The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 08, 2000, Page 2, Image 2
Are boys better than girls at geography?
by Dietrich Epperson
The Gamecock
A recent study concluded that boys generally
perform better than girls in geography, but two USC'
professors disagree with that conclusion and have
their own interpretation of the supposed geographical
gender gap. 1
During the 12-year history of the National
Geography Bee competition, only two finalists have
been girls.
This low number seems to point to a nationwide
problem, some experts fear.
According to an article in The New York Times,
of the 5 million students who participated in state
geography bees, 77 percent of the winners were
boys.
The study found it’s not just in competitions
that girls perform poorer than males in geography.
The 1990 National Assessment of Education
Progress reported that girls score significantly low
er on geography tests than boys.
According to the national education project
“Finding A Way,” this discrepancy carries over to
the professional world.
“Finding A Way” states that women are signif
icantly underrepresented in the profession of ge
ography.
The National Geographic Society, which spon
sors the geography bees, was concerned enough to
commission a study regarding this geography gen
der gap.
This study was conducted by professors Lynn
Liben-and Roger Downs from Penn State Univer
sity.
Their findings were interesting and controver
sial.
Liben and Downs concluded that the biggest
factor was a difference in “spatial skills” between
boys and girls. They say boys tend to have higher
“mental rotation skills” than gifls.
These skills enable them to mentally rotate or
reverse visible images faster than females.
This skill is important in studying maps,
which is crucial in preparing for and succeeding in
the Geography Bee.
Two USC professors don’t agree with this ex
planation.
Psychology professor Gary Allen concedes that
boys are better at mental image rotation. Howev
er, he rejects the notion that “spatial skills” are nec
essary for success in the Geography Bee.
He sees tire Bee as requiring old-fashioned mem
orization.
“The questions are fact-driven, and do not have
explicit spatial content,” Allen said.
Geography professor Robert Lloyd agrees with
Allen. He views the problem as not related to in
nate ability, but having to do with “interest in the
subject.”
He said that, at an earlier age, boys simply seem
•^K
to be more interested in geography than girls.
“Women are much more involved in the field
of geography at the collegiate level. At USC, en
rollment in the geography graduate program is di
vided fifty-fifty between male and female students,”
Lloyd said.
Lloyd pointed to other signs of female excel
lence in geography. Nationwide, 38 percent of ge
ography doctorate recipients in 1999 were women.
This number reflects a 7 percent increase in the
last two years.
“Women are actively involved in the academ
ic and professional spheres of geography, but in
terest has not filtered down to girls in the K-12
grades,” said Lloyd.
Both Allen and Lloyd cite two possible reasons
why girls don’t do well in the Geography Bee.
First, studies show that boys “explore further
from home than girls, and are more active in their
environment.”
These patterns may foster an interest in knowl
edge of other places.
Second, boys are often “more motivated to com
pete and win than are girls.”
Allen and Lloyd view these factors as having
more to do with societal issues than issues of spa
tial skills or cognitive abilities.
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com.
Prayer
from page 1
hind the ACLU’s position that “a public school of
the government should not sponsor, mandate or or
ganize any religion or prayer,” she said taking pre
game prayer before college games to task in the
courts could turn out to be a fruitless effort.
This is primarily because attendance at secondary
schools is mandatory, she said, while college at
tendance is voluntary.
“Most people would believe children are more
impressionable than adults,” Neil said. “As adults,
we don’t have to participate.”
While the ACLU hasn’t ruled out challenging
college pre-game prayer in the courts, Neil said the
civil liberties organization would have to approach
any legalities with extreme care.
“It’s something we will look at, but we will al
so take into consideration how the Supreme Court
has ruled in the past,” Neil said. “There has not been
a clear precedent set.”
Assistant Athletics Director Kerry Tharp said
the prayers have become a part of USC tradition.
“I think it’s something we have done at USC for
a long, long time,” Tharp said. “It’s just something
we have made ... a part of our pre-game format for
a football game.”
As far as a court challenge by a group like the
ACLU, Tharp said the department wasn’t concerned.
“That’s not something that we have concerned
ourselves with,” he said, adding that, to Iris knowl
edge, the department has not yet sought legal coun
sel on the matter.
The Athletics Department plans to continue the
ritual “as long as we play the game,” Tharp said.
“A pre-game prayer before our football game is
something that is important to us as an athletics pro
gram.”
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com.
