1976-11-08; Central Michigan Life

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Educational techniques defended
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Profs debate 'back to basics' drive
Editor's note; Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT/ scores have been on the
decline recently and some persons have placed the blame on the American
educational system. Many have called for a return to basic instruction in
schools. In the first of a two-part series, CMU math and English
professors discuss this back-to-basic movement. In the second part,
faculty members discuss student, skills.
BY TONY DEARING
CM LIFE Reporter
The American educational system is being raked over a bed of hot
coals by some highly vocal person's who are calling for a return to basics
in the high schools.
"All across the nation," Newsweek magazine reported in an October,
1974 issue, "parents, school boards and often the pupils 'themselves are
demanding that schools get back tot the basics in reading, writing and
arithmetic,"
"Back-to-basics proponents point to distrubing signs that educational
attainment seems to be declining among young persons," U.S. News and '
World Report said in a September, 1975 article. The most distrubing sign *
is a steady decline of SAT scores over the last decade,
But according to English and mathematics faculty members, there ia
no real "crisis." The back-to-basics move is a scare which could damage
recent educational gains.
"As a member of the Mt. Pleasant Board of Education," William
Miller, professor of mathematics, said, "I attended a National School
Board Association conference last year that centered around the whole
back-to-basics theme, and I came away somewhat frightened. There were
a lot a people advocating the dropping of programs that have been very
" beneficial."
However, a look at SAT scores over the last five years reveals there
indeed is some sort os problem. In 1972,. the average score on the SAT
Verbal Test was 453, By 1976, it had dropped 22 points to 431. During the
same period of time, the mathematical score dropped from 484 to 472.
These lower scores could, in part, be the result of inadequate
preparation of students in high school as the back-to-basics faction contends.
Volume 58, No. 30
Monday, November 8, 1976
But some CMU faculty believe there are many other vilid reasons
why SAT scores have been On the decline.
"The whole American educational system is changing," Hans Fetting,
chairperson of the English Department pointed out. "But the SAT still
tests from a fairly traditional standpoint. I think perhaps, that testing has
not kept up with curriculum—the two used to mesh better."
'iThere is a very clear possibility that schools have changed, but tests
have stayed the same," Willard Memering, assistant professor of English,
agreed. "The SAT is information oriented; but in the English department,
we consider it more important to know how to write than to have information on writing."
SAT tests also have come under fire as one-shot deals which unfairly
categorize students.
"The problem with the SAT," Fetting said, "is that all testing a
person tells me, is whether a person can pass that particular test."
"To use a test to classify someone as dumb," Memering said, "victimizes the student, is undemocratic arid is of little aca'demic merit."
It is important to remember the SAT is not a test of knowledge but
rather an indicator of how well students will do in college according to
Memering.
"The squawk is that test scores are going down, but college grades
are going up," he said. "The average grade in this school is a B—that's
very high."
There have been recent charges colleges have been guilty of grade
inflation by grading more leniently than in the past.       ,
According to Memering, However, these charges were initiated by
testers such as SAT administrators, possibly because high college grades
were causing them embarrassment.
(See "Profs ..." page 3)
CM MFE PHOTO BY RQU.IE MlKAN
POT POLICY-Keith Stroup, director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
(NOBML) illustrates a point on pot law reforms Saturday during the Michigan NORML convention conducted
at CMU in the University Center. Michigan is one of NORML's target states for marijuana law reform in 1977.
Count falls short
Census nets 23,500
. Preliminary count of the'
recently completed Mt. Pleasant
mid-decade census shows 23,500
persons, or about 1,000 heads short
of the total needed to qualify for
additional state revenue sharing
money. Randy Golden, chief census
enumerator said.
"It's possible that we missed a
significant number of people, so
we're going to run ads in the local
papers   asking,   "Did   you   get
counted?" We did find a 10 per cent
increase in the city's population
since 1970, but we needed to find 15
per cent to get the state revenue
sharing money," Golden said.
"The census determined Mt,
Fall clean-up
program begins
! The annual Mt. Pleasant Fall
Cleanup starts today and continues
.'throughout the week as citizens are
Requested to help by cleaning out
itheir attics,  basements,  closets,
^garages and other storage areas to
^eliminate fire hazards.
7     Trash  pickups will  follow
regular pick-up schedules.
imid&
•p Reems    tells    of
harassment-page 8
f Football team upon*
dad by Eastern-paga $
'i^ffetd hockey squad
i$jri$ state title-page It
d£iimrw.innirn'iiii»iii.   hi   i.    -i i^nm i 'M/
There will be three city crews
working during the week, including
a regular garbage pickup crew and
a crew to pick up metals such as
refrigerators, Stoves, washers/
dryers, lawnmowers, bicycles and
any other all-metal items. This
crew will take metals to a metal -
salvage company.
In addition,, a third crew will
pick up ail other refuse, such as
furniture, and tires. *
For this reason, Mt. Pleasant
residents are being asked to
separate their ,trash into three
piles, corresponding to the three
categories. All Containers will be
picked up and discarded unless
they aw conspicuously marked
"SAVE,"
City officials ask residents
have patience with the pickup
crews. l"hey said the crews will
work as fast as possible to pick up
All the refuse.
