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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1969)
4, " .... IF stem p rn rp LINCOLN, NEBRASKA VOL. 92, NO. 76 o rj n n r oU.lL 0 Modified semester plan may b answer to system controversy by John Dvorak Nebraskan Staff Writer Compromise may be the solution to the quarter system-semester system controversy. Proponents of the semester plan are In the majority, but many of them still dislike the Christmas interruption and subsequent "bobtail" period. Those University faculty who want realize they don't have sufficient sup- 1 Uni So the modified semester plan, or compressed semester plan, proposed several weeks ago in the ASUN Senate could be the answer. In a unanimously approved resolu tion, Student Senate recently recom mended that classes begin several weeks earlier in the fall and that finals be given before Christmas. SEN. TOM LONNQUIST, who in troduced the resolution, said that considerable support exists for such an alteration in the calendar. Lincoln campus President Joseph Soshnik has reacted favorably when approached with the proposal, but refused to make any official statement, Lonnquist said. Dr. Norman H. Cromwell, chairman of the chemistry department, would like to see the semester end before Christmas. Then everybody could "take a real holiday," he said. (This Is the third article in a .four-part series examining the dif ferent calendar scheduling sys tems, such as the semester and quarter plan.) Dr. C. Peter Magrath, current dean of the arts and sciences college, would also rather see the University's sched ule structured to finish before Christ mas. It is difficult to pick up the momen tum again after the holidays, he poin ed out:' Classes don't often accomplish much after the bobtail. Magrath, who will become dean of faculties April 1, stressed that he was giving only his own opinion. A PROFESSOR IN the English department termed the bobtail period undesirable, ineffective and worthless. Another faculty member, Dr. 0. W. Kopp, chairman of the elementary education department, said,' "Our basic semester system is good. But with innovation it could be better." A survey taken last year by a University Senate ad hoc committee showed that out of 456 faculty members polled, only 17 favored the modified semester while 25 listed it as their second choice. However many faculty members who back the semester or quarter system Indicated that they might be willing to alter their stance slightly and approve the modified plan. "I could be persuaded," "This wouldn't be a bad idea" and "I just might buy that" are oft heard opinions. ONE BIG 'QUESTION is what to Draft Resistance Union exists 4in name only' One of the University's more con troversial student groups is now operative "in name only' according to member John Dietz. The Nebraska Dra Resistance Union, founded last year by Charles Marxer. a former University philosophy instructor now living in Canada, had a membership of "about 12 or 13'' last semester, Dietz said. "Business was never heavy." he continued. "One of our problems was that we never had enough well-trained counsellors, and it takes clients to develop them." Diets said that besides draft counselling, the group also distributed leaflets downtown and at high school football games. "The police ran us off at Seacrest field," Dietz said, "supposedly because of the location at which we Centennial College Upperclassmen interested in participating in the Centennial College should attend a meeting March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Centennial room, according to Dr. Philip Scribner of the philosophy de partment. Applications for enrollment in the college are now available. Twenty five to fifty upperclassmen will be admitted under a selection process not yet determined. Students may carry a five or six hour class load from the college and will assist in projects. do in January under the modified plan? Conceivably, classes could begin right after the first of the year, but the term would then end in the first week of May and NU already recesses earlier than many institu tions. Also, the traditional spring vacation or Easter vacation would in some years create a bobtail period, exactly as the Christmas holidays do now during the first semester. In order to coincide with other schools using the semester plan, classes could begin around the end of January or early in February as the University always has. The month between clases would not have to stand vacant. Hastings College operates on this modified plan and uses the "free" month for interim study projects. "WE OFFER FOUR semester hours credit for the interim," remarked Marvin M. Fink, administrative vice president of the college. "Study during that period can be conventional classroom work or other more dif ferent and interesting projects." Earlier this year, during the one month interim, a 33-member student group went to Israel and parts of the Mideast on a language study. Another Hastings group studied literature in England. Fink estimated that about 80 per cent of the students remain on campus during the interim, since financing for long tours Is a problem. In the past, however, student groups have travelled throughout North America. Activities during the interim are all geared with an intregal part of the normal course of study at Hastings, Fink noted. The college has operated with the modified semester system for three years now, and he said that reaction throughout the college is "highly favorable." SUCH AN INTERIM period has "a lot of merit," according to Dr. Gene Harding, assistant professor of journalism. It would be an excellent wjjy to individualize study. - . Administrative matters would be "a problem in a school the size of NU, he pointed out. The registration pro cess would probably have to be hand ed back to the individual departments. "This is something more easily handled by a small school," Harding said. "It is not something we could just jump into." The modified semester plan and in terim study period sound ideal at first glance, but as every other scheduling idea they face serious drawbacks. One