USC student dies; memorial planned
by Brandon Larrabee
The Gamecock
A USC student who inexplicably became ill
the first day of classes has died.
Bruce “Smith” King, a resident of Preston
Residential College, died at 12:30 p.m. Thurs
day.
King had been in a coma at Baptist Medical
Center since Aug. 24. He had become ill due to
a heart condition.
The exact cause of King’s illness is still un
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com.
known, though doctors ruled
rut drug use and contagious
diseases, according to King’s yT
Friends and university JgKjL
spokesman Jason Snyder.
A memorial service will *
re held at 3 p.m. today at Rut- ■ ' ~;
ledge Chapel.
Police make three drug arrests
by John Bailey
The Gamecock
Columbia City Police made three arrests
Wednesday and Thursday on two crack-cocaine
busts on Greene and Pendleton streets.
Two subjects were arrested at 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday on charges of possession with intent
to distribute at 2200 Pendleton St. They were
within a half-mile of Lyon Street Elementary
School. Donald Jerome Whitmore handed the re
sponding officer a black container that contained
about .5 grams and field-tested positive for co
caine. Whitmore said that the second subject hand
ed the container to him to hold. The second
subject, a minor, was also arrested.
A day later, and only blocks away, officers ar
rested another man after he dropped an off-white
colored rock (weighing approximately .2 grams,
and field tested positive for cocaine) after speak
ing with a responding officer. The responding of
ficer received information that a black male wear
ing a white sweater and blue jeans was in the area
looking for drugs. The subject, Charles G. Walthall,
was then arrested and transported to Richland
County Detention Center.
-—-1
*
Check out Viewpoints in
Wat (5amecod?.
Three times a week.
USCPD investigates
disappearance of VCRs
by Charles Prashaw
The Gamecock
The USCPD is currently investi
gating the disappearance of about 20
VCRs that have somehow disappeared
from USC classrooms over the past
week.
Officers said there are no suspects
at this time, and there is no way to
know if the crimes are connected. All
the crimes were reported by officials
at the USC Distance Education Pro
gram and Instructional Support, who
discovered the missing equipment.
University spokesman Jason Sny
der confirmed that USCPD was con
ducting a complete investigation into
the matter and that he was uninformed
about any further developments in the
case. Snyder said that Director of Law
Enforcement Ernie Ellis had more in
formation about the case.
Ellis was unavailable for comment
on the matter.
The possible crime spree started
on Thursday, Aug. 31 with two dark
gray Zenith VCRs that were discov
ered missing from rooms 231 and 232
of McMaster College. USC employ
ee Robert Lyon reported that almost
$200 worth of VCR equipment was
stolen from the classrooms.
The next day, Craig O’Dell, an em
ployee with distance education, re
ported that around 5 p.m. 14 VCRs
were missing from various colleges.
The missing VCRs were: four from
Gambrell Hall, one from room 235 of
the Law Center, one from room 101
of Hamilton College, five from the
business school, three from Physical
Science Building and one from the
School of Public Health.
In all, police estimate a total of al
i
most $2,000 worth of classroom VCRs
are missing.
In most of the cases, the VCRs
were located in rooms that were un
secured, and it is believed that some
one simply walked out of the class
rooms carrying the VCRs.
It’s still unclear whether there are
additional VCRs are missing from oth
er colleges around campus.
All the VCRs were stolen from
carts that had TVs with them; a police
investigator wouldn’t comment of why
someone would leave the more valu
able TVs and just take the VCRs.
There are nearly 150 such combi
nation of TVs and VCRs on campus
that were added to various classroom
since last spring in a new program, ac
cording to Steven Adams, manager of
class technology and distance educa
tion.
Adams said all the missing VCRs
were part of that program and were of
the same make and model.
“We felt it would have been of great
benefit for students and teachers to
have TV and VCRs readily available
in the classroom,” Adams said. “We
are very eager to take steps to protect
the security of these units and get to
the bottom of what is going on.”
Adams said it’s highly unusual
for this many VCRs to be missing, and
that, during all of last semester, the
university only reported two stolen
VCRs from classrooms.
For now, police are keeping qui
et on whether they believe the person
or persons involved in the case are stu
dents, non-students or employees of
use.
The city/state desk can be reached at
gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.coia
1 i
Zhl 0amccort will have a recruitment meeting at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 13 in Russell House room 333.
Positions available:
News reporters, sports reporters, photographers,
cartoonists, copy editors and graphic artists.
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