Pleasant can support another
liquor license and also gathered up
to date demographic information,
accomplishing two out of three of
the -census goals. From that
standpoint, the census was a
success," Golden said.
If the census had shown a total
of 23,580 residents, the city would
have received $50,000 to $60,000 in
revenue sharing money. As it is,
Mt. Pleasant's level of funding will
not change until 1980 when the
next census will be taken, he added.
Mt. Pleasant received approximately $500,000 in state
revenue sharing money this year,
' for an average of $25 per capita,
William Barrons, city manager,
said.
Vaccine
available
Swtne flu vaccinations now are
available at the Health Center on
an appointment basis only for those
persons, who were unable to
receive shots during the clinics, Dr.
Howard L. Varney, director of
University Health Services, said.
Appointments are necessary
because the Health Center receives
a limited number of doses at one
time. Persons should call the
Health Center at 774-3065 between
' 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. weekdays to
' make an appointment. There is no
charge tot the office call or the
vaccine* Varney sid.
Reformers discuss
'pot' law changes
by LORIE MOY
CM LIFE Reporter
Explaining and defending the decriminalization
of marijuana without getting a reputation as a "pro-
pot" group is the most difficult part of being members
of the National Organization of the Reform of
Marijuana Laws (NORML) according to its national
director, Keith Stroup.
Stroup spoke to a group of about 60 persons from
12 Michigan cities at a NORML convention in the
University Center Saturday. The convention, hosted
by CMU's NORML group, consisted of workshops,
lectures and movies.
v^^h4prim*rjt.ob1igation of NORML is to explain-.
decriminalization to the public. We must demonstrate
to legislators that they can maintain a
discouragement policy towards marijuana use
without arresting those of us who choose to smoke,"
Stroup said,
Present law in Michigan states persons in
possession of up to two ounces of marijuana can be
sentenced to a year in jail or given a $1,000 fine.
Decriminalization would change this to no jail sentence and a small fine.
Stroup stressed in his speech supporters of
decriminalization necessarily do not support
marijuana use, but they believe "the marijuana smoker
is not a criminal and doesn't deserve to be treated as
one."
Although Stroup spoke in generalities of the good
points of decriminalization, his speech was followed
by one from Dan Tucker, Michigan state coordinator
for NORML, who outlined procedures Michigan must
follow in order to see a law passed.
Tucker said NORML must become a credible,
responsible organization in Michigan.
He proposed to do this by setting up a NORML
advisory board of doctors, lawyers, scholars and other
experts who are willing to be spokespersons for
NORML.
He also said the board and all NORML members
must arm themselves with facts, statistics and data on
marijuana use, so when the time comes to attempt
passage of legislation, NORML can answer any
questions people have.
Tucker said he knows more persons support
decriminalization than ever before, but 'he wants to
survey all Michigan residents to determine exact
numbers.
He agreed with a previous statement from
Stroup that "legislators don't know that 87 per cent of
the people support decriminalization. We don't want
to convince them that they ought to smoke. We just
want to convince them that it's ridiculous to Spend $25
million a year oil marijuana arrests."
Tucker said he believes now is a good time to do
the survey, because new legislators will be taking
office in January.
House Bill 5617 is the current decriminalization
bill in the Michigan legislature, but after more than a
year of debate* no action has been taken on it, he said,
Following the opening speeches the remainder of
the afternoon was spent in workshops such as Yoiir >
Rights   if   You're   Arrested,   Medical   Facts   on
Marijuana and Lobbying for Reform. During this time
the movie "Reefer Madness" also was shown.
Tucker and Stroup supported their ideas
throughout the day by saying they believe marijuana
was only one of a large group of "recreational drugs,"
including alcohol and tobacco.
It may or may not harm the user, but the decision
to go ahead and use it must be a private one, Stroup
said. He also said all the money used on marijuana
arrests should be channeled into more research on the
drug.
"We don't have to prove marijuana is harmless in
order to decriminalize the user. I'm a smoker. I've
been a smoker for years. I don't want to hurt myself.
If the government finds out something harmful about
(See "Conventioneers ..." page 8)
Seven
injured
in fire
Seven people, including two
Department of Public. Safety
(DPS) officers were taken to the
University Health Center for
treatment of smoke inhalation
after an early Saturday morning
fire in Carey Hall.
When the Mt. Pleasant Fire
Department arrived at the
scene, they found the fourth
floor electric range and
surrounding kitchen area
burning.
The five students treated
were Michael Bloom, Dearborn
graduate student; David
England, Utica junior; William
Quigley, Dearborn freshman;
Gerald Snyder, Mt. Pleasant
sophomore and Greg Stakey,
Utica junior. All were released
after treatment except Snyder
who was kept overnight for
observation and released
Saturday.
* The DPS officers, Jeff
Pickler and Shawn Riley, were
kept for' observation and
released the following day.
According   to   the   Fire
Department, heat from the fire
melted solder, around the water
line, causing water damage to
V the floors*
V>m,inm in. n'i   iiu     .      'Ill     i'rj".'i i   '       i   ' -       '      '
CM UM PHOTO »Y ftRAD DRCWVOR
BtffiNED Oti^-Seven persons were treated for smoke inhalation
following a small fire in the kitchen area of fourth floor Carey Hall.
No damage estimates have been released.
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