of the biggest is tho interim study idea, which may be perfect for a small college, but almost unworkable for a large Institution like Nebraska. THE IDEAIS NEW: Hastings Col lege is still the only school in the state to employ it. Most of the col leges who do use it are small, liberal arts institutions. Hastings has 800 students. Macalaster College in Minnesota, which helped pioneer the Idea, has less than 3,000 students. One NU professor pointed out that were operating." He explains! that the group was distributing leaflets on a sidewalk near the parking lot, and that the sidewalk constituted "public property." "The school board had ruled that no political leaflets were to be distributed on public property," Dietz continued, "so the police told us we were breaking the law. Other than this, there was no police harrass ment." He said that although Interest had fallen off and that many of the (Resistance) people had left the cam- Eus at the end of the semester, the raft Resistance Union might possibly be revived. "What we need is some new blood and some new interest," he said. "It wouldn't take too much of either." a month is almost too short a time to accomplish anything meaningful. To shut the entire physical plant down for a month during prime attendance time would be unprecedented. Political overtones would be too great ; the state legislature would never stand for it, he said. The University Senate ad hoc com TTiittde, wh i c h studied the various calendar schedules, raised another significant question about the modified plan. Would there be a lack of academic equivalence between the first or shorter semester and the second? THERE MIGHT BE. During the 1968-1969 school year, first semester consists of 8414 days (counting half days for Saturdays). The second se mester has 81Vfc days. Under the modified plan, if first semester contained the usual final examination period and began September 2, there would be only 75Vi class days. Second semester would then have six more class days than the first. One way to squeeze in more first semester class days is to shorten or abolish the final exam period. The test period, nine full days this year, has existed at NU as long as the football team, but many faculty members would like to see it chang ed. Dr. Charles S. Miller, dean of the college of business administration, would like to do away with the final examination period altogether. ASUN presidential possibilities discuss endorsement plan and party systems by Jim Pederscn Nebraskan Staff Writer Two types of political slating to be used in this spring's ASUN elections are now beginning to take form. Two of the candidates reportedly running for ASUN president have in dicated they will probably follow an endorsement system whereby the ex ecutive slate would endorse senatorial candidates. A third presidential possibility has said he is world ng on a political party which will be without a rigid Internal structure. SEN. BILL CHALOUPKA and Ran dy Reeves have Indicated they will most likely use the endorsement sys tem. Sen. Bob Zucker intends to form some sort of a political party different in structure from the parties of the past. "The party system has been the cause of some unfortunate senates," according to Chalmpka. "Parties have been just a way of getting elected. They serve no other function. According to Chaloupka, there are better alternatives than a party system. One such alternative is the endorsement plan. "THE EXECUTIVE slate or anv other organization on campus could endorse candidates they think are capable," he added. "Anyone who gets the endorsement of many organizations and executive slates would probably be elected." The only safeguard against logroll ing and the granting of favors by an organization Is to have trustworthy people in the organizations who are more concerned about their organiza tions than personal favors, Chaloupka said. "If we don't have these kind of people in our campus organizations," he continued, "our problems are greater than just electing a senate." Chaloupka feels that there has been a trend in the past towards Informal parties of senators after elections. 'Enrichment is a means to an end . . Bereday relates economy to education "Enrichment is a means to an end," Dr. George Bereday told the second Centennial Symposium on Education and Economic growth Thursday. An individual is to get an education "to cultivate the mind, to develop the senses and to live of the sound of music," Bereday said. The goal of education is not to only attain monetary riches, the Columbia University professor emphasized. No nation can exist without prac tical hardworking people, Bereday added. He said that there are two conflicting theories in economics. First, education had previously been considered a luxury for the rich. Secondly, the purpose of education i to make money. However, B.rcday observed that the richest countries were more educated. Therefore, he concluded there is a relationship between the expansion of Ok Dr. Raymond L. Borchers also like to see the demise would of the test period. "We could give during the last several meetings," the chairman biochemistry and nutrition ment said. "The instructor have the right to give or not exams class of the depart- should to give a nnai, anyway. A NUMBER OF OTHER faculty members added that, in their opinion, the final exam period could be shortened to perhaps a week. Examination lengths could also be shortened. The University Senate ad hoc committee recommended that examinations be given in units of two, rather than the present three hours. Dr. Samuel B. Treves, chairman of the geology department feels that both the exam period and the test length are too long. "I just don't need three hours to administer a final," he emphasized. But Borchers was frank when asked what chance there was of abolishing the final exam period. "None," he said. As a matter of fact, the chances of changing to the modified semester system seem to be not much be'er than abolishing the final exam period. The University Senate committee summed things up by saying, "The elimination of the bobtail by this type of schedule