipshod production, and substandard song quality found on their latest at tempt (the correct word in this case). After a,series of beautiful and brilliant 4lbums such as Future Games, Bare Trees, and Mystery To Me, the new album was a severe let-down. As with Cromer, the only reason that comes to mind is haste. I won't be corny enough to cite the devious addage which naturally follows. I trust Mr. Reames is clever enough to figure that one out for himself; that is, if he hasn't imbibed too many "Blues". I never got the impression from the review that Cromer was ever a staunch fan of the old blues-rock Fleetwood, not that It even mat ters. Furthermore, I don't un derstand Reames' tangent on the band's Omni performance. I imagine it was marvelous, but I fail to see what bearing that fact has on the worth of a poor studio effort. Mr. Cromer was weighing the relative merits of an album, not reviewing a concert. The relevance of Mr. Reames side track avoids me. Perhaps Fleetwood Mac Is slowly sinking into that category of bands, like J. Geils and Humble Pie, who are more respectable In. concert than on vinyl. If true, this is indeed unfortunate. Here is hoping that Christine Mc Vies' tunes and wonderful voice may yet prove to be the band's saving grace. Don't misunderstand me, Mr. Relmes. Rock music, I agre., Is even at Its most complex a relatively simple music form. it should be taken lightly and I am not totally down on your lett... I ...CGhauvilnsm thought your onion analogy was amusing. I only find fault with your blinders (or earmtuffs). The. defense rests. ERIC ANDERSON Gamecock ignores violation TO THE EDITOR Conditioning is a factor of both ends of the racial rainbow and to observe this campus's relations is to find a negative scene portraying two destructive and obsolete at titudes, Blackthink and White bigotry. Meanwhile, The Gamecock ignores students' mental and social health, and dully covers building codes and S.C. politicians. The first static to crackle in this politically inactive campus (besides 'yo-Ravenel), was the Forte' article on the Afro Club. What 'thinking' student could accept the Homecoming Queen's reception as anything above disgusting and rude? Why wasn't public reaction evident? And why didn't The Gamecock editorialize on the absurd manner in which people rated beauty ac cording to color? The Black students can be commended for their outstanding voter organization, the sole positive aspect. Interrelation between people is a dynamic process marked by: argumentation, debate, speeches, rath, friendliness, emotion. In the present silent atmosphere, students tensely ignore one another in proportion to the skin pigment scale. And while both critically resent their parents and establishment values, do they seriously consider themselves as different? The same fearful hate is evident; the similar separationalism or paternal liberalism of their parents' old line view is striking. I claim the S.C. students reflect their parents' propaganda and dopily accept the old values, rather than using their scholarly trained minds, 6oth black and white, to analyze their social position in a new world. A shaky world, where cultural heritages are historically dusty and subordinate in value to our need for each other in the survival struge. Perhaps Te Gamecock will serve as a forum for the Black Tan-Peach-White issue, and as a vehicle to accelerate our campus to the velocity of social changes in. the world. RUDINA VAN