perhaps raises more pro blems than it solves." (Next The majority are against any change at all.) "This is a divisive tendency, however," he said. "It is nothing that should be worked for." REEVES THINKS 'that the senate structure doesn't allow for efficient working of a political party. "A party cannot work from year to year," Reeves said Wednesday. "I don't think there should b e partisanship in the ASUN Senate." "If we follow the endorsement plan, there won't necessarily have to be mutual endorsement," he continued. "One senatorial candidate could be endorsed by any number of executive slates simply because they think he would make a good senator." According to Reeves, endorsement would not have any binding affect on senators as far as voting is con cerned. "ISSUE BY issue, two sides usually develop," he said. "It would be up to the Individual senators to act ac cording to their own feelings on a vote." Zucker, although he Is quietly working to form a political party, wants a party structure different from past parties. "I do want a party which eliminates the disadvantages which were present in the parties of recent years." he said Sunday. Under the structure of ASUN government, Zucker feels that the purpose of a political party should be two-fold. "The party should serve to increase Interest in the campaign." he said. "Secondly, a party can work towards getting good candidates together and identifying them to the voter." Mike Gottschalk, a law school senior who helped organize the now defunct Vox Popull party as a n un dergraduate, feels that it Is entirely possible for parties to exist on cam pus. "PARTIES ARE the only viable means of modilizing the 18,000 warm bodies that the University computes into a unit." according to Gottschalk. education and general well-being. "Educated men are more intelligent and are more likely to take care of their lives," Bereday said. He said that the more widely educated a na tion's people are, it is more likely the country will be rich. Bereday used examples of education and the quality of labor, saying that education has raised the quality of labor nine per cent. Bereday said that in countries where education development i s related to high economic development, the economic development will "shoot up quickly." The rate of growth is the element in the relationship, he explained. He cautioned that findings on this were contradictive and not conclusive. However, the precise relationship between education and economic growth is yet to be found. NBC News' Washing ton Correspondent San der Vanocur will speak Wednesday, March 12 in the East Campus Union at 2 p.m. Vano cur has been the repor ter for several NBC News one-hour specials and is seen regularly on the NBC-TV "Morning Report," "Today" show and the "Huntley-Brink-ley Report." He is also heard on NBC Radio Network's "News on the Hour" and "Emphasis." "If a party is adequately organized, plays ball with the party or loses It can tell a senator that he either the next election," Gottschalk added. Senate is dismally ineffective, he continued. It has no support of the students and therefore it can't work its will on the campus. "The only way to change this is to get better qualified people on the Senate," he said. "Anvone who is dedicated and cares more about Senate than a steppingstone to the Innocents Society can make a good senator " TOM MORGAN, ASUN f i r s t vice president, thinks that the failure of a controversial, dividing Issue to arise in Senate has been the cause of the decline of parties. "Any representative political body is adaptive to parties," according to Morgan. "But the way in which ASUN Senate is organized there hasn't been t .."V'"' jT " T P A Jan At What thoughts and schemes lurk in the discreetly perpetrate the future of ASUN . hopping? Two problems, according to Bere day, are planning for educational ex pansion and educational waste. He said that people are always eager to expand, but they do not use their educational or economic sources wisely. Bereday said that in democratic countries, the Idea of public demand is used to develop industry and education. In other systems, particularly the Soviet Union. Bereday said that the "supply" system is used. This is careful government planning of what is to be done in the future. It is detailed projections of the right education for a particular number of people at the right time. Bereday continued that the "fre economy relies on industrialization." If needed, it will borrow money to supply the demand. VJ I r" , ! ... r lrj j' ' ; ? j & v , T7 a lasting issue over which controversy could develop." JAN KREUSCHER, former Netoaskan staff writer and news dltor' also feels that the lack of dlvf ? & senators has contributed to the demise of parties. As lon.? j" s "dent government concerns itself only with reacting to problems on Wednesday afternoons, there can t be much difierence of opi- m"n sne s.3"1- T . ., , wml ASUN Senator Phil Bowen fecls that tne changeover 1 n leadership in ASUN Senate is the big- gest detriment towards forming workable parties, "It is the duty of the people in the party to make their campaign promises known after they are elected as well as before," he added. "If parties are to be successful, senators have to be responsible for fulfilling their party policy." 1 I' ' minds of those who . . anybody for party "We know very little about how children learn," be said. However, all the child learns is not at school. "Everyone has equal or over powering impact on what -the child learns," Bereday said. .1 "School work should be compensa tion money," he emphasized. The purpose of education is not only for attaining riches. To grow rich is to je bored, and to become greedy, Bereday continued. However, it is a means to be free from menial labor and poor health. Bereday said that people should procure active men, men who are willing to make self-improvements. He also added that education needs validation or it will be unlearned. This is the purpose of tests. "There must be some measurement of success, however crude," Bereday said. V n f'r K y V, I. V 'V t) ;-.7 i V ."-. ' i;',- n ft? t I